Graduate Conservatory Virtual Drop-In Week
Monday, November 11 — Friday, November 15, 2024
We had a great time during Graduate Conservatory Drop-In Week! This week-long event offered prospective graduate students—whether current undergrads, musicians, art administrators, or alumni—a unique opportunity to virtually explore a selection of graduate courses, meet one-on-one with faculty in their program of interest, and connect with graduate admissions. It was a fantastic chance to learn more about our programs and interact with our community. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
Choose from various classes and interactions throughout the day by clicking on the Zoom links provided for each session.
Monday, November 11
9:30am-10:00am | Welcome from Shaun Evans & Elena Fierer
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
10:00am-12:30pm | Theoretical Foundations Music Therapy
Applicable to all Music Therapy Graduate Programs
12:30pm-1:00pm | Graduate Conservatory Virtual Tour
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
CANCELED – 5:00pm-6:15pm | Anatomy/Function Singing Voice
Applicable to all Graduate Vocal Programs
All day: Set up your individual meeting with a faculty member
Tuesday, November 12
10:30pm-12:10pm | Beyond the Score
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
11:00am-12:00pm | Graduate Admissions Conservatory
Information Session
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
12:30pm-1:20pm | Survey of Early Music
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
2:00pm-2:50pm | Post Tonal Analysis
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
CANCELED – 7:00pm-8:00pm | Chamber Ensemble
Applicable to M.M. and D.M.A. Performance Strings Graduate Programs
All day: Set up your individual meeting with a faculty member
Wednesday, November 13
10:00am-11:40am | Repertoire for Singing Teacher
Applicable to M.M. and D.M.A. Voice Pedagogy Programs
1:00pm-3:30pm | Psychology of Music
Applicable to all Music Therapy Graduate Programs
2:00pm-3:00pm | Voice Pedagogy Meet & Greet
Applicable to M.M. and D.M.A. Voice Pedagogy Programs
4:00pm-5:00pm | Graduate Admissions Conservatory
Information Session
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
5:00pm-6:15pm | Anatomy/Function Singing Voice
Applicable to all Graduate Vocal Programs
All day: Set up your individual meeting with a faculty member
Thursday, November 14
12:00pm-12:50pm | Instrumentation
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
2:00pm-2:50pm | Post Tonal Analysis
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
2:00pm-3:40pm | CCM Styles I: Musical Theatre
Applicable to M.M. and D.M.A. Voice Pedagogy Programs
3:00pm-4:00pm | Chamber Ensemble
Applicable to M.M. and D.M.A. Performance Strings Graduate Programs
5:00pm-6:00pm | Music Therapy Information Session
Applicable to all Music Therapy Graduate Programs
All day: Set up your individual meeting with a faculty member
Friday, November 15
9:00am-10:40am | Songwriting
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
10:00am-11:40am | Bibliography and Research
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
10:00am-2:00pm | Graduate Admissions Drop-In Virtual
Questions & Answers
Applicable to all Graduate Programs
3:00pm-3:50pm | Composer Forum
Applicable M.M. Composition Graduate Programs
All day: Set up your individual meeting with a faculty member
Questions? Need Assistance?
Contact Graduate Admissions!
Email: sugradadmissions@jdzruiran.com
Call: 540-665-4581
Text: 540-546-6029
Missed a Session?
Recordings can be found below.
Individual Meetings with Graduate Faculty
Based on your instrument/area of interest, contact the faculty listed below to arrange a meeting that fits your schedule and theirs. Depending on the individual professor’s availability, certain meetings may need to be scheduled for later weeks.
Complete Faculty Bio Pages; Learn more about the Shenandoah Faculty you could take classes with!
| Instrument/ Area of Interest |
Faculty | Title | Contact Information |
| Bassoon | Dr. Ryan Romine | Associate Professor, Bassoon | rromine@jdzruiran.com |
| Cello | Julian Schwarz | Associate Professor, Cello | jschwarz2@jdzruiran.com |
| Choral Conducting | Dr. Richard W. Robbins | Choral Artist-in-Residence; Director of Choral Activities; Associate Professor |
richard.robbins@jdzruiran.com |
| Clarinet | Garrick Zoeter | Anna Lee van Buren Endowed Chair in Clarinet; Coordinator of Winds and Percussion; Professor, Clarinet | gzoeter@jdzruiran.com |
| Classical Guitar | Colin Davin |
Director of Guitar Studio; Associate Professor, Guitar |
|
| Composition | Jonathan Newman | Director of Composition; Coordinator of New Music; Associate Professor, Composition | jnewman2@jdzruiran.com |
| Double Bass | Dr. Donovan Stokes | Coordinator of Strings; Professor, Bass | dstokes@jdzruiran.com |
| Euphonium, Tuba | Zachary Bridges | Adjunct Associate Professor, Tuba, Euphonium | zachary.bridges@jdzruiran.com |
| Flute | Julietta Curenton | Assistant Professor, Flute | |
| French Horn | Geoffrey Pilkington | Adjunct Associate Professor, Horn | gpilking@jdzruiran.com |
| Harp | Lynnelle Ediger | Adjunct Associate Professor, Harp | lediger@jdzruiran.com |
| Music Therapy | Anthony Meadows | Director of Music Therapy Studies; Coordinator of Graduate Music Therapy; Associate Professor, Music Therapy | ameadows2@jdzruiran.com |
| Oboe | Stephen Key | Adjunct Assistant Professor, Oboe | skey@jdzruiran.com |
| Orchestral Conducting | Dr. Emanuele Andrizzi | Director of Orchestral Studies; Associate Professor, Conducting | emanuele.andrizzi@jdzruiran.com |
| Percussion | Dr. Karlyn Viña | Assistant Professor, Percussion | kvina@jdzruiran.com |
| Performing Arts Leadership & Management | David Edelman | Director of Performing Arts Leadership & Management Program; Professor, Performing Arts Leadership & Management | Schedule a time using this link. Insert “prospective student” in purpose of meeting. |
| Piano* | Marika Bournaki | Assistant Professor, Piano | mbournak@jdzruiran.com |
| Saxophone | Dr. Timothy Roberts | Chair of Instrumental Division; Professor, Saxophone | troberts3@jdzruiran.com |
| Tenor Trombone | Dr. Matthew Niess | Director of Jazz & Commercial Music; Associate Professor, Trombone | mniess@jdzruiran.com |
| Trumpet | Mary Bowden | Associate Professor, Trumpet | mbowden@jdzruiran.com |
| Viola | Doris Lederer | Director of Chamber Music; Professor, Viola and Chamber Music | dlederer@jdzruiran.com |
| Violin | Akemi Takayama | Victor Brown Endowed Chair in Violin; Associate Professor, Violin | atakayam@jdzruiran.com |
| Voice Pedagogy* | The Voice Pedagogy faculty will host one group meeting on Wednesday and will not be arranging individual appointments. Please see the schedule for more details. | ||
| Voice Performance* | Dr. Fotina Naumenko | Associate Professor, Voice | fnaumenk@jdzruiran.com |
| Wind Conducting | Dr. Tim Robblee | Director of Bands; Associate Professor, Conducting | trobblee@jdzruiran.com |
*Faculty member listed for piano, voice performance and voice pedagogy is the primary contact, but meetings may be with other faculty based on availability.
Class Descriptions
Learn more about what each class has to offer below! Zoom links will be made live the day of the session.
Monday, November 11
10:00am-12:30pm | Theoretical Foundations of Music Therapy
In this course, students develop a comprehensive understanding of the music therapy discipline and profession. Areas addressed include defining music therapy; educational and training requirements in music therapy; historical and philosophical underpinnings of the music therapy field; psychological bases of music as therapy; major theories, models and methods of music therapy; the music therapy process (including assessment, planning, implementation, and therapeutic dynamics); and exploration of one’s identity through music-centered self-inquiry. Clinical decision-making is emphasized throughout.
CANCELED – 5:00pm-6:15pm | Anatomy/Function Singing Voice
This course places emphasis on the analysis of teaching problems and the development of vocal technique through the study of anatomical structures and physiological mechanisms as applied to singing. Students will study how the human voice physiologically emerges from the body through the combined blending of body actions that overlap and assist each other, specifically: posture and movement, respiration, phonation, resonation and articulation. Included is an analysis of the voice as an acoustic chain. The course requires practical application and laboratory experiences incorporating supervised private teaching.
Tuesday, November 12
10:30am-12:10pm | Beyond the Score
This course helps classical music performers better understand, attract and engage 21st century classical music audiences. With an eye to scientific analysis and artistic principles, students engage in lectures/discussions, performance coaching, lab performances and external performance initiatives. Through personal research, advanced music performers critically analyze one’s work to further enhance personal artistry.
12:30pm-1:20pm | Survey of Early Music
This course is designed to prepare students to think about music in historical and social contexts by examining the people, events, culture and works of art that have come to define Western art music. This class further emphasizes fluency in reading early music, understanding early modal systems and provides a basis for further study in related areas.
2:00pm-2:50pm | Post Tonal Analysis
This course provides an examination of compositional materials and techniques of art music from circa 1900 to the present day.
CANCELED – 7:00pm-8:00pm | Chamber Ensemble
Preparation and performance of standard string ensemble literature (duo, string trio, piano trio, string quartet, piano quartet, etc.).
Wednesday, November 13
10:00am-11:40am | Repertoire for Singing Teacher
This course provides a survey of standard vocal repertoire appropriate for teaching singing in class settings and to individual voice students of all ages, including children’s voices and the changing adolescent female and male voices. The course includes review of beginning- through intermediate-level repertoire and performance of that repertoire to identify mastery problems.
1:00pm-3:30pm | Psychology of Music
2:00pm-3:00pm | Voice Pedagogy Meet & Greet
An opportunity to meet with Voice Pedagogy faculty and ask questions about the program.
5:00pm-6:15pm | Anatomy/Function Singing Voice
This course places emphasis on the analysis of teaching problems and the development of vocal technique through the study of anatomical structures and physiological mechanisms as applied to singing. Students will study how the human voice physiologically emerges from the body through the combined blending of body actions that overlap and assist each other, specifically: posture and movement, respiration, phonation, resonation and articulation. Included is an analysis of the voice as an acoustic chain. The course requires practical application and laboratory experiences incorporating supervised private teaching.
Thursday, November 14
12:00pm-12:50pm | Instrumentation
Principles and techniques for use of orchestral instruments. Study of ranges, voicings, timbre and idiomatic characteristics is supported by practical scoring for each group and for various combinations of all instruments and voicings.
2:00pm-2:50pm | Post Tonal Analysis
This course provides an examination of compositional materials and techniques of art music from circa 1900 to the present day.
2:00pm-3:40pm | CCM Styles I: Musical Theatre
This course is an in-depth study and application of methods for singing and teaching the musical theater style. Instruction will be one-hour weekly plus a lab hour, consisting of lecture, training, performance and discussion of relevant techniques and solutions. Course will cover treatment of vowels, consonants, song authenticity, correct style musically and vocally. Students will explore through songs various vocal qualities found in musical theatre while maintaining vocal health.
3:00pm-4:00pm | Chamber Ensemble
Preparation and performance of standard string ensemble literature (duo, string trio, piano trio, string quartet, piano quartet, etc.).
5:00pm-6:00pm | Music Therapy Information Session
An opportunity to meet with the Music Therapy faculty and discuss the current and new programs in Music Therapy.
Friday, November 15
9:00am-10:40am | Songwriting
This course explores the art and craft of songwriting. It includes the study of lyrics, rhythm, melody, harmony and song structure. Students develop creative songwriting projects in a variety of styles.
10:00am-11:40am | Bibliography and Research
This course introduces the student to methods and sources for bibliographic research in music. The purpose of this course is to develop a foundation for continued professional growth and lifelong learning through the study of research and the research process. Students interpret, report, and conduct bibliographic research on assigned topics and individual areas of interest.
3:00pm-3:50pm | Composer Forum
This course provides group instruction designed to work in tandem with private applied lessons in music composition. Coursework incorporates score study, reading seminars, research projects, lectures on composition-related topics and master classes with guest artists.
Graduate Admissions Events
The Graduate Admissions Team will host events throughout the week to meet with students and answer your questions.
From a welcome on Monday, two information sessions with Conservatory faculty during the week, a virtual Conservatory tour, and an open drop-in Q&A session on Friday for individual conversations, we hope you’ll take the time to meet us and have your questions answered! The Zoom links will be made live the day of the session.
Monday, November 11, 9:30am-10:00am | Welcome to Graduate Conservatory Virtual Drop-In Week!
Monday, November 11, 12:30pm-1:00pm | Graduate Conservatory Virtual Tour
Tuesday, November 12, 11:00am-12:00pm | Graduate Admissions Conservatory Information Session
Wednesday, November 13, 4:00pm-5:00pm | Graduate Admissions Conservatory Information Session
Friday, November 15, 10:00am-2:00pm | Graduate Admissions Drop-In Virtual Questions & Answers