1/31/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
John Vallentine, director, School of Music, (319) 273-2024
Robert Washut, director, Jazz Band One, (319) 273-6431
James O'Connor, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Note to editors/news directors: The following 200 dpi JPEG images are available on the Web.
Robert Washut – http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/washut.jpeg
Gary Kelley commemorative poster – http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/jazzposter.jpeg
First UNI jazz concert (1951) – http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/jazzband.jpeg
News release: UNI jazz band makes Downbeat Magazine's best CDs of decade list --
Backgrounder: UNI School of Music --
UNI jazz program to celebrate 50th anniversary with two-day jazz blowout
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – On a cold February night in 1951, a group of band students at the then Iowa State Teacher's College held a clandestine jazz concert in front of a standing-room-only crowd. This was the first-ever jazz concert held on the campus. (At the time, jazz was not recognized as a legitimate music form.) Fifty years later, that school, now the University of Northern Iowa, is home to one of the best-known jazz music programs in the country.
In conjunction with the annual Tallcorn Jazz Festival, Feb. 16 and 17, UNI will commemorate the first 50 years of jazz at UNI with a two-day celebration dubbed, “It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.”
The UNI School of Music will present two special concerts Feb. 16 and 17, both at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. On Friday, Feb. 16, the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One, under the direction of Robert Washut, will premiere four works commissioned from UNI jazz alumni. In addition, several distinguished jazz alumni will perform with Jazz Band One as guest soloists.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, alumni big bands and combos from three eras will perform. The master of ceremonies for this historic concert will be Jim Coffin, UNI alum, former assistant professor of music, and “father” of the UNI Jazz program. Coffin and Washut, along with former UNI jazz band directors Warren Hatfield (1951-63), Paul Smoker (1975-76) and Rick Lawn (1976-1980) will serve as directors.
A special commemorative booklet, with a narrative by Coffin and cover design by internationally recognized graphic artist Gary Kelley, will be distributed both nights. In addition, a commemorative CD of UNI jazz bands from 1951 to 2000 and posters of Gary Kelley's artwork, “It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing” will be available for purchase.
Along with the celebration and special performance, approximately 1,300 students from more than 60 high schools across Iowa will compete at the Tallcorn Jazz Festival at UNI.
The top three jazz bands in each class will receive awards. The first-place band in each class will qualify for the Iowa High School Music Association's (IHSMA) Iowa State Jazz Championship later this spring.
Adult tickets for “It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing” are $5 on Friday night and $10 on Saturday night. Student tickets are $5 each evening (students must present a valid student I.D.). Tickets are available from any UNI ticket office. Call toll-free at 1-877-549-SHOW (7469), or order online at .
The commemorative CDs and posters will be on sale at the event for $20 each. They also will be available through the UNI School of Music at (319), 273-2024. Telephone orders will include a small shipping and handling charge.
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The University of Northern Iowa School of Music's primary mission is the preparation of students for professional careers in music. Recognizing the need for professional excellence within a broad liberal arts education, the school places equal, interdependent emphasis on music education, performance study and theoretical/historical bases in its comprehensive, diverse degree offerings. Additionally, the School of Music is directed toward maintaining a cultural leadership and development role locally and regionally and to achieving a national and international profile.
The School of Music has a strong tradition of excellence. UNI's Jazz Band One twice has made Downbeat Magazine's list of the best CDs from the 1990s with “Come Fly With Me,” released in October 1994, and “The Big Band Thing,” released in October 1996. Jazz Band One was the only group to be honored for two of its CDs and received five stars for each recording.
Jazz Band Onehas appeared in festivals in the United States and Europe, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, 1985, 1989 and 1998; and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, 1989 and 1998. The group received outstanding band recognition at the Notre Dame, Wichita, Eau Claire, Kansas City and Elmhurst jazz festivals and was the featured band at the Greeley Jazz Festival and the University of Kansas Jazz Festival. Jazz Band Onehas also received Outstanding Performance Awards in 1992, 1995 and 1999 from Downbeat Magazine's Annual Student Music Awards.
The group has also been the recipient of two “Meet the Composer” grants from Arts Midwest. These grants allowed the band to commission and premiere works by nationally known jazz composers and arrangers.
In addition, many UNI music undergraduates annually win top prizes in area contests and earn coveted honors at major national and regional competitions. Graduates of UNI's School of Music occupy key positions in public schools, colleges and universities, symphony orchestras, opera companies and the music industry.
The undergraduate program offers degrees in the majors of Music B.A., Performance B.M., Composition-Theory B.M., Music Education B.M., Choral/General Music, Instrumental Music and Jazz. Minors include Music B.A., Music-Teaching B.A. and Jazz Studies B.A. The graduate program offers Master of Arts and Master of Music degrees.
The UNI School of Music is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The 40 full-time faculty and 15 part-time faculty have gained national and international respect as performers, scholars, educators, conductors and composers.
Student vocal ensembles include Opera, Concert Chorale, Women's Chorus, UNI Singers, Chamber Singers and the Varsity Men's Glee Club. Student instrumental organizations include Wind Symphony, Chamber Wind Players, several jazz bands and jazz combos, Symphonic Band, Panther Marching Band, Orchestra, Horn Choir, Flute Choir, Trombone Choir, West African Drum Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Music Ensemble, Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble and Pep Band.
The School of Music also sponsors several annual festivals: Northern Festival of Bands; Tallcorn Jazz Festival, the oldest, continuously running high school jazz festival in the nation; Sinfonian Dimensions in Jazz; UNI Trombone Day; and University of Northern Iowa Vocal Arts Festival.
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1/31/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Phil Patton, Registrar (319) 273-2283
Vicki Grimes, Office of Marketing & Public Relations (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Another enrollment record has been set this spring on the University of Northern Iowa campus. According to UNI Registrar Phil Patton,12,977 students registered for spring semester classes. The new record tops the previous record of 12,778. This marks the third consecutive year of record spring enrollments at UNI, and follows on the heels of three consecutive fall records.
The new record is an increase of 199 students, or 1.6 percent over the spring 2000 enrollment.
Past spring enrollments have included:
2000 12,778
1999 12,415
1998 12,314
1997 12,012
1996 11,772
1995 11,501
1994 11,753
1993 12,104
1992 12,207
1991 11,866
1990 11,153
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2/1/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joan Ketels, associate director, UNI Continuing Education and Special Programs, (319) 273-7210
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The University of Northern Iowa's Continuing Education division will offer a series of hands-on computer training courses for local businesses. All courses will be at the new UNI Regional Business Center, 212 E. Fourth St., Waterloo.
Featured courses are:
workshop).
Registration is $220 per day and includes a training manual. Additional and/or customized training is available.
For more information, call (319) 273-7210, 273-7869, e-mail learn-4-life@uni.edu or visit
www.uni.edu/contracttraining/mtc.
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1/31/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ron Camarata, biology seminar coordinator, (319) 273-2247
Vicki Grimes, Office of Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The University of Northern Iowa Biology Seminar Series will present, "The Practical World of Herbs," a collection of insights, experiences, techniques and trade secrets of three local herb experts, on Feb. 15, 22, and March 1 in the UNI Botanical Center Classroom from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Botanical Center, near the center of campus, was formerly known as the UNI Greenhouse.
Beginning the series on Thursday, Feb. 15, Billie Hemmer-Callahan will cover all aspects of herb care from propagation to container and garden growing to harvesting and the proper storage of herbs.
Thursday, Feb. 22, Amy Hoyer will demonstrate how to make crafts for home decoration with harvested herbs. A wide variety of ideas, from herb wreaths to vinegars and sachets will be included.
On the final night of the seminar, Thursday, March 1, Sal Cracco, owner and operator of Little Italy in Cedar Falls, will present how to cook with herbs and spices. This session will include a cooking demonstration where participants will be able to observe, assist and sample his creations.
The registration fee is $30 if paid by the Feb. 13 registration deadline and $35 after that date, if space is available. For more information, contact Ron Camarata, UNI Biology Seminar Series coordinator, at (319) 273-2247.
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1/31/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Aaron Podolefsky, provost and vice president for academic affairs, (319) 273-2517
Frank Barrios, professor and head of psychology, (319) 273-2303
Vicki Grimes, Office of Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Note to editors/news directors: A 200 dpi JPEG image of Frank Barrios is available on the Web at
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/barrios.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—Frank Barrios has been named head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Northern Iowa, effective Feb. 1. Barrios, a professor and acting head the of the UNI psychology department since 1999, was named head following a national search.
Barrios joined the UNI psychology faculty in 1979, where his teaching responsibilities have included introductory and clinical psychology, personality, behavior therapy/modification and coordination of an undergraduate practicum course. He also served as coordinator of graduate studies.
Barrios previously served several clinical internships and assistantships in the Cincinnati area, taught at Baylor College of Medicine and was a psychologist with the Houston Primary Care Mental Health Training Consortium.
During a three-year hiatus from his UNI faculty position, from 1986 to 1989, he worked for the Pain Evaluation and Treatment Institute at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the Spinal Pain Institute at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill.
He also has worked as a clinical psychologist for a variety of agencies, hospitals and programs in the Cedar Valley area, most recently as director of health psychology services for Cedar Valley Pain and Rehabilitation Center in Cedar Falls.
Barrios replaces Julia (Jill) Wallace, who was named dean of the UNI College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He holds an A.B. degree, magna cum laude, from St. Louis University, and an M.A. degree in psychology and the Ph.D. degree in clinical psychology, both from the University of Cincinnati.
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