Alumni of Note
The School of Music always loves to hear from our graduates. Success stories, new projects and career or performance highlights are all welcome and celebrated. Please take a moment to check out what your former classmates and fellow alumni have been up to recently!
Doris (Beck) Sjolund (B.M.Ed. ’63)
was featured in Oregon’s Mail Tribune article “A Legacy of Song.” Sjolund founded the Rogue Valley Children’s Chorus in 1982 and has continued to encourage young vocalists and musical youth in Southern Oregon where she lives with her husband, Lynn. Thought she retired in 2004, Sjolund is still very active in with the children’s chorus and continues to support youth involvement music.
Robert Neff Aupperle (B.A. ‘39)
of Colorado Springs, Colorado is doing well and reports, “[I] have been playing my clarinet in the New Horizon’s Gold band for a year now. We are well. I still ride my bike at 92 years of age. I’m tuning my piano once in a while.”
Robert E. Gaston (M.A. ‘64)
of Bettendorf, Iowa is the founder and conductor of the CASI New Horizon’s band of the Quad Cities. He states that “eleven years ago we began with an enrollment of six and now we have 60 enrolled. We play 20 times a year at community events and schools in the Quad City area.” Bob says that he and wife Marlene have been married 51 years and he is really enjoying retirement; “I recommend it at least once.”
Chad W. Sowers (M.M.E. ‘95) & Robyn Frederes-Sowers (B.A. ‘95)
are living in Marion, IA where Chad is senior manager of education programs with NSCA. Chad shares, “I’m working for a non-profit trade association called NSCA. I travel throughout the U.S. organizing education programs for our trade shows. Our second child, Luke, was born in July. Our daughter, who is 4, is already a master at the piano. I’m still writing marching drills and playing whenever I get the chance.”
Debra Gordon Hedden (Ed.D. ‘97)
is currently associate professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Her article, “The Differences between Elementary Student Participants and Non-participants in a Choral Festival,” is published in the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Update: Applications of Research in Music Education.
Rebecca Johnson (B.M. ‘02)
“As I practice a pile of parts for an upcoming trip to China (with Sinfonia da Camera, a quasi faculty orchestra at Illinois) I reflect on the usefulness of that History and Literature of the Orchestra class that I took my junior year. I don’t know if I’ve heard Mozart 35 at all in the last 6 years since then, but it is right here in my memory. As is Enigma Variations and many other things I’ve played since. This works of course because I actually studied my listening assignments by immersing myself in the music at every possible moment. Definitely useful, probably the most useful of any history-type class I’ve ever taken. I just wanted to say hi, anyway. I hope you’re well.”
Mark R. Moore (B.A. ‘84)
was recently the winner of "Best Pianist/Keyboardist of 2006" award by the Songwriter's Showcase of America. He is also a piano salesman for Bob and Elliott’s Piano Shoppe (www.bobandelliottspiano.com). His new CD,“Pot Roast with Beethoven,” is now available. For more information on his CD’s and Mark Moore Productions check out his website at www.markmooreproductions.com .
Thank you to all who have e-mailed or written to Alumni News. Please contact us at music@uni.edu and keep us posted on your activities. We look forward to hearing from you!
