January 9-12, 2025
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Stephanie Patterson, host
Thursday Afternoon Recital
1:30pm Upstanders Bassoon Ensemble performance in the Lobby
2:00pm Recital featuring performers: Andrew Burn, Shuo Li, Mackie Thomas, Marta Troiki, Martin J. Van Klompengberg, Sarah Wildey
Special Topics: Soundpainting with Drew Pattison
A workshop on Soundpainting, a form of live-composing that enables classical artists to explore improvisation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Performers across music, dance, and theater work together to create the performance and composition in real time. In this workshop we would go over the basic signs and give a short performance at the end of the session. It would be an excellent way for participants of every skill level to play together and collaborate meaningfully. There are no mistakes in Soundpainting so performers of all levels can practice letting go of fear and anxiety, and focus on what they want to express. It’s a fun and immediately accessible way to begin improvising! Here is a video of a performance with all classical players. I teach a Soundpainting course and ensemble at Oberlin and the Round Top music festival, and it has been an incredible tool for opening up artists of all backgrounds.
Thursday Evening Recital
7pm performance by the University of South Carolina Bassoon Studio in Watson Lobby
7:30 Recital featuring performers: Michael Burns, Telma Diaz, Carlos Manuel López Soria, Shannon Lowe, Leigh Muñoz, Angela Santiago, Cornelia Sommer
Thursday Evening Reception Sponsored by Fox Products
Featuring performance by the Louisiana State University Bassoon Studio
Coffee Talk: Breaking Barriers for American Band Directors and Bassoonists with Ariel Detweiler
A discussion of Dr. Ariel Detwiler's 2023 DMA thesis of the same title, which addresses issues of access including finances, distance, and knowledge, which directly effects today's band directors' ability to recruit, retain, and nurture their bassoonists. What more can we do to help band directors and their bassoonists feel supported in their knowledge of the bassoon, and how do we create opportunities to eliminate these barriers as we are able in the future?
Special Topics: The Art of Audio Video on Social Media for Beginners with VG Bassoonist
Have you ever wanted to create engaging and creative videos to share on the internet but didn't know where to start? Here is your chance to get started with as little as just your phone. Join Francisco Joubert Bernard, better known as VG Bassoonist on social media, as he guides you through the essentials of producing fun and engaging content for social media platforms. From grasping the basics of audio recording, overdubbing, and video editing to crafting fun posts that highlight your musical talents, this workshop offers step-by-step tutorials, insider tips, material needs, and creative inspiration regardless of your budget. Whether you're just starting out or looking to learn some of the secrets behind VG Bassoonist's videos, you'll find everything you need to bring your artistic vision to life and share it with the world. Let’s make some AV magic together! Yeah, I am not kidding. Bring your bassoon as we may want you on VG Bassoonist's next video!
Panel: What Can We Do? (Bassoonists and Climate Change) with John Steinmentz
Humanity has never faced anything like this: crucial systems must be transformed quickly and comprehensively; practices and attitudes need to shift in a hurry. We often hear about music as a force for transformation; how can we apply that musical force to this massive set of challenges? How can our concerts, teaching, ensembles, and organizations assist the many kinds of work that need doing? Through small group discussion and large-group idea sharing, we will brainstorm ways to harness music's power for the preservation and renewal of our habitat.
Michael Burns Performance Class
Beyond the canon: Music featuring contemporary techniques and/or jazz/popular elements. Performance Class with Michael Burns
Special Topics: Rebuilding a High Baroque Performance – Reintroducing Preluding, Improvisation, and Cadencing into Practice with Andrew Burn
To work on repertoire from the high baroque (as it is bassoon, not dulcian, repertoire) and help introduce the participants to preluding, bridging movements via an adagio and/or phrygian cadence, as well as explain where to incorporate a cadenza and how to compose in keeping with original examples and instructions. As source material, I would base my work on Hotteterre’s “L’Art de préluder, Op.7” (1719), Johann Joachim Quantz’s “Versuch” (1752), Francesco Geminiani’s “Art of Playing the Violin, Op. 9” (1751), as well as extant examples of transcribed improvisations.
Lunch Talk: Motherhood as a Musician with Amy Pollard
Bring your lunch and discuss some of the challenges of motherhood while maintaining a career in music.
Panel: Commissioning Demystified with Susan Nelson
This panel will discuss the components involved in commissioning a new piece from the professional performer, composer, and student perspectives. Elements to be covered will be methods of commission, finances, contracting, and more. Whether you have commissioned a piece before or are looking to try for the first time, this discussion will have something of interest for you!
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: Semi-Finals
Come see the semi-finalists of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition
Friday Evening Recital
7pm performance by the Pennsylvania State University Bassoon Studio in Watson Lobby
7:30pm Recital featuring performers: Rick Barrantes Agüero, Nanci Belmont, Judith Farmer, Michael Harley, Stephanie Patterson, William Short, David Wells
Friday Evening Reception Sponsored by Forrests Music
Featuring performance by Bowling Green State Bassoon Studio
Special Topics: Healing-Centered Strategies for Pedagogy and Community Engagement with Midori Sampson
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, over 1 million Ukrainians have resettled in Poland. Outside of Kraków, there is a community of Ukrainian refugee women, elderly individuals, and children who are adjusting to life in a shelter called Palace Paszkówka. This year, I was privileged to facilitate arts- and music-based group therapy sessions with the women at Paszkówka, alongside other artists from Ukraine and USA. In this short presentation, I will share about that experience, introduce the culturally responsive and trauma-informed strategies that we utilized, and discuss the challenges of arts-based group work with participants experiencing the ongoing effects of war. As bassoonists, we will inevitably be called participate in some type of community engagement during our careers. When we enter community engagement situations, it is crucial that we utilize culturally responsive and trauma-informed strategies for the sake of the individuals and groups we create with. It is my goal that this workshop will offer some examples of culturally responsive and trauma-informed strategies that bassoonists might use, while demonstrating how our bassoon playing can enable us to make meaningful connections with communities whose life experiences are different than our own.
Panel: Reflections on Creative Justice with Lia Uribe
Moderator: Lia Uribe (University of Arkansas, RefleXions Music Series) will moderate a panel on creative justice and equitable distribution of resources in cultural institutions through just processes for artists and audiences. In the panel we’ll be using the frame of creative justice, to examine how music can be used to challenge power structures while empowering diverse audiences and philanthropy, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the creative process, from funding and production to distribution and consumption. This conversation will offer opportunities to improve the justice literacies of our MQVC community by connecting it with agents who sharpen their skills at producing equitable and just outcomes on regular basis. We will explore the intricate relationship between creative justice and gender inclusion within the classical music domain. Classical music, often regarded as a bastion of tradition, has long grappled with issues of gender disparity, limiting opportunities for female composers, conductors, instrumentalists, educators, administrators, and more. Last, through an interdisciplinary lens, we will examine a theoretical frame for creative justice, and initiatives and movements that have emerged to challenge traditional norms and foster greater gender diversity within the field. These endeavors encompass educational reforms, advocacy for gender-sensitive programming, and the amplification of underrepresented voices, among other measures.
Bassoon Band
Bring your bassoon for a fun bassoon band sight reading session! Open to all ages and levels.
Saturday Afternoon Recital
12:30pm performance by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Bassoon Studio in the lobby
1:00 pm Recital featuring performers: Maribel Alonso, Cassandra Bendickson, Elizabeth Crawford, Margaret Fay, Brigit Fitzgerald, Haley Houk, Eleni Katz, Jessica Kunttu, Stephanie Patterson, Rémy Taghavi, Robyn Watson
Workshop: 21st Century Orchestral Excerpts with Ben Roidl-Ward
In the past several years, I have been working to integrate new excerpts into audition lists that I can control (mainly university placement auditions and festival audition lists). My goal in doing so has been to create lists that represent a broad range of styles, time periods, and composers’ identities. In the process, I’ve successfully used a number of excerpts (including works by Tania Leon, Hilda Paredes, Margaret Bonds, and Clarice Assad, among others) that I believe are extremely effective in audition settings. Bring your bassoon and work through these excerpts with Ben Roidl-Ward
Special Topics: Harmonizing Innovation: The Breaking Winds’ Approach to Arrangements and Collaboration
The Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet invites you to a unique performance class that delves into the multifaceted world of being a contemporary bassoon ensemble. This class will provide an in-depth exploration of our musical arrangements, the dynamics of collaboration, and how we sustain creativity and mutual support in the face of challenges.
Saturday Evening Recital
7:00pm in the Lobby performance by the University of Central Florida
7:30pm Recital featuring performers: Sue Barber, Dana Brink, Gina Cuffari, Sue Heineman, Kristin Jensen, Marcelo Padilla, Drew Pattison, Aaron Pergram, Ben Roidl-Ward, Christin Schillinger, Tom Schneider, Andy Sledge
Coffee Talk: Debunking the 2-Path Myth: Creating Dynamic Careers in Music with Elizabeth Crawford
Share personal stories and discuss diverse careers in and beyond the two paths of performance and teaching. We will explore topics specific to the challenges faced by women, the power of community, and developing skills not often taught or discussed in formal musical training. A presentation applicable to professional musicians at every point in their career. Topics discussed will include: Interpersonal dynamics in professional environments Developing and investing in your communities Effective communication and meaningful collaborations Education at the right time for the right reasons
Special Topics: Deciding Between LLC or Nonprofit for Musicians with Kassandra Ormsby-Hutcheson
Musical ideas frequently encompass aspects that are philanthropic and commercial in nature. Explore the unique challenges of choosing between business and nonprofit models. Discover actionable strategies to navigate the legal structure dilemma and explore key considerations, benefits, and implications for both options. Learn how to assess your goals, protect your interests, and make informed decisions. Gain clarity on funding opportunities, tax implications, and organizational frameworks that align with your musical aspirations. Join us for a concise and dynamic session packed with practical insights, empowering you to strike the right chord for your musical venture and shape your career with confidence! about a 25-30 minutes session
Special Topics: The Bassoon Shapers and Effects with Fufi Torres
The differences between shapers and their effects
Special Topics: Effective One on One Teaching with Kristin Wolfe Jensen
I will discuss research and personal philosophy on effective methods for one on one music teaching. I will have a powerpoint, but will also call on the expertise of seasoned teachers in attendance. We will explore the minute to minute decisions a private instructor makes regarding what aspects of music-making to address, when to compliment a student, and when to challenge them to reach for more refined artistry and instrumental control.
Sunday Morning Recital
Elizabeth Crawford, Cody Hunter, Yoon Joo Hwang, Peter Kolkay, Javier Rodriguez
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: Finals
Come see the finalists of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition
Awards Banquet sponsored by Fox Products
Free for all registered guests of Meg Quigley. Come celebrate the Meg Quigley Semi-Finalists and events of the last week. Featuring performances by: Oakland University Bassoon Quartet, University of North Carolina School of the Arts Bassoon Studio, and Blazing Bassoons - Appalachian State.