Date: 2/15/00
Contact:
Robert Washut, Professor, School of Music, (319) 273-6431
Vicki Grimes, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, --The “Sinfonian Dimensions in Jazz” show for 2000 will be held in conjunction with the 46th Annual Tallcorn Jazz Festival at the University of Northern Iowa, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19.
“Sinfonian Dimensions in Jazz” (SDIJ) concerts will take place at 8 p.m. each evening in the Russell Hall Auditorium, featuring UNI's award-winning Jazz Band I and guest artist, the Matt Wilson Quartet. Jazz Band I will play under the direction of Bob Washut, UNI associate professor of music. For the SDIJ shows, they will play Mulgrew Miller'sSecond Thought, Thade Jones' Makin' Whoopee, John Scofield's Peculiar (arranged by UNI' student Mike Cramer), Bill Evans' Very Early , Charles Mingus' Haitian Fight Song and Bob Washut's 4h `D'.
The Matt Wilson Quartet was formed in 1996 and has toured throughout the United States and Europe. Matt Wilson was recently selected by DownBeat magazine as one of the 25 Rising Stars for the Future. He placed high in the 1999 Critics Poll in the “Talent Deserving Wider Recognition division.” The New York Jazz Critics Circle also chose him as the Best New Artist in 1997. Wilson is known worldwide for his performances and recordings with his band and legendary artists Dewey Redman, Lee Konitz and Cecil McBee.
A pre-concert performance by the UNI Jazz Band II, conducted by Steve Grismore, will begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening.
(Name) of (Hometown) , who plays (instrument) with UNI's (jazz band) , will perform in the concert.
During the SDIJ performances, the quartet will perform a few songs with Jazz Band I -Searchlight and A Dusting of Snow by Matt Wilson, and Big Butt by Andrew D'Angelo.
The Tallcorn Jazz Festival is the nation's oldest competitive high school jazz festival. Approximately 1,300 students from 64 Iowa high schools will be participating in the festival.
High school bands compete in class divisions with Class 1A and 4A competing on Friday, Feb. 18, and
Class A, 2A and 3A competing on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Awards are given to the top three bands in each division. The Iowa Association of Jazz Educators certificate is awarded to deserving soloists and sections along with an outstanding soloist award given in each class. The top band in each class may qualify for the Iowa State Jazz Championship competition, sponsored by the Iowa High School Music Association, which is held in the spring.
Judges for the event are Larry Kisor, band director at Sioux City North High School; Brent Sandy, UNI alumnus and free-lance trumpeter in Iowa City; David Sharp, freelance saxophonist and music instructor, Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa; Eric Allen, free-lance saxophonist in Chicago; Kevin Hart, adjunct instructor at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill.; and Dave Dunn, freelance bassist and music instructor at Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.
An improvisation clinic will be held with Matt Wilson, Friday and Saturday, at noon. UNI Jazz Band II director, Steve Grismore, and Bob Dunn are also holding a jazz band clinic at 2 p.m. The awards ceremony is at 5 p.m.
UNI Jazz Band I has received numerous awards and honors and is one of the premier collegiate
jazz ensembles in the Midwest. The group has appeared at jazz festivals throughout the United States and Europe, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. The group has been named Outstanding Band at jazz festivals throughout the Midwest, been recognized with an outstanding performance citation by Downbeat magazine and has been featured twice at the Greeley (Colo.) Jazz Festival. They have performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators conventions in Chicago and Dallas.
Under Washut's direction, the band has recorded two LPs and five CDs. It was listed twice on Downbeat magazine's recent “Best CDs from the 1990s,” one of only five collegiate programs to make the list. Says Washut, “Maintaining a balance of classic big band works and contemporary original compositions, the ensemble's repertoire consistently displays depth and diversity of style while showcasing the versatility and high level of musicianship of its players.”
Tickets for the SDIJ concerts are $6 for the general public and $5 for students. Advance tickets are available by calling (319) 222-3613 or at the door the evening of the performance.
Please note: to obtain a complete listing of the students, please contact the Office of Public Relations at (319)273-2761.
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Contact:
Andrew Burstein, UNI professor of history, (319) 273-2933
Vicki Grimes, UNI Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS—Andrew Burstein, University of Northern Iowa assistant professor of history, will examine American patriots and the significance of The Declaration of Independence at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 22, in Maucker Union Expansion.
In his address, “A View of the Millenium from 1776,” Burstein will argue that the founders of the United States of America believed in the revolution as “revelation,” asserting their millennial imagery to claim faith that a new world order patterned on America's enlightened political experiment was inevitable.
During the millennial year, selected members of the UNI faculty are presenting Millennium Lectures, five offered in the spring and five more in the fall. Burstein's address is the second in the spring series. All lectures will include presentation of a scholarly paper, and some will include artistic performances and exhibits.
“We want to think of the Millennium Lecture Series as a year long conversation among those of us who are fortunate enough to experience this historic moment, which comes just once in 20 lifetimes,” said Aaron Podolefsky, UNI provost and vice president for academic affairs. “It is an opportunity to consider our histories, our lives today and our futures as individuals, as members of Iowa families and communities, and as members of the larger human family.”
For more information, contact the UNI Office of Public Relations at (319) 273-2761, or check UNI's Website at www.uni.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jim Wegener, dance team coach, (319) 833-4633
Gwenne Culpepper, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa dance team recently took top awards at the Universal Dance and Cheer Association's Midwest Championships in Chicago. During the Jan. 21 competition, the UNI team received scores of “outstanding” in choreography, technique, showmanship and all-around performance.
The dance team at UNI performs at football games, men's and women's basketball games, wrestling meets, and community events like the Sturgis Falls Days and My Waterloo Days parades. The team also visits high schools all over the state. The team members practice three times a week, and host fundraisers for equipment. Members choreograph their own routines.
Last year, the UNI squad became the first in the university's history to attend the national competition in Orlando, placing 16th. Although the team qualified for that competition again this year, members chose not to compete.
Members of the team are:
Amy Zimmerman of Cedar Falls, Jori Wade of Newton, Sheree Potter and Katie Evans of Marion, Trayla Ramsey and Katie Strutt of West Des Moines/Sioux City, Julie Hicks and Holly Davis of Knoxville, Brooke Barrows and Ashley Yuska of Waterloo, Carey Gehl of Cascade, and Shelby Sleep and Shauna Sleep of Johnston. Jim Wegener coaches the squad, and is assisted by Brad Flanagan.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Brody Koopmans, president, UNI Construction Management Club, (319) 231-1351
Vicki Grimes, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa's Construction Management Club has won the 2000 National Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) Student Chapter Excellence award. The club received the award, and $500 check, at an ABC meeting in Des Moines last month.
(Name) from (Hometown) is a member of the club.
Brody Koopmans, president of the UNI Construction Management Club said the award was won in “recognition of our student organization's involvement within the community, on campus and with local contractors and builders. This is the first time our chapter has won the award.” The club has been involved in various activities, including serving as site manager for the building of a Habitat for Humanity house in Waterloo, and building a workshop for alumnus, Jim Carroll, in Cedar Falls.
Program coordinator for construction management, MD Salim, UNI associate professor of industrial technology, said the club has been able to promote the program and participate in activities that provide students with opportunities to gain practical experience. The club is also very effective in developing an awareness of career opportunities and job experiences in the construction industry.
Club members major in construction management. For more information on the club, visit www.uni.edu/maucker/sorgdir/sorg482/index.html.
To obtain a complete listing of the students, please contact the Office of Public Relations at (319)273-2761.
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