- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Forms First Steel Band

John Hill — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:57:42 +0000

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you steel drums, make a Steel Band. That was the first thought that came to Dr. Justin Bunting, director of percussion studies, when he arrived at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2019 and a search of percussion equipment in the Fine Arts Building led to a fruitful discovery. “I went through all of the percussion storage rooms, and I found that we had a bunch of steel drums in cases,” Bunting said. “We didn’t have a steel drum ensemble, so my eyes lit up when I saw them. I knew we had to do something with them. We had a full set of steel drums but we had no stands. The drums were there, but we didn’t have stands to put them on or sticks to play them with.” While ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has never had such a band in the past, Bunting has experience leading a steel band of similar size at Western Colorado University. “Steel bands in general can grow very, very large. In Trinidad, which is where steel drums come from, it can have 20 or 30 people,” Bunting said. “I knew I had arrangements of music that would work here because they worked at Western Colorado. It translated very easily.” His work has come to fruition with a six-member steel band that began in the fall 2020 semester. There are aspects of the band that are completely unique, according to its dedicated members. Emma Chambers, a junior fine arts major, has enjoyed playing previously in the Wind Ensemble and was excited for the opportunity to join a new band. “I really love the music in the Steel Band,” Chambers said. “It’s a really small band, so we mesh together and got to know each other very well. Our director also made our practice schedule after checking on everyone’s class schedules. That’s the first time that’s happened for me. I’ve learned a lot of new things because I’ve never played steel drums before. It’s helped me improve my rhythm and sight reading.” Alejandro Alvarez-Barreiro, a junior mechanical engineering technology and Spanish major, is also a budding music maker whose latest project was creating a xylophone out of bottles. “I enjoy learning and playing and making instruments,” Alvarez-Barreiro said. “My main instrument is the tuba, so I’ve enjoyed learning how to play the steel drums. We also play a lot of different types of music from Bruno Mars to Jamaican. If we ever have the chance to play on campus, it will bring a lot of smiles.” Dr. Bunting said it’s been an exciting experience to see how quickly the band members have taken to the steel drums, especially since only some of them had previously played percussion instruments. “I’ve been impressed by how quickly the students have picked up the instruments and been able to play them,” Bunting said. “I felt the enthusiasm for the group would be there. This is an instrument you are learning from scratch. The steel drum is not like any other instrument that everyone has played. Last semester, everyone was looking at the instrument for the first time. I was impressed with how eager they were to learn. By the end of the semester, we recorded a virtual concert and they played seven songs. I was blown away that we could get away with playing that many songs after one semester.” As one of the band members with previous percussion experience, Stephanie Gimenez, a student from Miami, has a slight advantage over some of her fellow bandmates. “I saw it as an opportunity to play a new instrument, even though I’ve been playing percussion since I was a young child,” Gimenez said. “I wanted to balance myself out as a percussionist. All of my friends are in this band. It’s my first and last semester in the Steel Band, so I wanted to seize the opportunity. It has definitely opened my eyes up to playing with other musicians. Percussionists usually accompany the band, but we get to play the melody and be front and center in the Steel Band!” Kevin Fitzgerald, a senior music theory and music history major, agrees that the Steel Band has been a way for him to expand into popular music and is quite a change from his traditional piano performances “The Steel Band seems more like a fun hangout with friends,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not as stressful as some bands I’ve been in, and we play a lot of popular music. It’s a good way to incorporate popular music into a college music curriculum. You don’t often hear Bruno Mars or Billy Joel in a traditional college ensemble.” You can check out the Steel Band in action with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Percussion Ensemble in the recording of the . Any student who would like to join the Steel Band may contact Bunting at jbunting@ualr.edu.

Space-themed Wind Ensemble performance to feature astronomy lecture, meteorite display

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 13:33:14 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Wind Ensemble will host an out-of-this-world concert Oct. 24 featuring a special astronomy lecture and meteorite display. The Wind Ensemble performance, “To Boldly Go,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The ensemble will perform “Take Off” by Daniel Weinberger, “One Moment to Eternity” by Stephen Melillo, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” by John B. Dykes, “All Stars are Love” by Steven Bryant, and “Open Space” by Brian Balmages. The program includes a pre-concert astronomy lecture by Dr. Darrell Heath, host of “The Night Sky”, at 7 p.m. as well as a meteorite display sponsored by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Department of Music at 501-569-3294.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble to hold free concert

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:16:53 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Wind Ensemble will perform on Friday, Nov. 30. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Director of Bands Kenneth Goff and the Wind Ensemble will present a concert featuring “Antithigram” by Jack Stamp, Pavel Tschesnokoff’s “Salvation is Created,” John Philip Sousa’s “The Thunderer,” and “Under Cover of Night… Into the Light of Day” by Stephen Melillo. For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Music at 501-569-3294 or Goff at 501-569-3105.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock commencement set for Dec. 16

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 14:20:26 +0000

More than 1,200 students are expected to graduate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Saturday, Dec. 16. Commencement will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Jack Stephens Center on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. The Jack Stephens Center will open for guests at 8 a.m. Guests are advised to arrive early. Graduating students should arrive at least one hour early and meet in the Derek Fisher Court on the first level of the Jack Stephens Center. The Jack Stephens Center is accessible off 28th Street via Fair Park Boulevard or University Avenue. Guests are encouraged to park in the lots nearest the Jack Stephens Center — Lot 13, Lot 14, and Lot 16. However, all interior campus parking lots will be open during commencement, including the parking deck and Lot 8. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Jeremy Lane, will provide music for the academic processional. Featured music will be provided by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir, led by Dr. Bevan Keating. Dr. Kathryn A. King, assistant professor of anthropology and the winner of the 2017 Ted and Virginia Bailey Foundation Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, will give keynote remarks, followed by the conferring of degrees by Chancellor Andrew Rogerson. Immediately following the ceremony, a commencement celebration for the graduates and their guests will be held at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center with desserts provided by Community Bakery. Rogerson also will host a light breakfast and reception for faculty and staff from 7:30-8:45 a.m. in the Legends Room to celebrate ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees’ contribution to helping students succeed. Special seating will be available for guests with disabilities. For more information, please contact the Disability Resource Center at 501-569-3143.

Department of Music holds fall concerts

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:04:18 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Music has an exciting line up of concerts this week to celebrate the holiday season. Join the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Music faculty for a Choral Ensembles Christmas Concert featuring songs of the holiday season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30. On Friday, Dec. 1, the Wind Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. The Wind Ensemble is composed of musicians from the university and the community and performs great classic literature for winds, transcriptions of the masters, and arrangements and compositions by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and students. Additionally, the Community Orchestra, led by Victor Ellsworth, will hold a rousing performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. This performance features music from the 18th century with a Mozart piano concert by four piano soloists, including Michael Caysido, Ethan Day, Eri Okawa, and Samuel Schalchlin. Associate Professor Andy Wen will delight audience members with a recital featuring Wen’s talent on the saxophone. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Wen’s faculty recital will include four world premieres: Dr. Robert Boury’s Dialogue, for soprano saxophone and piano; Joshua Reed’s Ballade for alto saxophone and piano; Dr. Neil Flory’s Concerto with piano; and L.A. Logrande’s Bouncing Owen. The week of musical events concludes with a student recital featuring Cody Jackson on the trombone at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4. All performances are free and open to the public and will take place in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts building. For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Music at 501-569-3294.

Grad Q&A: Science Scholar Jordan Thomas headed to grad school

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 17:24:36 +0000

Meet Jordan Thomas, a central Arkansas native who graduated May 2017 from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a degree in biology and minors in information technology and music. Tell me a little bit about yourself My hometown is Cabot, Arkansas. I graduated from Cabot High School in 2013 and began college at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that fall. I’m a biology major and minoring in information technology and music. I play the clarinet and have participated in multiple music ensembles at the university. I’m a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, and I’m also very family oriented! I spend a lot of free time with my little brother, Dillon. Why did you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for a few reasons. I had toured a few other universities, and none of them quite felt like the right fit. After touring ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and receiving an offer of a full scholarship, I was sold. As part of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps Scholars (CLC) and Science Scholars Program, I got the opportunity to meet people from the same programs. I’m also very family oriented and wanted to stay close to home, so the university ended up being the perfect choice for me. Was there anything that surprised you about the university? Yes, it’s not your typical college campus environment. It’s very diverse in a variety of demographic categories, and it was great to interact with all demographic types. Why did you select your major? I chose the biology major, because I knew that I always wanted to be in the medical field. I started out as a chemistry major and switched to biology toward the end of my freshman year. As for my minors, Thomas Wallace pitched the information technology minor program to my CLC class one day, so I selected this as my minor to diversify my skillset. I also had enough hours of music ensemble work to easily pursue a music minor as well. Are you going to graduate school? Yes, I’ve been accepted to the Doctor of Audiology program at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and will begin course work there in the fall. I like the biological and technical aspects of audiology. Due to my passion for music, I understand how devastating hearing loss can be. What were your favorite study conditions? Upper classes provided the most ideal conditions for me because of the smaller class settings. That’s part of the reason I didn’t go to a larger school. And I would not have survived without flash cards! I even have my brother using flash cards now. Who were your mentors? Dr. Jim Winter (Science Scholars) and Nick Steele (CLC) were key mentors within my scholarship programs. They aided me greatly in aspects of advising, as well as helping students within the program build their leadership skills and relationships with peers. Jenny Dodson, director of campus life, was also a great mentor, and Dr. Darin Jones (Organic Chemistry II) was a great teacher. He genuinely cared about his students’ confidence in the coursework and as people. He constantly referred to us as “superstars!” Do you participate in any extracurricular activities? Yes, I play clarinet in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble, the ��Vlog��ý Clarinet Ensemble, and I am a member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Trojan Pep Band. I am a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society, Kappa Delta Sorority, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. How has Greek life helped you? Kappa Delta provided the opportunity to meet new people since most of my high school friends went to other schools. The negative perception of Greek life is definitely not what I experienced here. It’s a great platform for networking before you get a job and provided me an immense amount of leadership training. Overall, the program instilled a greater confidence in me. These women care about and support each other. What was your biggest challenge? One of my biggest challenges was being away from my family and creating a new life. I was a straight A student in high school, and I was blessed with an encouraging support system, so the move to college was like starting from scratch. But, joining campus organizations helped a lot, if not the most, in overcoming these obstacles. Any advice to future students? My advice to future students would be to get involved on your campus! Join campus organizations, attend school sponsored events, whether you want to or not. The support system you will build will help you in numerous ways throughout your college career.

— Compiled by Toni Boyer Stewart/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications

��Vlog��ý Little Rock wind and jazz ensembles set for April 25

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:41:52 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host the university’s wind and jazz ensembles Tuesday, April 25. The musical performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts building. The admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Department of Music at 501.569.3294.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock musical groups present “Collage” Jan. 27

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:44:20 +0000

A variety of University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Music groups will perform a concert entitled “Collage” on Friday, Jan. 27. Performers include the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, Capital City Percussion Ensemble, and the Pep Band. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. Refreshments will be available at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Music at 501.569.3294 or visit ualr.edu/music.

��Vlog��ýLR Wind Ensemble to hold free concert

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:04:39 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Wind Ensemble will perform on Friday, Dec. 2. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts. ��Vlog��ýLR Director of Bands Kenneth Goff and the ��Vlog��ýLR Wind Ensemble will present a concert featuring standards of the ensemble’s repertoire, highlighted by Robert Reynold’s transcription of Morten Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium.” For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Music at 501.569.3294 or visit the Department of Music concert schedule.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Forms First Steel Band

Space-themed Wind Ensemble performance to feature astronomy lecture, meteorite display

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble to hold free concert

����Vlog��ý Little Rock commencement set for Dec. 16