Department News

Check this page often for news about Music, Theatre, Dance alumni, faculty, staff and students.

Elizabeth Cox was named Plymouth State University's 2008 Distinguished Teacher of the Year. She recently performed in summer stock in Advice to the Players' production of The Taming of the Shrew and will play the role of Gertrude in Plymouth State Theatre's October production of Hamlet. Prof. Cox was recently elected the Secretary/Treasurer of the Acting Focus Group of the Association of Theatre in Higher Education.

Dr. Gary Corcoran recently appeared as guest conductor of the United States Navy Band at a concert that was presented in Virginia. The invitation was extended by Ensign Patrick K. Sweeten, Associate Conductor of the Washington-based Navy Band. Ensign Sweeten, one of Corcoran's former graduate assistants at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, has been assigned to the band since October. The United States Navy Band has been the Navy's premier musical organization since 1925. More information...

Dr. Robert Swift's article "Your Attention, Please" has been accepted for publication in four of the New England state music education periodicals: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The article was inspired by violinist Joshua Bell's performance in a Washington DC Metro station last January, where he was virtually ignored.

This summer Dr. Rik Penninger licensed 3 more smooth jazz tracks to the Weather Channel for airplay. Rik also has a new CD out titled That's Kool featuring tracks from the Weather Channel. The CD is available on Apple iTunes and Walmart downloads.

The MTNA Collegiate Chapter hosted sessions on Nov. 10 in master classes and a "Music and Movement" class. Cassie (Chamberlain) Reed (B.S., Music Education '96) gave two master classes for the students of PSU student teachers, and also talked with the organization about studio policies and record keeping. Brenna (Brown) Cockerham (B.A., Music '96) gave a session on Music and Movement with 13 toddlers and their parents. The entire day was made possible through the Chapter's second Alumni Student Connections Grant.

Kenda Corcoran, adjunct oboe instructor, performed as a featured soloist with the Lakes Region Orchestra at Interlakes High School. She performed the Oboe Concerto in C Minor by the 18th century composer, Alessando Marcello. Kenda has been a member of the LRSO for 16 years.

2009 Piano Camp News

Alumni

Kevin Asselin ('97) is up for a "JEFF" award for his fight choreography in the Chicago production of As You Like It. The Jeff Awards are Chicago's "Tony." Kevin also continues to spend summers at Notre Dame University directing, acting and doing fight choreography. He also is involved in Montana's educational outreach programming through Montana Shakespeare in the Parks/Schools. He was most recently seen as Hamlet in Plymouth State Theatre's recent production of Hamlet in October, 2008.

Laura Cole (’08) performed in the musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Miracle! at the Miracle Theatre in Pigeon Forge, TN in spring of 2009.

Katie Curran (Silvia) was married in 2005. She and her husband and are expecting their first child in November. Katie is in her 7th year of teaching general music and chorus at Peter Woodbury Elementary School and has a private piano studio.

Dan Formidoni will complete his master's degree in composition at the University of Oklahoma in June.

Amanda Frechette (Theatre, '07) has joined the New Leaf Theatre in Chicago as an Artistic Associate. She currently serves New Leaf as a stage manager.

Ron Fussell is now the Vice Principal for Academics at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, where he is responsible for school-wide curriculum, instruction, and teacher supervision.  He is also still very active in music education by working closely with the Music Department at BG and through his adjudication for Youth Education in the Arts.  Ron is excited to have been selected as the conductor the 2009 MMEA Northeast District High School Honor Band in January.  Ron and his wife Tina (Trefrey) have two children and live in Manchester, NH.

Esther Hammond ('06) is attending the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, pursuing her MFA in Costume Design.

Hannah Hammond ('06) is currently performing at the Thunder Bay Theatre in Michigan for the first four shows of their 2008-2009 season. She can be seen in the musical The Ark, The Kitchen Witches in which she plays a Ukrainian Cooking show host, A Christmas Carol, and a children's theatre production.

Jessica Janaitis is in her first year at Illinois State University where she's enrolled in the Master of Music Therapy program. She received a full assistantship in class piano teaching and is singing in the University Choir which will tour Italy in the winter.

Robert (Bob) Lewandowski (’00) recently performed his first equity role in The Music Man at The New Candlelight Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware.

Christopher Lukos ('07) is currently playing the rogue Bill Sykes in a national tour of Oliver!, which was directed by Clayton Phillips. The production is currently touring the U.S. through the spring of 2009

Graham MacDonald ('08) and Pam Heinztelman ('08) are working as a team for Children's Stage Adventures as Actor/Educators and traveling throughout the U.S. to provide educational theatre to school children.

Christopher Robin Marcotte ('00) recently received an award within the Philadelphia theatre community for choreography of the Hotel Obligado's production of an original work Beauty Is, a stunning evening of theatre. Robin will be returning to PSU in 2009 to provide a Winterim course in mask work.

Victoria Miller ('05) recently received her MFA in lighting design from Rutgers University in New Jersey and is residing in New York City. She will be returning to PSU to act as lighting designer for the Fall '08 musical, The Robber Bridegroom.

Jacqueline Morin is a 2007 PSU graduate and just completed her master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy from West Chester University in PA.  In the fall she will begin full time teaching in piano at the Concord Community Music School and the Seacoast Academy of Music.

Angela Olszta is teaching piano at both the Nashua Community Music School and the Concord Community Music School. She also teaches Music Pups (birth-5 year olds) as part of the Early Childhood program at the NCMS.

Cassandra Reed (Chamberlain) is teaching piano in her home studio in Deerfield. She and her husband have 2 young children.

Tyler Rich ('07) is working as an assistant fight choreographer with the education department at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He will also be performing in The BenchMark at Pierce Hall at The Historic Chicago Temple Building in Nov/Dec 2008.

Ashley Rose is a 2009 graduate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and will student teach this fall for her Music Education degree.  Ashley has a studio of young piano students, accompanies in the area for school performances and musicals and is pianist for the Plymouth Congregational Church.

Carlos Sabina is now teaching guitar, piano and composition at Portsmouth Music and Arts Center.

David Saunders is a 2008 PSU Music Education graduate and will begin his first full time job in Streator Illinois this fall.

Elisa Curren Saunders is a music education graduate of Plymouth State University and received her MM degree in Trumpet Performance from Illinois State University.  She just completed her 5th year of teaching instrumental music in the public schools in Illinois.

Jessica Seifel (Gerlowski) is teaching piano in her home studio in Hartford, CT, and has a young daughter Meredith.

Michael Stoddard ('01) received his M.Ed. from PSU in Spring of '08. He is currently working as chair of theatre arts at DSHA high school, a private Catholic school in Milwaukee, WI.

Kelly Sullivan graduated from Plymouth State in 2002 and has taught at the middle school and high school levels in New Hampshire. Kelly now teaches Band and Chorus at Plymoouth Regional High School.

Peter Templeton is an adjunct professor in piano at PSU and has his own independent studio in Plymouth.

Carl Wishneusky is working with the Princess Cruise Lines and playing piano on the ships. He has traveled numerous times to Central America, Alaska, to England on the Queen Mary, and will be traveling to Australia, New Zealand and the islands of Fiji beginning in October 2008.