ASU D.M.A. composer, Kendra D'Ercole's oratorio based on the Heiligenstadt Testament of Ludwig van Beethoven world premiere was performed by Robert Barefield, voice faculty.

In January 2006, four ASU collegiate music educators, Jenni Ensign, instrumental music education, French horn, Amy Frost, instrumental music education, trumpet, Matt Herzberg, instrumental music education, trombone, and Ellen Tollefson, instrumental music education, violin, were recognized by MENC: The National Association for Music Education for their service to Arizona music educators. Each received a Professional Achievement Award. In addition, each of these students wrote and received travel grants from the Herberger College of Fine Arts to attend the conference to accept their awards. Also congratulations to the ASU CMENC chapter for receiving a Chapter Excellence Award from MENC. The chapter's outstanding service to in-service and pre-service teachers merited this recognition.

From left: Matt Herzberg, Ellen Tollefson, Amy Frost and Jenni Ensign.

In March, graduate vocal performance major Ingrid Israel (soprano) won third place in the national finals of the Music Teachers National Association's Young Artist Voice Competition held in Austin, Texas at the national convention.

Doctoral music education students developed the following research studies as class projects in MUE 792. Congratulations to the following graduate students whose quantitative research papers were accepted for presentation at the National Music Education Conference in April: Danelle Keck, "The Effects of Chamber Music Participation on Performance Achievement of Band Students: A Pilot Study;" Michele Paise, "Choir Members' Perceptions of Participation, Special Accommodations, and Characteristics of Both Members and Directors in Adult Church Choirs: A Pilot Study;" and David Rickels, "A Comparison of Contributing Variables in Marching Band Festival Results." Also, congratulations to Rickels for having his paper selected as one of four winning papers in the ASU Artwork paper competition for graduate students in arts education.

Kristen Larue presented the paper "Stond wel moder, under roode: A New Perspective on Marian Worship and the Feminine" at the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Musicology Society conference in March. The project grew out of a term paper she wrote for Kay Norton's, associate professor of music, music bibliography class. Part of the presentation's title comes from the name of the 13th-century English song she focused on in the paper. The song, in Middle English, is an anonymous "crucifixion lament," a dialogue between the Virgin Mary and Jesus while he hangs on the cross. In the paper she talks about how Mary was portrayed in the song, and how her portrayal both mirrored and was an example for medieval women's behavior. Larue is working on an M.A. in music history and literature, and Norton is the chair of her committee.

Mariachi ASU, one of two ensembles directed by Dr. Richard Haefer, associate professor of ethnomusicology, and Kitty Lopez, (B.M.E. '86), attended the Tucson International Mariachi Conference April 26—29, 2006. Students attended workshops taught by members of Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano and Mariachi Los Arrieros de El Paso and learned advanced musical compositions, which they performed on the Gala Concert along with members of the aforementioned groups. The student mariachi was featured in a Showcase Concert at the Fox Theater in Tucson as well as in a "Plaza Garibaldi" festival held on April 29 at Reid Park. Mariachi Diablos del Sol, also directed by Haefer and Lopez, also performed in Reid Park at the festival.

Associate professor of music, Kay Norton, coordinated and rehearsed an ad hoc "Anti-Slavery Ensemble" of singers in February, which was videotaped on March 1 in Katzin Concert Hall. The group, who performed historic anti-slavery music from Jairus Lincoln's 1843 abolitionist song book, will be featured in video format on the Antislavery Literature Project, http://antislavery.eserver.org/. The site is a project of ASU English professor Joe Lockard, assisted by Kristen LaRue, a graduate student in music history and outreach program coordinator in the English department. Joining Norton and LaRue in the ensemble were School of Music professors Robin Rio, associate professor of music, and Sandra Stauffer, Evelyn Smith Professor of music education. Other singers included: ASU nursing faculty member David Hrabe, ASU English faculty Maureen Daly Goggin and Dawn Bates, ASU English student and popular Phoenix jazz vocalist Kriste Peoples, and music majors Daveda Karanas Brecheen, Sean Clark, Brian McQueen, Will Earl Spanheimer, and Christy Strohl.

Keith Y. Preston, D.M.A., and Jere Humphreys, professor of music education, presented "Historical Research on Music Education and Music Therapy: Doctoral Dissertations of the Twentieth Century." The paper (poster) was presented at the MENC: The National Association for Music Education In-Service Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah in April 2006.

Victoria Sanchez and Sean Clark in Anything Goes.

Current music theater senior Victoria Sanchez won an Arizona "Zoni" award for her summer/2005 role in Smokey Joe's Cafe with the Phoenix Theater. Sanchez was immediately reengaged by the Phoenix Theater to sing and dance in their spring 2006 productions of 1940s Radio Hour and in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Sanchez and Westland, Michigan's Sean Clark teamed up as Hope and Billy in last spring's production of Anything Goes at ASU. In addition to her participation in Side by Side By Sondheim at ASU last fall, Sanchez worked off-campus in lead roles in production of A Chorus Line and is currently a finalist for Disney Tokyo. Clark sang the demanding role of the Male Chorus in Britten's Rape of Lucretia earlier in the spring semester and was in Maine to sing at the Quisisana Resort for the summer.