School of Music Archives - 91�Թ�

Dr. Debbie Lynn Wolf Featured in ISME Publication

Laura Rossi — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:28:17 +0000

In August of 2022, Dr. Debbie Lynn Wolf, chair of Music Education in the School of Music, was one of 40 music researchers selected to present papers for the Research Commission of the International Society of Music Educators. Since 2004, Dr. Wolf has contributed to this biennial event and has presented research in the Canary Islands, Bali, Portugal, China, Greece, Brazil, London, and Dubai. The proceedings of the most recent commission have been published in the journal, the International Vistas of Music Education, which will be referenced for masters and doctoral work.

Dr. Wolf’s research paper is titled, Music Teachers around the World Voice Perspectives on Characteristics of Success, Preparation, and Preferences in Teaching Music. In it, she and co-author Cecil L. Adderly present their aim of “comparing perspectives on characteristics on success, preparation and preferences in teaching music among in-service music teachers from around the world.” Dr. Wolf hopes that the conclusions of her research will provide insight and inspiration for music educators in their professional development as they consider multi-cultural perspectives of other educators.

Dr. Wolf reflects on the achievement: “I am thankful for the opportunities to represent 91�Թ� in this international platform. Although the last two seminars were held virtually, I have enjoyed traveling to different parts of the world to participate in these week-long seminars with other music education professors invited to present their research. I am grateful for these cross-cultural experiences and the friendships with music educators around the world. The intense research discussions and personal interactions with leading figures in the world of music education broadened my understanding and provided interesting accounts to share with music students at Cairn.”

You can learn more about the International Society of Music Educators .

Dr. A. Scott Watson Steps Into Full-Time Role in the School of Music

Laura Rossi — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 17:33:39 +0000

Previously a part-time faculty member since 2009, Dr. A. Scott Watson is now stepping into the role of full-time faculty. Dr. Watson earned his BA in Music Education from West Chester University and went on to earn his MMus and DMA in Composition from Temple University. Before joining the Cairn community, Dr. Watson’s extensive experience in music education was formed throughout his 35 years as an instrumental and elective music teacher within the Parkland School District. He also brings experience as a serious professional musician, as his compositions have been regularly performed around the world.

Acting Dean of the School of Music, Ken Borrmann, says of the transition:

“The School of Music excitedly welcomes Dr. Scott Watson as a full-time faculty member. Dr. Watson’s extensive background in education will bring outstanding learning experiences to the Cairn community. Some of the courses he will be teaching include theory, conducting, music technology, as well as courses in the Worship and Music M.A. We appreciated his work as an adjunct professor, and we are thankful to have Dr. Watson with us in this new position!”

The University, along with the School of Music, is excited to continue to support the gifts God has given to its School of Music students through dedicated faculty such as Dr. Watson. You can learn more about Dr. Watson here.

91�Թ� Offering Full Tuition Scholarships for “On the Way” Band Members

Lydia Garrison — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:53:03 +0000

Students seeking to enroll at the University in the Fall 2023 semester have the incredible opportunity to audition for an annual full tuition scholarship.

The University’s traveling band, On the Way (OTW), serves regional camps and conferences throughout the year by leading worship in a blended style of contemporary and traditional music. Students who become members of the band will receive an annual full tuition scholarship as compensation for their participation for the full duration of their undergraduate program.

This opportunity is open to any incoming freshmen. Only six spots are available, one for each role in the band, so the University will be highly selective in choosing who participates in OTW and receives the scholarship.

The six spots in the band are as follows: vocalist, bassist, drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, and sound technician.

In order to earn this full tuition scholarship, students must apply to 91�Թ� and successfully complete an audition. (If applying for a School of Music program, a student can complete or submit one audition for both OTW and the School.) If selected for OTW, the student must submit the $150 deposit to secure his or her spot (applied to room and board costs for the fall semester).

To learn more about this opportunity, visit cairn.edu/otw.

91�Թ� School of Music Now Accepting Applications for Online Worship & Music (MA)

Juston Wolgemuth — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 18:02:19 +0000

Cairn University is excited to announce the new Worship & Music (MA) program. Offered by the School of Music, this fully online program equips students with the musical knowledge and theological foundation needed for effective worship ministry.
This 39-credit program consists of 7-week courses on subjects such as worship technology, applied ethnomusicology, and contemporary arranging. The program culminates in a final project where students will create a self-produced six-track recording of three original songs and three arranged songs for congregational singing.
“There is a great need for theologically sound and artistically capable musicians who are able to lead and serve in complex worship environments,” said Dr. Benjamin Harding, dean of the School of Music. “We are thrilled to be able to serve the church with this program in providing rigorous theological and worship training matched with an in-depth discovery of the capacities of music technology for worship.”
The program will launch in Fall 2022; applications and inquiries are now being accepted. Learn more at cairn.edu/programs/worship-music-ma.

Cairn Faculty, Alumni, and Students Take Part in Newly Formed New Jersey Chamber Orchestra

Juston Wolgemuth — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:31:29 +0000

The newly formed (NJCO), composed of accomplished musicians in the Mid-Atlantic region, includes several distinguished members of the 91�Թ� School of Music: maestro Thomas Hong, pianist Benjamin Harding, violinist Natalia Rudoi DaSilva, and violist Rachel Ku. Alumni Hannah Pak and Emilie Park as well as current students Caleb Thompson and Brinson Moore are also taking part in the orchestra.
leads the NJCO as music director. He has served as the artistic director and conductor of the University of Pennsylvania Orchestras since 2015 and director of the 91�Թ� Symphony Orchestra since 2018. Hong has a history of titled positions in orchestras across the United States and internationally, including orchestras in Dallas, Seattle, Ohio, and the Orchestre National de France. At Cairn, Hong learned under the tutelage of respected instructor Samuel Hsu ’69. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in choral conducting at Temple University and an artist diploma in orchestral conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music, finishing his education at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Alongside other exceptional musicians from the greater Philadelphia area and beyond, Dr. Benjamin Harding ’02, dean of the School of Music, will play piano for the orchestra. Dr. Harding has served at the University since 2012. After earning his BMus and BS in Bible at Cairn, he received a MMus and Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music and a DMA from the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Harding also serves as the director of worship at Riverstone Church in Yardley, PA.

Music faculty Natalie Rudoi DaSilva will also perform with the group. DaSilva has served at the University with her expertise in applied violin and symphony orchestra since 2009. Her musical pedigree includes instruction under distinguished music educators and her enrollment in Temple University Music Prep’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians. She has also appeared as soloist with the Kennett Symphony Orchestra, the Manalapan Battleground Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra—the institute where she earned her BMus and MMus.

The orchestra also includes Cairn music professor and member of the Philadelphia Orchestra Rachel Ku. Ku began instructing at Cairn in 2013, though she made her musical debut much earlier in Taipei in 1995. In 2004, Ku became the youngest member of the Philadelphia Orchestra at only 19. This renowned and several-award-winning violist holds a BMus from the Curtis Institute of Music and a MMus from the New England Conservatory.
The orchestra also welcomed Cairn alumni Hannah Pak and Emilie Park alongside current music students Caleb Thompson and Brinson Moore.

NJCO held their first performance at The Music Barn, an outdoor venue in Mullica Hill, NJ, on July 9, 2021. Robin Leigh Massie, vocal faculty in the School of Music, participated as a guest performer in this inaugural concert. Drawing on the current cultural ethos of reopenings and fresh starts, the inaugural concert was titled “An American Dream: Music of Aaron Copland.” The ensemble sought to make their performance of Copland’s works “encapsulate the hope, optimism and earnestness of the American spirit present in Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Tender Land Suite.”

Work of Music Alum Kile Smith ’80 Involved in Two Grammy Nominations

Juston Wolgemuth — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:36:33 +0000

This awards season, composer , alum of Cairn’s School of Music, received critical attention for his part in two Grammy nominations. Most prominently, a performance of his recent choir production, , was nominated for Best Choral Performance.
With an early interest in both faith and music, Kile Smith attended 91�Թ� in 1975. In five years, he completed a double-major with degrees in Bible and music composition, serving as a teaching assistant to Dr. Samuel Hsu during his last two years of study. Since graduating, Smith has embedded himself in the Philadelphia artistic community as a composer of various types of classical and liturgical music; host of classical and jazz radio programs; and a frequent writer for the , the online magazine covering arts and culture in Philadelphia. His works have earned him international acclaim from numerous commissions and musical publications.
Smith’s Grammy-nominated work, The Arc in the Sky, acts as his choral adaptation of the poetry of Robert Lax. A friend of the well-known monk Thomas Merton, Robert Lax converted to Catholicism in his late twenties and went on to write minimalist poems that portrayed how his faith informed the way he saw life. As Smith describes on his website, “This is what struck me. As soon as I read Lax, I knew I wanted to set his words to music.” Lax’s words in Smith’s musical arrangement became The Arc in the Sky: a 65-minute, three-part unaccompanied piece performed by and conducted by Donald Nally.

In addition to this Grammy nomination, Smith’s album was among eight albums that earned a Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year. This work is also based on the spiritual writings of a well-known Catholic, St. John of the Cross. Smith described Alspaugh’s recording as “lovingly” put-together.
Congratulations to Kile Smith for these prestigious musical achievements!