PreparatoryDept-FALL-2020-Newsletter-NOVEMBER

Preparatory Department

NEWSLETTER FALL 2020

 Director’s Message

 Meet the Dean / New Faculty

 COVID back to school guidelines

 Student Spotlights Music and Dance

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

communicate with our students. They are the highlight of our day each day. Working with them, hearing form them, and participating in their lives as they grow and mature is what makes teaching such a rewarding occupation.

While we certainly miss seeing everyone in person, we are so impressed with our student’s efforts and desire to continue their instruction and pursuit of music and dance. The dedication and commitment that it takes to keep things going in challenging situations is a character quality that will not only pay off in their music but in all endeavors of life. We have certainly missed in person studio classes and recitals this semester and are planning God willing to bring them back in the spring semester. We have been practicing all of the COVID protocol here at PBA and will continue to do so for the spring semester.

I want to take this time to remind you that due to the COVID and the University’ s schedule there are no scheduled lessons

$170 for hour lessons and $85 for half hour lessons.

Finally, I hope you like our new Newsletter. With our growing program and divisions I hope this will be a helpful tool for everyone in order to be informed as well as see all of the exciting things that are happening on a monthly basis. The idea is to make it informational as well as interesting and fun. It will be something that can be emailed to friends and family both in the area and outside of our area. If you have any ideas for information or stories please do not hesitate to let us know. We hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Patrick Clifford Director, Preparatory Department

Palm Beach Atlantic University

SCHOOL OF MUSIC & FINE ARTS

Meet the dean - Dr. Jason Lester

Students in the preparatory department want to know:

Where did you grow up? “I was born and raised in Texas , but I never owned cowboy boots or cowboy hat!”

What’s your Favorite Color ? ”Blue”

Hobby ?

“Cycling”

Favorite Meal ? “BBQ (preferably brisket) with the family, my wife Laurie and two kids.”

Who are your favorite composers?

“Mozart and Handel. I love their melodic and harmonic writing, as well as expertise in text-setting.”

“ I was born and raised in Texas, but I have never owned cowboy boots or cowboy hat! ”

Degrees

D.M., Florida State University;

M.M., University of Cincinnati;

B.M.E., Baylor University.

As Dean of the School of Music & Fine Arts, Dr. Lester serves the departments of Art, Dance, and Music, as well as the Preparatory Department. He is passionate about the lifelong impact higher education and the Arts can provide individuals, families, and communities, and believes the pursuit of academic excellence with both a global and entrepreneurial perspective enhances educational experiences and opportunities. He has secured partnerships and collaborations with organizations and businesses that foster pragmatic learning experiences and cultivate civic-mindedness within experiential learning environments that support Fine Arts programs. He is dedicated to cultivating the distinctive contributions of performing and visual artists to society through excellence in artistic expression, arts advocacy, redemptive storytelling, and transformational experiences.

His students have participated in numerous summer music programs, have been winners or finalists in many vocal competitions, and have been accepted into music schools and conservatories across America. A longstanding member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), he has served as the governor of the Texoma Region, president of the Greater Houston chapter, and is currently serving his second term as the national Secretary-Treasurer of the 7,000member organization.

An accomplished performer, Dr. Lester is at ease in operatic, concert, and song literature repertoire and has performed over thirty operatic roles in musical styles from baroque to 21st century, with roles including Colline in La Bohème, Mephistopheles in Faust, Raimondo Bidebent in Lucia di Lammermoor, Sarastro in Die Zauberflӧte and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. As an active concert soloist, Dr. Lester has participated in many of the repertory ’s standard works, including Mozart and Brahms’ Requiem, Handel’ s Messiah, andBeethoven’ s Ninth Symphony.

PREPARATORY MUSIC DEPARTMENT

CELLO NEWS

We now have three cello teachers in the Preparatory Department. Students can take in-person or virtual lessons with Dr. Claudio Jaffe, Dr. Manuel Capote or Mr. Andrew Jeffrey

Strings Student Highlights

Students in or highlight section were nominated by their teachers this month for showing great effort and achieving tremendous improvement.

JOIN US IN WELCOMING

Dr. Manuel Capote has joined the Preparatory Department at Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Music and Fine Arts. Below we have provided some information about him. If you are interested in lessons with Dr. Capote or any of our other cello teachers call the preparatory department at : 561-803-2403 / preparatory_department@pba.edu

Dr. Manuel Capote was principal cellist with the Florida Philharmonic, Florida Grand Opera, Boca Pops and the Miami City Ballet orchestras for over 20 years. He has taught cello and chamber music throughout South Florida, was Band and Orchestra Director at American Heritage School of Boca/Delray, and served as Conductor and Music Director with the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County.

Dr. Capote has performed chamber music in the United States and Europe. As a fellowship alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival, he has been a member of the Aspen Festival Orchestra and the Aspen Chamber Symphony. His teachers include Ingus Naruns, Dudley Powers, Frank Miller and Laszlo Varga. He has collaborated with such diverse artists as Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Mstislav Rostropovich, James Galway, Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Capote has recorded with Crosby Stills and Nash, the Miami Sound Machine, Julio Iglesias, KC and the Sunshine Band, the original Miami String Quartet, and the Florida Philharmonic on the Harmonia Mundi label.

Dr. Capote has served on the board of directors of the League of American Orchestras Youth Orchestra division and is currently on the programming advisory committee of the Nat King Cole Generation Hope, Inc. as well as the advisory board of the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition. He has traveled to Havana, Cuba to perform and produce concerts, events and master classes as part of the Lynn University Conservatory’s Education and Outreach efforts.

From August 1, 2010 to September 1, 2020, Dr. Capote was the CoordinatorPreparatory School, Community Outreach, and Music Education at the Lynn University Conservatory of Music. His firm beliefs in the positive effects of mentoring led him to his Ed. D. dissertation topic: “The Perceptions of Participation in a Mentored Title I Elementary String Instrumental Music Program” . The purpose of this dissertation is to provide validation for the importance of free and expert music mentoring to the lives of young underserved students.

Education

Ed. D. Lynn University / Ross College of Education / Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership / August - 2020

M.M., Boston University / College of Fine Arts / Master of Music / Music Education / September - 2009

B.M., University of Miami / Frost School of Music / Bachelor of Music / Cello Performance / December - 2003

PIANO NEWS

PIANO STUDENT HIGLIGHT

FROM THE DESK OF DR. ROJAS AND PIANO FACULTY

Hearty greetings to our Prep Piano Family! I hope and pray you are blessed with good health, and that none of you or your loved ones has been directly affected by Covid-19. I also trust you’ve been courageous in navigating the various challenges we’ve all faced on account of the pandemic, from crazy scheduling to online school and other unprecedented adjustments.

Well, Music goes on! And we, its “makers”, have not stopped our joyful and privileged calling. We’ve been gratefully encouraged that, masks, face shields, thermometers, Zoom and FaceTime sessions have not deterred us from studying and sharing this great art in the best way we can. I’m happy to report that students have been doing very well. They can’t wait until we resume our wonderful recitals and monthly Studio Classes.

Our piano program has welcomed new students, which is a great encouragement given the current situation. Daniel Johnson, one of our wonderful high school students, has been welcomed by Dr. Joseph Kingma to participate in PBA’s collegiate piano studio class, wherein he has already performed a piece by Kabalevsky. The talented Elisabeth Thomashoff, Dr. Kingma’ s own Prep student, continues her success through exciting and advanced piano literature. Dr. Soo-Mauldin has continued her dedicated teaching online the whole semester. We really miss seeing her. I’ve been doing a mix of online and in-person teaching, and under the present circumstances have found pros and cons to both options.

Well, dear Prep Piano Family, on behalf of Dr. Kingma, Dr. Soo-Mauldin, and myself, we wish you the very best and look forward to more normalcy, soon. In the meantime, receive these warm and reassuring words: Dr. Rojas

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1b-3a

DANCE STUDENTS ARE EXCELLING DURING THIS CHALLENGING

TIMES

DANCE NEWS

Dear Parents and Dancers,

We are so grateful that we could come back to participating in the studios, at Palm Beach Atlantic. Thank you for the great way you adjusted to all the COVID safety protocols. Currently, we have students dancing in Modern, Level Three and Pre-Professional. We hope that once the face masks can be removed we will see our youngest Preparatory students return.

The good news is everyone’s technique is improving and it’s been great fun to return. Harlow Rosen, in level three was invited to go up on pointe. Casey Butlter, Ekko Greenbaum, Zachary Putt and Carson Van Popering have all been busy creating audition videos and filling out applications for college this past month.

We now have five male students and Douglas Gawriljuk has been teaching them men’s class Tuesday evenings. I have been able to start Pas de Deux work in our Friday night class. It’ s great to see them learn to trust each other and find each other’s best. They are having a great time too. It is such a blessing to have Emmanuella, Douglas and Marife teaching more classes this year; we appreciate you. Mr. Patrick Clifford and I have been discussing plans to provide students some performance opportunity to be delivered in the Spring. We will keep you posted when we have more news.

My mind cannot stop thinking about Nutcracker, we are all fortunate to have those fond memories, to take us back to the spirit, at times like these. I look forward to doing it again someday. Thank you so much for making it a success. I pray that you and your families have a blessed Thanksgiving and Winter Break! I look forward to starting work on Choreography in January with the other faculty and you.

We appreciate you, God Bless You All!

Sincerely,

Eileen Hebron

Students are

working hard preparing for auditions to colleges

Level 3 dancers following safety guidelines set by PBAU

always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to

· Only one parent per student in the instruction room. Parent and student must complete temperature check and digital wellness check.

· Students must wear mask anytime on campus.

· No siblings that are not students coming for their lesson or class.

We have designed a wellness check specifically for our Prep program. You may access the form by clicking on this link https://bit.ly/PrepFall20 , This form must be filled out by the parent for both the student and the parent. Below is the QR code that you can scan and use on your mobile device.

You should enter the building by the east “elevator entrance”.

Your teacher will meet you and take your temperature before entering the building.

· Our team will keep strict records of attendees, including family members, for contact tracing purposes.

Once in the building you will follow the clearly marked directional traffic flow signs to your teachers’ studio.

· After your lesson you are expected to leave the building again follow directional signs out the east entrance stairwell.

· A maximum of four people are allowed on the elevator.

QR CODE FOR MOBILE DEVICES: SCAN AND FILL OUT FORM BEFORE ENTERING BUILDING

UPCOMING DATES

PHONE NUMBER :

561-803-2403

EMAIL:

Preparatory_department@pba.edu

WEBSITE

https://www.pba.edu/ academics/schools/musicfine-arts/preparatory/

The Preparatory Department will be closing for the Thanksgiving holiday: November 22-28th, 2020.

Spring Semester starts : Week of January 11th

If interested in DecemberVirtual lessons please call us, there is an additional fee for these as mentioned in director’ s message. ( See below )

“All university buildings are closed to off campus people until January. While our normal academic calendar provides for 36 lessons this year we have only charged for 34. However, we did maintain our installment plan of 9 equal payments which will still require a payment December 1st. If you prefer to add in the two missing lessons you will be able to do so via the Zoom format by discussing it with your teacher, notifying the Preparatory Office, and adding the additional fee to your December payment. That would be an additional $170 for hour lessons and $85 for half hour lessons.”

Happy Thanksgiving to all preparatory families and faculty !