Author and journalist Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker, spoke at Lawrence University Thursday, Nov. 3 about the continuities among various genres of music. He sat for a brief interview prior to his convocation.
Tag: Lawrence University
“Compassionate” Manhole Covers Video, Lawrence Scholars Program Cited by CASE
A Lawrence University video chronicling the creation of “compassionate” manhole covers by art students has been recognized with a 2011 Pride of CASE V Gold Award in the Best Video Feature category
Lawrence also received a Pride of CASE V Bronze Award in the Best Collaborative Program category for its Lawrence Scholars program.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) honors institutions and individuals for outstanding achievement in the concept and execution of advancement programs and communications.
Produced by Rachel Crowl, web content and new media coordinator at Lawrence, the compassionate manhole video follows the project from idea phase, through the casting process at Neenah Foundry to installation on the sidewalks in downtown Appleton and on the Lawrence campus.
The 12 custom-made manhole covers feature a different design depicting some aspect of each student’s own personal definition of compassion. The public art project was inspired by the community-wide Compassion Project, in which 10,000 Appleton school children used 6-by-6-inch ceramic tiles to create drawings and paintings of what compassion means to them.
“Rachel has done an exceptional job in bringing our video series to the next level,” said Cal Husmann, vice president for development, alumni relations and communications. “Her work has an artistic quality that helps tell Lawrence stories with an aesthetically pleasing style, while also being creative, authentic and often fun. We are so pleased that her work has been recognized in this fashion. She deserves it.”
The Lawrence Scholars program was launched in 2008 to connect Lawrence alumni working in various business-related fields — banking, marketing, international finance, entrepreneurship and investment management, among others — with students for career counseling and networking opportunities. Alumni return to campus throughout the academic year for day-long “summits” with students to share their expertise and experience.
Originally focused only on business, the scholars program has been so successful it has expanded into other careers, engaging alumni who are involved in law, medicine, arts and entertainment, government, international relations and environmental fields.
“The Lawrence Scholars in Business program has made an incredible impact on our students by expanding their understanding of career possibilities, while also providing a network for them to embark on their career search,” said Husmann. “It’s been extremely gratifying seeing so many of our alumni enthusiastically giving back to the college through this innovative program.”
In addition to weekend summits with alumni, the Lawrence Scholars program sponsors a trip to Chicago each spring for students to meet with alumni working in major businesses there. The program also offers two $5,000 student scholarships for a career development summer internship with Lawrence alumni.
Since it began, more than 100 Lawrence alumni and more than 600 students have participated in the Lawrence Scholars program.
Winners of the Pride of CASE V Awards will be recognized Dec. 11-13 at the 37th annual CASE V conference in Chicago. District V includes institutions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.
Tierney Sutton Band, John and Gerald Clayton Headline 31st Annual Jazz Celebration Weekend
The multi-Grammy Award nominated Tierney Sutton Band makes its Lawrence University debut Friday, Nov. 4 when it opens the college’s 31st annual Jazz Celebration Weekend. Father-son duo John and Gerald Clayton share the stage with the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble and Studio Orchestra in the weekend’s finale Saturday, Nov. 5. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.
Tickets, at $22-20 for adults, $19-17 for seniors and $17-15 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office in the Music-Drama Center, 920-832-6749.
Led by Tierney Sutton, who grew up in Milwaukee and earned a degree in Russian language and literature at Wesleyan University, the five-member band celebrated both the recent release of its ninth album, “American Road,” as well as its third Grammy nomination for “Best Vocal Jazz Album.”
“Tierney is a terrific choice as one of our headliners,” said Fred Sturm, Jazz Celebration Weekend founder and Lawrence’s director of jazz studies and improvisational music. “She is a Wisconsin native, a marvelous singer and an experienced educator who taught jazz studies at the University of Southern California and now directs the vocal department at the Los Angeles Music Academy. She undoubtedly will inspire the student musicians attending our festival.”
During its nearly two-decade long incorporated partnership, the band — Sutton on vocals, pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt and drummer Ray Brinker — have garnered critical praise for their performances and recordings throughout the world with such musical luminaries as Ray Charles and Placido Domingo.
In addition to three Grammy nominations, Sutton was recognized with JazzWeek’s Vocalist of the Year Award in 2005 and the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Jazz Vocalist Award the following year. The 2002 disc “Something Cool” reached no.1 on the jazz charts.
Legendary composer/arranger/conductor and virtuoso bassist John Clayton, alongside his son, acclaimed pianist Gerald Clayton, close the weekend. The Claytons were a mid-summer Jazz Celebration Weekend replacement for Lyle Mays, who had to cancel his appearance for personal reasons.
“Folks my age typically don’t admit to having heroes, but John Clayton is surely one of mine,” said Sturm. “When I invited him to appear at Jazz Weekend, he asked ‘Can I bring my son Gerald?’ I was thrilled, for the word has been out about this 27-year-old jazz prodigy for several years. Seeing and hearing this remarkable father-son duo will be an unforgettable musical experience for Jazz Weekend participants and audience members.”
A Grammy Award-winning composer, John Clayton’s career is littered with an impressive array of accomplishments. Comfortable in both classical and jazz styles, he served as bassist with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and as artistic director of Jazz for the L.A. Philharmonic and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. As a music arranger, he has worked with Nancy Wilson and Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston and Queen Latifah, among others.
“Quite simply, John can do it all,” said Sturm.
Born in the Netherlands but raised in Los Angeles, Gerald Clayton was named one of the top “up-and-coming pianists to watch” in a 2008 Downbeat Readers Poll. Influenced by Oscar Peterson, Monty Alexander and Benny Green, Gerald Clayton styles his music on the notion “tradition and innovation can peacefully coexist.”
He began playing the piano at the age of six and has since performed for audiences across the globe while collaborating with such notable artists as Lewis Nash, Terrell Stafford and Clark Terry. In addition to award-winning piano skills that garnered a Grammy nomination in 2009 for his work on Cole Porter’s “All of You” in the Best Improvised Jazz Solo category, Gerald Clayton’s composition “Battle Circle” was a 2010 Grammy nomination for “Best Instrumental Jazz Composition.” Most recently, the Gerald Clayton Trio released its second album, “Bond: The Paris Sessions,” and made its debut at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands.
As part of the Saturday concert, the Lawrence Studio Orchestra and the Jazz Ensemble will perform original works written and conducted by John Clayton and accompanied by Gerald Clayton. The Jazz Ensemble also will perform a set of Clayton works scored for the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, one of the world’s premier big bands.
In addition to the two evening concerts, Lawrence will host more than 30 university, high school and middle school ensembles at part of the 2011 Jazz Celebration Weekend. On Saturday, these ensembles will participate in daytime performances, educational clinics, and master classes with some of the finest jazz educators from across the country. All daytime Saturday events are free and open to the public.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.
Lawrence Welcomes Music Critic Alex Ross for University Convocation
Erudite author and music critic Alex Ross explores the historical connection shared by an evolving string of musicians — from 16th-century Spaniards to J.S. Bach to Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones — in a Lawrence University convocation.
Ross presents “The Lamento Connection: Bass Lines of Music History,” Thursday, Nov. 3 at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. He also will conduct a question-and-answer session from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema. Both events are free and open to the public.
A Harvard University graduate, Ross began his career in the early 1990s writing music critiques for The New York Times. Since 1996, he has covered everything from the New York Metropolitan Opera to Radiohead as music critic of The New Yorker.
His first book, 2007’s “The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century,” chronicled the historical, biographical and social context of music from 1900-2000. Among the observations he detailed are the porous borders shared by popular and modern classical music. “The Rest is Noise” earned a National Book Critics Circle award and was named finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
In 2010 he released a second book, “Listen to This,” a collection of revised essays from his New Yorker magazine columns. Ross was recognized with a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation “genius” Fellowship in 2008.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.
“Blood Diamonds” Author Discusses Progress in Sierra Leone in Human Rights Series Address
Award-winning journalist and author Greg Campbell, whose book “Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World’s Most Precious Stones,” inspired the 2006 Oscar-nominated, Leonardo DiCaprio film “Blood Diamond,” delivers the final lecture in Lawrence University’s month-long series “Engaging Human Rights.”
Campbell presents “Lessons Learned from Conflict Diamonds in Sierra Leone, or Opportunities Missed?” Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. Campbell’s visit is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.
Based on his recent return visit to Sierra Leone, Campbell will assess the country’s progress 10 years after the end of a brutal civil war waged for control of its vast diamond reserves, including whether diamonds are a blessing or remain a national curse.
Campbell has written for The Atlantic, The Economist, Christian Science Monitor and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. In addition to “Blood Diamonds,” he is the author of “The Road to Kosovo: A Balkan Diary,” and “Flawless: Inside the World’s Largest Diamond Heist. His latest book, “Pot of Gold,” which examines the exploding medical marijuana industry, is forthcoming.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.
Luigi Pirandello’s Tragicomic Masterpiece “Henry IV” Comes to Stansbury Theatre
Four performances of Lawrence University’s production of Sicilian playwright Luigi Pirandello’s tragicomic masterpiece “Henry IV” will be staged Oct. 27-29 in Stansbury Theatre of the Music-Drama Center.
Performances are at 8 p.m. each night with an additional 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Oct. 29. Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens/students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.
A study in madness, the play follows an Italian aristocrat who, at a historically themed party, is thrown from his horse and comes to believe himself to be the character he portrayed — Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor — setting off a near-20-year hoax, complete with a recreated throne room and attending knights. Di Nolli, the aristocrat’s nephew, pays a visit seeking to fulfill his mother’s dying wish that “Henry” finally be cured of his delusion.
“It’s a great privilege to introduce my students and the larger community to a play that examines such complex questions with humor and striking theatricality,” said Timothy X. Troy, professor of theatre arts and J. Thomas and Julie Esch Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama, who will direct the production.
The play features costuming by new department designer Karin Kopischke, a 1980 Lawrence graduate, who mixes the latest Italian fashions with all the trappings of an 11th-century German king.
Senior Kyle Brauer plays the title character madman and sophomore Madeline Bunke portrays Matilda, who spurned Henry’s love before his accident. Senior Hannah Kennedy plays Frida, Matilda’s daughter, whose resemblance to her mother plays a key part in the family’s attempt to restore Henry’s sanity.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.
NYC Filmmakers Discuss Their Documentaries as Part of “Engaging Human Rights” Series
New York filmmakers Pamela Yates and Paco de Onis will be on campus to discuss two of their documentaries being shown as part of Lawrence University’s month-long series “Engaging Human Rights.”
On Monday, Oct. 24, following a 7 p.m. screening of the 2011 film “Granito: How to Nail a Dictator,” Yates, the film’s director and de Onis, its producer, will conduct a question-and-answer session in the Warch Campus cinema. The pair also will discuss “The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court” on Tuesday, Oct. 25 after it is shown at 7 p.m.
Yates is a co-founder of Skylight Pictures, a company dedicated to creating films and digital media tools that advance awareness of human rights and the quest for justice. Four of the films more than dozen films she has directed have been nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Paco, a partner at Skylight Pictures, previously produced documentaries for PBS and National Geographic. His eclectic background includes creating music festivals in South America and the Caribbean, renovating and operating an arts/performance theater in Miami Beach and owning a Spanish-style tapas tavern in a 500-year old colonial house in Cartagena, Colombia.
“Granito,” part political thriller, part memoir follows a 40-year search for details that can be used to hold accountable those responsible for the genocide of more than 200,000 people at the hands of Guatemalan military and paramilitary soldiers. It received the “Best Creative Documentary Award” at this year’s Paris International Film Festival.
“The Reckoning” explores the new International Criminal Court’s struggle to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, including Sudan President Omar al-Bashir and Lord’s Resistance Army leaders in Uganda. Recognized with Emmy Award nominations for Best Documentary and Outstanding Investigative Journalism, “The Reckoning” was named Best Documentary at the 2009 Politics on Film Festival in Washington, D.C.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 56 countries.
Evolution of U.S. Innovation Examined in “Schumptoberfest” Keynote Address
David Hounshell, Roderick Professor of Technology and Social Change at Carnegie Mellon University, examines the evolution of U.S. innovation, research and development over the past century Saturday, Oct. 22 in the keynote address of “Schumptoberfest 2011,” a workshop hosted by Lawrence University that explores the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in the liberal arts curriculum.
Hounshell presents “The World Schumpeter Made, or the World That Made Schumpeter?” at 4:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema. The address is free and open to the public.
Trained in both engineering and history, Hounshell studies innovation at the intersection of science, technology and industry, especially the role of independent inventors and entrepreneurs in the development of technology.
He is the author of the award-winning book “From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932” and co-authored the book “Science and Corporate Strategy: DuPont R&D, 1902-1980.”
The weekend workshop honors early 20th-century economist Joseph Schumpeter, who believed innovation and entrepreneurship are the prominent characteristics of the capitalist system.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 56 countries.
Community Poverty Simulation Workshop Raises Awareness on Low Income Challenges
An interactive workshop designed to raise awareness of the challenges faced by low-income people and better understand the issues and emotions behind the statistics of poverty will be conducted Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 7-10 p.m. in Lawrence University’s Warch Campus Center.
Community members are invited to join Lawrence students, faculty and staff in a poverty simulation in which they will assume the roles of families dealing with economic hardship. Interested participants are asked to register in advance.
During the workshop, participants will be assigned to different “families” who are facing various obstacles: some are recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), some are recently deserted by the household “breadwinner” while others are senior citizens living solely on Social Security benefits.
Role-playing families attempt to provide basic necessities and shelter while navigating community resources such as banks, grocery stores and utility companies over the course of four 15-minute “weeks.” A debriefing session in which participants share their feelings about the learning experience follows the exercise.
“The Poverty Simulation will give participants a chance to understand poverty right here in Appleton,” said Chuck Demler, AmeriCorps VISTA Service Learning Coordinator at Lawrence. “We’ll unearth poverty issues hidden right around us.”
Although not an official part of Lawrence’s current month-long “Engaging Human Rights” series, the simulation offers participants an opportunity to actively learn more about social justice and human rights issues as they apply to life in the Fox Valley. As many as 40 percent of students in the Fox Valley come from households that have incomes low enough to qualify them for free or reduced price meals at school.
The workshop is sponsored by Lawrence’s Office of Engaged Learning, the Lawrence Volunteer and Community Service Center and CAP Services, Inc. Founded under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, CAP Services began as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The organization, which serves Outagamie, Marquette, Portage, Waupaca and Waushara counties, seeks “a permanent increase in the ability of low-income individuals to become economically and emotionally self-sufficient.”
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,520 students from 44 states and 56 countries.
Piano Maestro Richard Goode Returns to Lawrence University Memorial Chapel Oct. 21
The musical mastery of pianist Richard Goode returns to the Lawrence Memorial Chapel Friday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m in a Lawrence University Artists Series concert. Goode’s appearance marks his third performance at Lawrence and first since 2002.
Tickets, at $22-20 for adults, $19-17 for seniors and $17-15 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office in the Music-Drama Center, 420 E. College Ave., Appleton or by calling 920-832-6749.
Acknowledged as one of today’s master musicians for the tremendous emotional power, depth and sensitivity of his music, the New York City native is renowned for his interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart and Schubert. Goode, 68, probes the inner reaches of the works he performs, infusing every measure with the utmost expressivity. His musicianship combines boldness of the mind with depth of the heart.
“This is some of the most stunningly beautiful piano playing in the world today,” said Professor of Music Catherine Kausky, who teaches piano in the Lawrence conservatory, of Goode. “Impeccable sound, control and a sort of caring about every note that one rarely encounters. This is completely honest and committed music-making at its best.”
According to the New York Times, “It is virtually impossible to walk away from one of Mr. Goode’s recitals without the sense of having gained some new insight, subtly or otherwise, into the works he played or about pianism itself.”
His discography includes more than two dozen recordings, including Mozart’s solo works and concerti with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as well as solo and chamber works of Brahms, Chopin, Schubert and Schumann, among others. He was the first American-born pianist to record the complete Beethoven Sonatas, which earned him a Grammy Award nomination.
Goode has appeared with many of the world’s greatest orchestras — Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Orchestre de Paris and the Vienna Symphony among then — and has been heard throughout Germany in sold-out concerts with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
He was presented the first Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance in 2006, an award that honor pianists who have achieved the highest levels of national and international recognition and earned a Grammy Award in 1982 for Best Chamber Music Performance with clarinetist Richard Stoltzman.
Following his Friday evening concert, Goode is generously conducting a master class at 10 a.m. and a lecture-recital at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Both events will be held in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,520 students from 44 states and 56 countries.
