Everything Nac

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University Pineywoods Native Plant Center will host a two-part garden seminar, “How to Identify and Attract Backyard Birds,” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17.

Participants will enjoy a Friday evening lecture with Cliff Shackelford, ornithologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, regarding identification of common local birds. On Saturday, Shackelford will lead a birding stroll through the plant center property and to the nearby Shackelford home to visit the family’s backyard made “for the birds.”

Shackelford is a seventh-generation Texan and began bird watching at age 9. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology, with an emphasis in avian ecology, from SFA and has authored more than 60 publications on birds and birding. He is lead author of the book “Hummingbirds of Texas” published in 2005.

Participants will meet for both sessions at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. Comfortable walking shoes and binoculars are recommended.

Cost is $20 for members of SFA Gardens Friends and $25 for non-members. To register, call the SFA Gardens Education Office at (936) 468-1832 or e-mail erodewald@sfasu.edu.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will welcome two guest artists who will perform recitals as part of the Cole Performing Arts Series.

Mark Hughes, principal trumpet with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, will perform a recital of music for trumpet and piano at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, while Conor Nelson, assistant professor of flute at Bowling Green State University, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14. Both concerts will be held in Cole Concert Hall.

Hughes is presently in his second season as principal trumpet with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He came to the Houston Symphony from the Atlanta Symphony, where he had been the associate principal trumpet for 12 years. Prior to his Atlanta Symphony appointment, Hughes toured for Columbia Artists Management with the popular organ and trumpet duo, “Toccatas and Flourishes.” While on the SFA campus, Hughes will teach a masterclass for trumpet students earlier that same day.

Nelson gave his New York recital debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and has since appeared frequently as soloist and recitalist throughout the United States and abroad. As a chamber musician, he performs with marimbist/percussionist Ayano Kataoka as part of the Conor and Ayano Duo.

Nelson’s program at SFA will consist of Franz Schubert’s “Trockne Blumen Variations” – one of the most significant works for flute from the Romantic Period. Accompanying Nelson will be SFA faculty member and pianist Geneva Fung.

Joining Nelson and Fung in selections from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Musical Offering” will be SFA Associate Professor of Flute Christina Guenther. Also on the program is the ever-popular “Poem” by American composer Charles Griffes.

“Griffes is the most famous American representative of the Impressionist Period,” Guenther said, “and this piece very much features a French influence.”

The program also features the work of French composer Henri Dutilleux.

Tickets for each recital are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music’s Percussion Ensemble will perform its annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The 14-member ensemble is comprised of graduate and undergraduate music majors and is directed by Brad Meyer, SFA interim director of percussion studies.

“The concert is sure to appeal to any type of listener,” Meyer said. “Compositions will range from bombastic and raucous drum music to light and delicate keyboard pieces.”

James Campbell’s “Terra-Cotta Warriors” illustrates the massive underground clay army built for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. A trio of percussionists performing Campbell’s composition will play various exotic instruments, such as terra-cotta pots, bull roar and ocean harp. “Doors,” written by Dave Hall, is a large ensemble, utilizing almost the entire group of percussionists and involves Caribbean steel drums.

Meyer described “Metroplex Drive” by Swedish composer Anders Astrand as “a grooving tune” loosely based around jazz chord structures. The piece will feature Austin senior David Conger and Wylie junior Rachel Krevat as vibraphone soloists.

Scott Harris, interim director of the SFA School of Music, will guest conduct Christopher Deane’s “The Manes Scroll,” which utilizes melodic percussion instruments, such as marimba, vibraphone and crotales, and is “a sonic masterpiece with varying layers of depth and intensity,” Meyer said.

“Also, the percussion ensemble will be performing Deane’s contemporary and powerful piece ‘Parallel Isometry,’ which utilizes intense blocks of sound created by both drum and keyboard instruments,” Meyer said. “Lastly, Brett William Dietz’s ‘Fanfare for the Return of Shadow’ clashes eight percussionists playing drums and cymbals against each other in a multi-meter brawl for sonic dominance.”

The Percussion Ensemble’s performance is part of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music’s Concert Series. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Nacogdoches Naturally will sponsor a Family Outdoor Adventure at Stephen F. Austin State University’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 3.

“Meet the Creepy Crawlers” is a fun event that provides an opportunity to learn about forest animals that slither, creep and crawl. There will be live animals, “creepy crawler” crafts and a guided safari hike.

“Families will get a close-up look at worms, bees, snakes and insects,” says Kerry Lemon, project director of Nacogdoches Naturally. “By introducing some of the most misunderstood woodland creatures in safe and non-threatening ways, we hope to cultivate a greater appreciation for these animals. There is so much fascinating information to be learned about the natural world.”

Education and increased familiarity through these types of family events can raise the comfort level for families as they pursue outdoor experiences, Lemons said. Quoting from Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods,” she added, “It’s a good thing to learn more about nature in order to share this knowledge with children; it’s even better if the adult and child learn about nature together. And it’s a lot more fun.”

Nacogdoches Naturally Family Outdoor Adventures is a project sponsored by SFA Gardens and is partially funded through a More Kids in the Woods grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-U.S. Forest Service. Activities are designed to cultivate outdoor skills and an awareness of forest ecology with the goal of families developing lifetime enjoyment of the natural world. Programs are family friendly and appropriate for all ages.

Cost for the event is $10 per family. For more information, call (936) 468-5586 or lemonkb@sfasu.edu.