UNews - Department of Music

Exploring our attachment to sentimental songs the focus of upcoming PUBlic Professor Series presentation

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 20:24:28 +0000

**This event is at capacity**

We all have them, those emotional connections to pop songs from the soundtrack of our past. They invoke real feelings when you catch them on the radio or are featured in TV and movie productions. You might even feel a little guilty admitting they still tug at your emotions — why?

Dr. Emily Gale, an assistant professor of musicology/ethnomusicology in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Department of Music, will examine these sentimental songs and why we should take our sounded feelings seriously in her PUBlic Professor Series talk, Sentimental Songs for Sentimental People, Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., at The Owl Acoustic Lounge (free event, cash bar, everyone welcome).

Dr. Emily Gale's PUBlic Professor talk will take place at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.

“Feeling remains critical to how and why most listeners engage with popular song,” says Gale. “However, these same songs might be ones you are embarrassed to admit liking or connecting with, a guilty pleasure if you will. Why do we have these ideas and where do these judgments come from?”

Gale’s talk will look at the history of English language sentimental songs over the last 250 years, then focus on two examples of songs from the 1850s and 1960s and their unexpected political histories.

“What are the consequences of relegating sentimental songs to a denigrated status,” she asks. “I’ll then discuss why we should take these sounded feelings seriously.”

Gale’s book in progress, Sentimental Songs for Sentimental People: An Unheard History of US Popular Music, analyzes the politics of affect and sentimentality within US popular music from the late 18th century to the present. Chapters on love, youth, death, tears, home and feels tune in to the counter public reverberations of a repertory long-considered trite, and even embarrassing, revealing unlikely entanglements. She has been broadcasting radio shows about this research since 2019 (on SUB_ʇXƎʇ and on UCC98.3FM) and her voice appears as a pop commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered and in the Los Angeles Times.

This is the fifth of six talks in the annual PUBlic Professor Series lectures which feature thought-provoking discussions on the most relevant topics of the day, bringing together a diverse group of experts and researchers from across the ULethbridge campus and into the community. Every talk is free of charge, but registration is required. For those who cannot attend, the talk will be available on the ULethbridge YouTube channel following the presentation.

See more at ulethbridge.ca/research/public-professor.

Alumnus Turner earns TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellowship in Advancement

trevor.kenney — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 21:12:18 +0000

An engaged and enthusiastic leader who founded and served as the first president of PACT (Philanthropy, Advancement, Community and Traditions) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has earned a 2021 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellowship in Advancement.

Kierian Turner initiated and served as the first president of the PACT club. PHOTO BY Nathan Hughes

Kierian Turner (BMus ‘20), a graduate of the Digital Audio Arts program in the Department of Music, is currently working as an alumni engagement assistant in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Advancement office. The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellowship provides funding to support his position for a further 12-month term, and strongly emphasizes the professional growth of each fellow, ensuring the strength of tomorrow’s advancement professionals. Turner is one of only two recipients selected from across the country to receive the award and the second U of L student in the past three years (Karissa Hartley (BA ’18)).

Turner initially began working as a caller in the student call centre. He has excelled in student engagement, relationship-building and event management. In leading the establishment of PACT, Turner spurred the group’s executive to develop and execute two new programs that supported the connection between students and alumni and promoted young alumni giving.

“I learned a great deal during my inaugural PACT presidency, but perhaps the greatest revelation was the degree to which our community is eager to give back time, talent and treasure to offer support to students,” he says. “This shared belief will be the guiding light of my fellowship, especially as members of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community look to one another for support during this especially difficult year.”

Turner has quickly grown into his role with Advancement and brings a full slate of talents to the team.

“His knowledge of the inner-workings of Advancement combined with his cross-institutional experience are just what we need to steward the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ towards a culture of philanthropy,” says Lyndsay Montina, manager, Alumni Relations. “Kierian is an exceptional young leader with unmatched enthusiasm, and I can guarantee he is worthy of this fellowship.”

Turner was the 2020 Department of Music Most Distinguished Graduate and won multiple scholarship awards, including: 2019 MusiCounts Scholarship; 2019 Fine Arts Shining Student and 2019 Arts & Science Shining Student; 2018 Joyce & Ron Sakamoto prize for Research and Development in Digital Audio Arts.

Turner is excited to lay the groundwork for the creation of a culture of philanthropy amongst students, beginning with a research project that will ultimately inform a student engagement plan tied to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Annual Day of Giving. The proposed project will be foundational in building an environment where students understand, celebrate and engage with philanthropy while simultaneously building stronger affinity.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge musicians mentor middle school band in rare virtual partnership

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 16:37:38 +0000

What is an ensemble musician to do when they can no longer do what they love most? The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Wind Orchestra and Gilbert Paterson Middle School band program turned to each other when faced with a common predicament, and it has resulted in a rare virtual partnership.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Wind Orchestra and Gilbert Paterson Middle School band program turned to each other when faced with a common predicament.

When COVID restrictions meant the U of L’s Wind Orchestra would no longer be able to practice together in-person, director Dr. Chee Meng Low reached out to colleague Karly Lewis (BMus ’97), band director at Gilbert Paterson Middle School.

“When COVID hit, my whole band program was thrown online and there’s no platform where we can do ensemble training online,” explains Lewis. “With no fault to our district, there was this anxiety to collect all the instruments back for fear that they would never be returned. I said, I will not do that.

“I started receiving emails from parents grateful to the school that the kids were able to keep playing because of their mental wellness. They were able to turn to something that allowed them to escape, because when you play an instrument, you’re allowed to escape to wherever you want to go.”

Lewis and Low knew both their ensembles needed an outlet to practice. This fall, university-level musicians enrolled in the Wind Orchestra ensemble began partnering, virtually, with grade 7 and 8 band students for weekly rehearsals over Zoom. By pairing beginners with university-level musicians, the students and the advanced players, who are challenged to think in a different way, are advancing their skills.

“That one-on-one time at this stage of a musician’s development is so valuable,” says Gerald Rogers (BMus ’20), a recent graduate and member of the Wind Orchestra. “In the long run, it’s only going to help them because they’re getting focused sessions with other musicians, and it’s a good experience for the university students because learning to teach is completely different than learning to play music.”

Bandmate Claire McMahon agrees.

“I have to really think about the fundamentals of the instrument again, so my technique has been improving a lot just from having to think about how to teach technique” she says. “The kids struggle with the same stuff I still struggle with, so it has been forcing me to practice those things so I can demonstrate in the lessons.”

Each Wednesday evening, 47 middle school students join the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Wind Orchestra online and break out into 23 rooms where Low and Lewis can move between to see how the lessons are progressing.

Rogers and McMahon, ironically, both started their ensemble careers in the Gilbert Paterson band program, under the direction of Lewis. They identify with her current students and recall the high expectations she has for her classes.

“I remember there was an expectation, and if you knew what was good for you, you were going to meet it,” says Rogers with a laugh. “It taught me the benefit of working hard at something. Having gone through her program, it gives me a good idea of how much I can ask of her students.”

McMahon is thrilled to be part of this mentorship program, recalling the influence senior students had on her decision to attend the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ when they visited her high school and worked directly with her and her classmates.

“The Wind Orchestra has always done a lot of events in the community, high school outreach, recruitment activities – and it works,” says McMahon. “I definitely felt more comfortable going into the program because I knew these three clinicians I’d been working with were going to be upperclassmen.”

Lewis is a self-proclaimed ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge lifer – starting with the Conservatory of Music as a child, then attending the U of L to study music and, today, continuing to partner with faculty and students in her role as band director.

“I started taking horn lessons with Tom Staples (former Wind Orchestra director and Department of Music professor emeritus) when I was 12, and then continued on until I was 22,” says Lewis. “I also attended Gilbert Paterson, where Susie Staples, Tom’s wife, was my band teacher. So, the web that has been woven for me musically in Lethbridge has been pretty incredible.”

Lewis has been teaching band for 20 years, 14 of those at Gilbert Paterson. She is known in the music community for the strong young players who come out of her program. She is grateful to Low and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Wind Orchestra for their willingness to mentor her students.

“Hopefully we will be able to partner again in the future.”

Both ensembles can’t wait to get back to practicing in person, and in the meantime, this rare virtual partnership is benefiting the skills, and well-being, of everyone involved.

Crossing Boundaries Symposium now in its fourth year

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 20:49:41 +0000

The fourth annual Crossing Boundaries Symposium, presented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Fine Arts, brings together interdisciplinary members of the community, faculty, students and alumni to engage in a full day of presentations, discussions, displays and performances.

Brad Parker listens to the Aeolian Harp he built with music student Jess Tollestrup.

“Crossing Boundaries invites our community to experience the collaborations, creative activities and research across multiple disciplines,” says Dr. Mary Ingraham, Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts of the Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 event. “It is about discovering and celebrating those cross-collaborative intersections and synergies and finding inspiration to explore new areas of thought and research in the fine arts and across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.”

The theme for Crossing Boundaries 2019, Languages | Landscapes | Algorithms, is established with the keynote presentation by Leanne Elias (new media) entitled, Visualizing Agriculture, at 9 a.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall. Elias’s talk includes the premiere of the documentary of the same name, co-directed by Bryn Hewko (MFA '16) and his company Output Media, which revolves around the creative works and artist exhibition derived from agricultural data developed by Dr. Jaime Larson and Dr. Andre Laroche of the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Visualizing Agriculture considers the counterpoints of art meeting science and investigates the effect of intensive collaboration. Discover how artists can use the scientific process to guide their art, and how scientists can use artistic ways of knowing to approach their data in new ways.

Jess Tollestrup works on the Aeolian Harp, on display at Crossing Boundaries.

Following Elias’s keynote presentation, MFA candidate Michelle Sylvestre will speak on her research, Physicalizing Control, Disruption and the Body, which examines the parallels and differences in contemporary pharma and contemporary technology in relation to control of the body. PhD candidate Migueltzinta Solis will then present on LandMarks: Site-Based Arts Pedagogy in Treaty 7 Territory. At 10:40 a.m., Department of Psychology faculty member, Dr. Javid Sadr, and Department of Drama faculty members, Dr. Aaron Taylor and Douglas MacArthur cap off the morning programme, discussing projects developing from the Screen Acting and Embodied Recognition Research Group.

Registrants are invited to observe and interact with student research displays and installations from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., located in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Atrium and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Hess Gallery.

This year’s Crossing Boundaries Symposium is scheduled during the U of L Open House, which welcomes prospective students and their families to campus.

“Coordinating the symposium during this event gives future students the opportunity to see a sampling of the fascinating research opportunities and collaborative activities on our campus,” says Ingraham. “It allows these students to experience the types of work and study they will engage in and provides great interaction with many of the faculty who will also be in attendance at the symposium.”

Afternoon sessions include Dr. Amandine Pras’s (music) presentation focussing on compositional and improvisational tools used by studio technicians as part of her research in the recording studios in war-torn Bamako, Mali. Continuing on the theme of sound, language and landscape, a talk by MA candidate Tyler Stewart examines the role sound has played as a political instrument to silence dissenting groups and individuals, and in turn, how language and sound is used to resist and rise against such powers.

A panel discussion, Objects Dream comprised of Fine Arts faculty members, Dr. Dana Cooley (new media), Denton Fredrickson (art), Mia van Leeuwen (drama), and Dr. D. Andrew Stewart (music), rounds out the afternoon’s sessions. This discussion explores the relationships and interactions of material objects, and their associations as a link across artistic disciplines.

This year’s Crossing Boundaries Symposium showcases an evening finale of works by Dr. Arlan Schultz (music), Dr. Daniela Sirbu (new media) and a collaborative presentation by Bryn Hewko (new media), Dr. D. Andrew Stewart (music) and Jordan Berg. Schultz’s live demonstration highlights how new algorithms for real-time immersive audio can be used to enhance and augment real-time acoustic performances. Sirbu’s presentation incorporates algorithmic animation demonstrated through samples of live animation developed in interaction with an artificial life system. Hewko, Stewart and Berg’s collaborative performance, Crawlspace, combines film with live digital coding. Audience members are invited to use their own personal tablets to create their own viewing experience, with one lucky audience member outfitted with the Oculus Rift for a full virtual reality experience. This showcase begins at 5 p.m. in W420 (Centre for the Arts), preceded by a reception and cash bar at 4:30 p.m.

Registration for Crossing Boundaries is open to all, with early bird pricing active until October 20, 2019.

Visit the Crossing Boundaries webpage for the schedule of events and updated information as it arises.

DAA Students learn from JUNO award-winning Mastering Engineer Graemme Brown

trevor.kenney — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 22:12:16 +0000

Digital Audio Arts (DAA) students and members of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) student chapter had a recent opportunity to hear from and work one-on-one with JUNO award-winning mastering engineer Graemme Brown. Owner of Zen Mastering studio in Gabriola, B.C., Brown works with Canadian and international musicians, engineering a range of musical genres and audio formats with a strong expertise in mastering jazz and acoustic music.

Master engineer Graemme Brown, left, with Digital Audio Arts student Martin Suarez Tamayo.

“Graemme Brown provided an amazing experience that I didn’t expect to receive in my undergraduate degree,” says Carter Potts, DAA student and AES member. “His knowledge of the intricacies of music mastering, and his experience with the business aspects of the music industry are invaluable. He gave me expert feedback on how to further improve my work in order to be successful when I graduate from the Digital Audio Arts program.”

DAA faculty member, Dr. Amandine Pras, first met Brown at the Banff Centre in 2007, attending one of his master classes and then working with him to master the SACD Where is Pannonica? (Songlines, 2009) she produced in stereo and surround 5.0. She knew his experience and insight would be valuable and inspiring for students.

“Graeme presented to 27 students during his first session, discussing the business aspects and communication requirements of the profession of mastering engineer,” says Pras. “Another 18 students joined us for a second session where he went deeper into mastering techniques.”

Students also had the opportunity, through the AES, to meet one-on-one with Brown and work on mastering their own piece.

“The mastering sessions were fantastic,” says Nate Thomas-Wall, DAA student and AES member. “To be able to not only have my work mastered by someone with his experience, but to learn about mastering from him at the same time, was an opportunity that doesn't come around often. The man knows his stuff, and to listen to him talk about it is a privilege.”

Classmate Ryland Moranz agrees.

“To have an industry professional take part in theoretical classes as well as practical sessions expanding on important aspects of audio engineering was a rare opportunity,” says Moranz. “The one-on-one time provided in the mastering sessions was particularly illuminating and inspiring as the art of mastering is one properly commanded by a skilled few.”

Another experiential learning opportunity is coming up at the end of the month, where DAA students will participate in an all-day symposium, Exploring Sound, in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall. Students will present on topics ranging from audio spatialization to video games. Dr. Adam Patrick Bell from Music Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary will present a keynote entitled Music Technology, Design and Disability.

Musical odyssey takes Chee Meng Low around the world

caroline.zentner — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 17:43:19 +0000

At the age of three, Dr. Chee Meng Low had no idea about the role music would play in his life. All he knew was that going to the Yamaha Music School in his hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was fun.

“It’s like going to a playground,” he says. “Rather than learning an instrument, you just go there and sing, dance and meet new friends.”

Now, after travelling halfway around the world, Low is an assistant professor in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Music Department and director of the U of L Wind Orchestra. He’s preparing his students for a trip to Asia to participate in the Chiayi City International Band Festival in Taiwan from Dec. 14 to 20. A few foreign bands are invited to participate in the festival and this year, the U of L was among those chosen. And all these years later, he’s still involved with Yamaha Music.

Dr. Chee Meng Low started music lessons at the age of three and chose to focus on the saxophone when he was a middle-school student.

Low’s parents didn’t play musical instruments themselves but they wanted their three children to learn to play an instrument. The first few years at the Yamaha Music School were more about exploration of rhythm and melody, with teachers guiding the process. By the time he was six or seven, Low was ready for an instrument and he chose the Yamaha Electone.

“It’s an electric piano but then you have two different keyboards and another one that you use your leg to play; they call it the pedal,” says Low. “What attracted me to the instrument was that you can do so much with it. It’s almost a full-orchestra instrument. It gave me a lot of flexibility. I did that until I was 16 years old.”

Low continued his musical education throughout high school, finishing an advanced diploma and teaching certificate on the Electone when he was 17. In addition, he had joined the after-school band program in middle school and started playing saxophone like his brother before him.

“I just loved the sound of the instrument,” he says. “At the same time I was doing the A level (pre-university) in school, I started formal training on the saxophone with a local musician. We were playing a lot of events outside the performance schedule.”

Low eventually left the Electone behind, convincing his parents to sell theirs and buy him a saxophone instead. He continued playing in the school band and also started learning about conducting. By the time he finished the A level, he was convinced his future was in music. He started a formal degree program at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Putra Malaysia in music performance in saxophone.

“Because the instrument was so new to the Asian market, we did not have a formal saxophone professor and I had to take lessons from the national symphony’s clarinet or oboe player to learn the instrument,” he says. “In my second year, Yamaha Music Malaysia brought in a saxophone artist, Nobuya Sagawa, all the way from Japan. I did a master class with him and he opened up my mind. I said ‘That’s it; I’m going with the saxophone.’”

During his final year at university, the College of Music at Mahidol ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Thailand was organizing the Southeast Asia Youth Wind Ensemble. As a participant, Low was amazed by the conductor. With no common language among the participants, the conductor had to communicate using only body movements and gestures.

“I thought ‘That is cool. I want to be that person,’” he says. “You can show so much with body language. There’s leadership and artistry in it; you can show what it sounds like just by moving your body.”

While there, Low met the dean of the College of Music and was subsequently offered a scholarship. He moved to Thailand to complete a master’s degree, majoring in saxophone and minoring in conducting and chamber music.

“You have to make yourself useful,” he laughs and says when asked about his numerous subjects of study. “Since I was at the college, eventually I started to organize the youth wind ensemble event.”

In the years leading up to 2010, the college was reorganizing and one its focuses was to expand the study of saxophone in Thailand. Experts were brought in, one of whom was French saxophonist Jean-Marie Londeix. Londeix brought William Street, now Chair of the Music Department at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, along as a translator. Low got to know Street and they talked about Low completing a doctorate at the U of A.

“When I told my wife ‘let’s move to Edmonton’ she was a little bit confused,” he says. “She asked if I knew where Edmonton was and if I’d ever seen snow before. When we first arrived, I had no idea what layering meant. In Thailand or Malaysia, you just walk out the door. Every day it’s the same thing, maybe an umbrella, but that’s it.”

In August of 2010, Low and his wife, Yukari Sasada, whom he’d met when she was the principal bass with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and he was assistant manager, moved to Edmonton. Sasada is now bass instructor at the U of L and freelances with several Alberta symphonies.

Low completed a Doctor of Musical Arts at the U of A and was in his third year when Street told him that the U of L was looking for someone with expertise in saxophone and conducting. Low applied and was offered a nine-month contract. As an assistant professor, he still lives by the adage that he has to make himself useful.

He works with school bands as part of the music department’s band retreat program and, at the annual teachers’ conference, with band teachers. During the summers, Low performs and conducts research in Canada and Asia. He’s also affiliated with Yamaha Asia and is a Yamaha Canada Sponsored Artist Educator.

“I signed up to be a Yamaha trainer and my current research focus is looking at how geographical differences affect music education, especially the band-instrument learning process,” says Low. “I also have an ongoing project with Yamaha China to go in and do workshops.”

Percussion students earn honours in international competition

caroline.zentner — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 20:46:12 +0000

Two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge percussion students can consider themselves among the best in the world after finishing in the top four in their competitions at the recent 2017 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Blake Davenport, a fourth-year student, came in fourth place on solo marimba and Taylor Murphy, a third-year student, finished second on solo multi-percussion.

“This is a major accomplishment for these students and the U of L,” says Adam Mason, the U of L’s director of percussion and one of the leaders of PASIC. “They competed with graduate and undergraduate students from some of the top music universities around the world.”

“I’m very happy coming in second,” says Murphy. “For my first time going, coming in second was a good feeling.”

“I was really happy with the way I played,” says Davenport, who competed at PASIC for the first time last year. “I was up against people who’ve been studying percussion since they were eight years old so it’s nice to know I can keep up having studied for only five years.”

The annual PASIC convention draws thousands of percussionists, including students, performers, composers and drum makers from around the world. Murphy says the convention is like the San Diego Comic Con for percussionists. Some percussionists prepare all year for the chance to perform at the convention. Competing at such an event isn’t for the faint of heart. In Davenport’s case, the judge of his performance just happened to be the composer of the piece he’d chosen to perform.

“Competing is a little nerve-wracking,” says Davenport. “You’re surrounded by professional percussionists from all over the world and they know how a piece is supposed to sound.”

“Some are fresh out of high school and doing the same pieces you are,” says Murphy. “It’s nerve-wracking but it’s exhilarating. I broke out of my shell to do this and I’m glad I did because it opened so many doors.”

Both Davenport and Murphy grew up in Calgary and had some experience in percussion before coming to the U of L. Murphy was part of the Calgary Stampede Showband for seven years.

“I knew right out of high school that I wanted to study percussion,” says Murphy. “I knew the U of L had one of the best percussion programs, probably in Canada, and Adam (Mason) has a great reputation for being an amazing professor. He loves what he does, he’s very knowledgeable and he and I share a drum corps background.”

Davenport started playing the drum set at age eight and began percussion music when he was in high school. He planned to take a year off after graduating and then go to university in his home town. But before deciding, he took his mother’s suggestion to participate in the U of L’s Be a Student for a Day.

“I got to watch a Global Drums rehearsal and I was like ‘Oh, yeah, I’m coming here,’” says Davenport. “There was no way I was going anywhere else.”

Percussion students learn to play at least 50 unique instruments, including cultural types of drums like Taiko, African, Polynesian and Chinese. The program gives students an opportunity to travel to learn drumming in other countries. Both Davenport and Murphy have been to Hawaii with the Global Drums group and another trip to China is planned for June.

Davenport will be performing his grad recital on Saturday, March 24 at 2 p.m. in the U of L’s Recital Hall. Everyone is welcome.

“I’m going to hit some stuff in a pre-decided order,” he says, tongue in cheek.

The next Global Drums concert is scheduled for April 6 and 7 in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

Crossing Boundaries Symposium returns to discuss art, technology and identity

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 21:28:02 +0000

With technological advances running at an incredible pace, and the current political and social climate in a perpetual state of flux, artists, innovators, scholars and activists alike continue researching and working on ways to address the questions and issues that arise from our ever-changing world. Join the Faculty of Fine Arts October 27-28 as they host the second annual Crossing Boundaries Symposium to discuss ideas on art, technology and identity.

Crossing Boundaries: Art, Technology, and Identity hopes to activate cultural discourse on the relevance of current artistic practices in relation to the directions of this overarching theme. This two-day event brings together established and emerging innovators from the creative fields to Southern Alberta for engaging discussions, activities and displays.

The Crossing Boundaries Symposium kicks off October 27 with a reception and presentations by Fine Arts students in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Main Gallery and Level 6 Atrium. On October 28, look forward to speaker presentations, demonstrations, displays, activities and workshops in the Centre for the Arts. The day culminates with a panel discussion involving all three visiting speakers, moderated by Dr. Edward Jurkowski, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.

“Crossing Boundaries aims to showcase the diversity and cross-disciplinary nature of the professional creative world,” explains Jurkowski. “Our first symposium in 2016 proved to be an engaging and thought provoking endeavour and we look forward to hosting our second annual event, bringing new guest speakers to ignite fresh ideas and discourse on art, technology and identity.”

For the second annual symposium, the Faculty of Fine Arts welcomes David Rokeby, Dr. Micha Cárdenas and Dr. Thecla Schiphorst. David Rokeby practices interactive art, translating physical gestures into real-time interactive sound environments. His works address issues of digital surveillance and engage in critical examination of the differences between human and artificial intelligence. He currently teaches in the New Media department at Ryerson ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is Adjunct Professor at OCAD ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, both in Toronto.

Dr. Micha Cárdenas, assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and Interactive Media Design at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Washington’s Bothell campus, is described as one of “seven bio-artists who are transforming the fabric of life itself” by io9.com. Cárdenas is an artist and theorist who creates media art to reduce violence and increase health. In addition to Cárdenas presentation, she will also host a workshop where participants will learn to create art and design that responds to community needs and address real problems. By considering human centered design, community-based design, hacktivism and media art, participants will identify their own communities, discuss how to learn about their concerns and how to turn those issues into art and design.

Dr. Thecla Schiphorst leads the whisper[s] research group, an acronym for wearable, handheld, intimate, sensory, personal, expressive, responsive systems. Her research in embodied interaction focuses on movement knowledge and representation, tangible and wearable technologies, media and digital art and the aesthetics of interaction. She is Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Vancouver.

Tickets are $10 for students, $20 regular until October 23, when the price raises to $30 for regular ticket holders. Register today to save at ulethbridge.ca/tickets.

Herperger using Sakamoto research prize to design and produce analog oscillator

trevor.kenney — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 20:16:32 +0000

Keegan Herperger plans to design an analog oscillator with functional eurorack modules and enough tweaks that it constitutes an original design, now that he has received the 2017 Joyce and Ron Sakamoto Prize for Research in Digital Audio Arts.

The prize is awarded to a second or third-year Bachelor of Music, Digital Audio Arts (DAA) student or a team of students working within a collaborative framework.

“An oscillator is essentially what generates the sound in a synthesizer, and analog just means that they won't use any computer programming,” explains Herperger. “Eurorack is a standard format for modular synth gear, with specific requirements on how the circuit should operate in order to properly interface with other eurorack modules. What I build will be up to code and ready to integrate into a modern commercial synthesizer system.”

Herperger gets to follow through with his ambitious goals thanks to the generosity of Joyce and Ron Sakamoto and their annual research prize. The prize is awarded to a second or third-year Bachelor of Music, Digital Audio Arts (DAA) student or a team of students working within a collaborative framework and being led by a B.Mus DAA student. The award provides $5,000 in research funding.

“Since the nature of the project is the creation of a physical thing, I'll be using the grant money to purchase the necessary components to build the various circuits required,” says Herperger. “It'll also help out with procuring access to some diagnostic equipment and specialized textbooks, and take some of the pressure off my tuition so I can focus on my research.”

Supervised by Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music), the final results of Herperger’s research will be presented next spring along with a research report outlining his findings, conclusions and future directions.

“Arlan is a near-infinite well of knowledge and a fantastic teacher, so I'll be going to him for guidance and to make sure I stay on the right track,” says Herperger. “I'm going after a fairly broad topic, so it can be easy to fall down rabbit holes and stray from the important stuff. He's been an excellent sounding board for any questions I've had so far, and always leads me [in the right direction].”

Arts Festival Takes Over Coutts Centre July 23

trevor.kenney — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 21:03:49 +0000

Live music, family art activities, artists in action, and a beautiful garden setting set the tone for another summer arts festival at the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage near Nanton. The annual Coutts Centre Arts Festival, hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts and Art Gallery, returns on Sunday, July 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Live music, family art activities, artists in action, and a beautiful garden setting are all part of the day.

“We look forward to hosting this event each summer,” says Dr. Edward Jurkowski, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts. “If you haven’t yet had a chance to see this stunning property that Jim Coutts donated to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ then I encourage you to take this opportunity. Stroll the grounds, take in live music by Faculty of Fine Arts alumni and faculty, take part in art activities, and cap the day off with a performance by Lethbridge’s Shakespeare performance society. It’s a great day for families and art enthusiasts of all ages.”

The U of L Art Gallery hosts monthly En Plein Air events over the summer, this month pairing up with the arts festival. En plein air is an opportunity for artists to be inspired by the immaculate gardens as they change throughout the summer. Artists are encouraged to submit their work for an exhibition at the Foster James Penny Building in Lethbridge in December. En plein air kicks off at 10 am, along with Brown’s Enterprises decadent menu of brunch, lunch, lattes and more, served until 4 p.m.

Entertainment for the day includes an exciting line up of Fine Arts students, alumni and faculty. Beginning at 11 a.m. is the Southern Alberta Trombone Collective (SATbC) performing a mix of popular film music and classics for trombone quartet. SATbC features the talents of Nick Sullivan (BMus ’04; Music faculty), Kevin Jackson (BMus ’15; B.Ed. ‘17), Brittany Collins (BMus ‘13), and Andrea Norman (BMus ‘17).

At noon, the Groove Apostles return for their fourth performance at the Coutts Centre, with a fusion of jazz and funk. The Groove Apostles are Mathew Hellawell (BMus – DAA ’13) on drums, Daniel Best (New Media student) on bass, Vaughan Henning (BMus ’14; B.Ed. 16) on saxophone, Daniel Yaretz (BMus/B.Ed. student) on keys and Shelby Wilson (BFA – Dramatic Arts ’17). Closing out the live music for the day is percussion and classical guitar duo Joe Porter (BMus ’11, MMus ’13) and Dale Ketcheson (guitar instructor) at 1 p.m.

As the musicians pack up, the actors prepare to take the stage. The Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society return for their fourth performance at the Coutts Centre. This year they present Comedy of Errors directed by Drama faculty member Ron Chambers.

“We are now in our sixth season of Shakespeare in the Park,” says producer, and drama alumna Kate Connolly. “And as usual, our cast and production team are drawn from current U of L theatre students, alumni and community theatre members.”

The Comedy of Errors is Shakespeare’s shortest and fastest-paced play with physical and slapstick humour and a severe case of mistaken identities. Adding to the hilarity, this version is set in an 1880s frontier cowboy town.

“We are lucky to have the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society bring their Shakespeare in the Park experience all the way to the Coutts Centre each summer,” says Jurkowski. “They put on a great show all summer long in Lethbridge, so it’s a great opportunity to let more of southern Alberta enjoy the show.”

Admission to the Coutts Centre Arts Festival is by donation. For directions to the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage, near Nanton, visit ulethbridge.ca/finearts/events.

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