Everything Nac

The Wind Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the program “Welcome Home” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

A concert presented at the conclusion of the Wind Ensemble’s annual winter tour, “Welcome Home” contains “something for everyone” and features music from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, according to Dr. David Campo, director of the ensemble this spring in the absence of Fred J. Allen, who is on sabbatical. Associate conductor is Dr. Tamey Anglley, and guest conductor is Dr. James Dreiling.

Opening the concert is the Joseph Kreines transcription of Leo Delibes’ “March and Cortege of Bacchus” from the ballet “Sylvia.” Written in 1876, “Sylvia” is based on the Arcadian play “Aminta” by the Italian playwright Torquato Tasso.

“The play celebrates the love story between Aminta and the beautiful nymph Sylvia, who does not return his attentions until a series of events brings the couple together,” explained Campo.

The program features composer Frank Ticheli’s “Wild Nights,” which is based on the Emily Dickenson poem of the same name. About his work, Ticheli says, “Numerous composers have set the words of ‘Wild Nights’ to music, but, to my knowledge, no one has used this wonderfully sensuous poem as the basis for a purely instrumental tone poem. This was my aim, and in so doing I focused most heavily on the lines, ‘Done with the compass/Done with the chart’ and ‘Rowing in Eden/Ah! The sea!’ These words suggested the sense of freedom and ecstatic joy that I tried to express in my work.”

The ensemble will perform Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque.” Translated as “golden light,” the work received its wind band premiere at the 2005 conference of the Texas Music Educator’s Association, and is dedicated to Gary Green, according to Campo.

Also on the program is Ron Nelson’s ‘Sonoran Desert Holiday,” composed in 1994 as part of a series of eight semi-programmatic overtures he refers to as his “travelogues.”

“Although Nelson intends no specific program, the work contains gestures and allusions to night, to sunrise, to Native American and Hispanic influences, to wide open southwestern expanses, and to the remarkable variety of holiday experiences available in this diverse and beautiful part of our country,” Campo said.

The concert will close with Henry Fillmore’s well-known march, “Rolling Thunder.” Fillmore composed this march in 1916 and dedicated it to Ed Hicker, presumably a trombonist, based on the nature of the march. Music historian Norman Smith said, “At the circus or rodeo, ‘Rolling Thunder’ is used to generate excitement. On the concert stage, it’s known as a ‘show-stopper.'”

“After all,” Campo said, “who wants to hear any more music – or read any more program notes – after the ‘Rolling Thunder’ march?”

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

Six of Stephen F. Austin State University’s largest in-house grants for 2016 were awarded this month through the University’s Research Enhancement Program and the SFA Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, totaling approximately $120,000 in support of faculty research and creative projects.

Eighteen grant proposals were submitted to and reviewed by the University Research Council, which then chose the six Research and Creative Activity Grants recipients. Two Research Pilot Studies (smaller in-house funding opportunities) also were awarded. Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, approved the council’s recommendations.

“Research enhancement funds like RCA and RPS grants are meant to encourage and strengthen research, offer scholarly and creative opportunities for faculty members, serve as support for innovative research, and provide seed monies to attract other financial support from external entities,” Bullard said.

Research and Creative Activity Awards:

Dr. Roger Masse, assistant professor of forest wildlife ecology and management, and Dr. Christopher Comer, professor of forest wildlife management, in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Breeding Bird Response to Oak Savannah Restoration in Eastern Texas

Oak savannah vegetation is declining at a rate fast enough to cause conservation concern. The result of that decline is the encroachment of woody vegetation and habitat loss and degradation for wildlife. Following baseline assessment methodologies, Masse and Comer will estimate abundances of breeding birds in restored and reference post oak savannah. The proposed research will help to evaluate the success of oak savannah restoration and lay the foundation for additional studies regarding wildlife habitat in Eastern Texas.

Dr. Lauren Gonzalez, assistant professor of elementary education in the James I. Perkins College of Education

Preschool Teachers Perspectives and Implementation of STEM

Almost every position in the current workforce is related to science, technology, engineering and math. Creating successful STEM learning in young children will require significant commitment and coordination, yet will yield enormous payoffs in the future. The purpose of Gonzalez’s study is to investigate the knowledge and perspectives preschool teachers have regarding STEM education, how they implement it into their classrooms and whether preschool teachers’ knowledge/perspectives of STEM education and its implementation change after receiving research-based training development.

Dr. Heather Olson Beal, associate professor of secondary education and educational leadership in the James I. Perkins College of Education

What do Teachers Think? A Qualitative Study of Choice School in a K-12 Rural Setting

Despite the expansion of current school reform efforts, including increased choice and privatization, little research examines how the growing school choice landscape influences teachers’ professional lives. Also, there is little research that explores the ways in which these processes impact rural school contexts.

Olson Beal’s findings, based on data collected from semi-structured interviews with teachers in Nacogdoches County, will be significant to educational practitioners who work in rural areas and to policymakers and researchers who seek to understand how the current shift toward school choice and marketization affects teachers in rural areas.

Dr. Luis Aguerrevere and Dr. Daniel McCleary, assistant professors of human services in the James I. Perkins College of Education

Ability of QEEG Indicators to Classify Children with Learning Disabilities

Quantitative electroencephalogram indicators have the potential to provide valuable clinical information and data regarding brain functioning in children with learning disabilities. This project will determine how and to what degree the QEEG indicators (e.g. absolute power) can differentiate children with LDs. The study will determine the accuracy and inaccuracy of QEEG activity in identifying the presence of a learning disability using concepts such as sensitivity and specificity. If successful, this study can provide means for the use of QEEG in psychoeducational settings.

Dr. Deb Scott, professor of music (trombone) in the College of Fine Arts

CD Recording of Trombone Solos

Scott, SFA professor of trombone, will record and create a professional CD showcasing her talents in solo trombone performance. The project will help to establish her as one of the leading technical performers on trombone. It will be recorded professionally in the Dallas area.

Accompanying Scott on this project will be Dr. Ron Petti, professor of collaborative piano and director of accompanying at SFA. One previously unrecorded piece in the trombone world and one that is noteworthy of recognition is Dr. Stephen Lias’ “River Runner,” which was composed for Scott. Lias is the professor of composition at SFA. The recording project should help bring notoriety to his composition, as well.

Dr. Brian Barngrover, assistant professor of computational/physical chemistry in the College of Sciences and Mathematics

Fundamental Growth Mechanism of Noble Metal Nanoparticles

Cancer, renewable energy and water purification/remediation are important areas of research and have a high impact on our lives. Nanoparticles, in particular noble metal nanoparticles, all of which are resistant to corrosion and oxidation, can be the answer to all three of these areas.

By studying the underlying growth mechanism of noble metal nanoparticles, Barngrover intends to further an understanding of nanoparticles size and morphology. If nanoparticle growth is understood, the guesswork could be eliminated, resulting in lower costs and green syntheses.

Research Pilot Study Awards:

Dr. Jenny Gumm, assistant professor of biology in the College of Sciences and Mathematics

The Function of Meral Spot Coloration in Stomatopods (genus Neogonodactylus)

Color signals are critical in animal communication. Coloration may mediate aggression between species, and therefore aggression may drive diversification of color signals. Gumm will test the hypothesis that social interactions drive color diversification in Stomatopods (marine crustaceans commonly known as mantis shrimps).

Dr. James Rowe, assistant professor of kinesiology and health science in the James I. Perkins College of Education

The Effects of High-Intensity Exercise on Postprandial Lipemia and Glycemia

Rowe wishes to determine the influence of a single bout of high-intensity interval exercise on the postprandial (non-fasted) concentration of triglycerides, glucose and insulin in the blood of moderately-trained men after a mixed-liquid meal of dietary fat and sugar. The mixed meal will be comprised of chocolate ice cream, whole milk and whipping cream. The results of this study will hopefully provide more insight into how brief periods of high-intensity exercise influence the prevalence of some risk factors associated with metabolic disease.

Eleven-year-old Nacogdoches pianist Antonio Ajero has been awarded a National Gold Medal from the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program, earning him the status of being the only Texas resident to garner this prestigious prize.

A recent student of Linda Parr in the Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music, Antonio scored the top mark in the nation on the Level 9 Piano assessment.

National Gold Medals are awarded each academic year to music development program students who achieve the highest standard of excellence in the United States. Sixty-nine students earned National Gold Medals this year. In addition to recognizing the top scorers in The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program, National Gold Medals honor music teachers for the time and effort put into training their students.

“Last May I was asked to take Nio as a student just a couple of weeks before his piano exam and coached all of his repertoire as time allowed, so I was quite excited to hear the fabulous news,” Parr said of the accomplishment. “I have not had a student in the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program before, and I am getting introduced in a very big way.”

Although the program is nationally and internationally established, Parr explained that it is not as familiar to teachers in the East Texas area as are Music Teachers National Association or National Guild of Piano Teachers assessments.

“The amount of daily practice that Nio has dedicated to technique, repertoire, score sight-reading, theory and aural skills, improvisation, reading and comprehension of music is astounding,” Parr said.

Although he recently became a student of Parr, from the age of 3, Antonio has studied and performed regularly with his father, Mario Ajero, who is associate professor of piano pedagogy at SFA.

“This National Gold Medal from The Royal Conservatory is certainly the most prestigious recognition that Antonio has received for his musical accomplishments,” Ajero said. “I was informed by The Royal Conservatory that close to 100,000 students were assessed this year across all levels and disciplines in North America. For Antonio to achieve the distinction of earning the highest Level 9 Piano score in the entire country is really unbelievable to me, because I would be proud if any of our high school students or even some college students just passed this exam, let alone get the highest mark.

“For him to achieve this at age 10 when he took this assessment is incredible,” he added. “But I’ve seen how much preparation, practice and time that he’s devoted to reaching this distinction. So at the same time it does not surprise me to a degree. For Nio to be recognized as the top piano student from one of the most prestigious music institutions in North America certainly affirms that we are doing something special and is personally satisfying for me as a parent.”

Parr complimented Ajero for his guidance and positive influence on his son’s musical interests and resulting accomplishments.

“He has nurtured and implemented all of this with both Nio and his sister Olivia from a very early age, and the arts are being completely integrated into the children’s daily routine,” she said. “I commend the Ajero family on establishing a busy, but well-balanced routine of school and music studies, exercise, social networking and healthy, happy family time.”

“We’ve been very fortunate to have Antonio grow up in this wonderful musical environment and listen to performances from faculty, students and guest artists,” Ajero said. “At the same time, all the recitals that he’s participated in over the years have helped prepare him for moments like this. I look forward to seeing his lessons with Linda Parr take his musicianship to another level.”

Since the RCMDP audition, Antonio has and continues to study additional repertoire of J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Albéniz, Debussy, Paderewski, Bartok and others. He played in a long-distance master class with Dr. João Paulo Casarotti in Brazil, was a winner in the 2015 Red River Radio Young Artists competition, collaborated with young violinist Yassia Felts, gave a full solo piano recital in November, and was recently invited to perform for a new music festival in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Antonio will work to complete Level 10, which will allow him to test for an associate diploma in piano performance from the conservatory. Most of the necessary theory and music history skills for this endeavor will continue to be encouraged, taught and monitored by his father.

For information about the Music Preparatory Division of the SFA School of Music, visit www.music.sfasu.edu/prep or contact Director Pat Barnett at (936) 468-1291.