GCSU Keynotes

The highlight for the Wind Symphony this semester was participating in the 3rd Biennial Terry Endowed Concert in March (pictured above). The ensemble was featured in performing Berlioz’s masterwork Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale. This 42-minute, 3-movement work not only showcased the hard work of the Wind Symphony, but also provided the opportunity to collaborate with the University Chorus to bring the concert to an explosive ending.

Rehearsals in March and April took on a new twist, as the Wind Symphony collaborated with both Dr. Towner’s Instrumental Conducting class and his Secondary Techniques class. The two student teachers in the Secondary Techniques class, Megan Bralley and Lizzy Galloway, took over planning and executing the warm-up period of rehearsals, while the three student conductors from the Instrumental Conducting Class, Preston Raburn, Breanna Thompson and Brooklyn Wucher, programmed, rehearsed, and performed the Wind Symphony’s contribution to the annual Music at the Mansion concert. The growth of the band and these five students was significant, capping off a semester of hard work.

Another more lighthearted event in the band world was the resurrection of the Bobcat Pep Band for Homecoming in February. This 10-piece amped-up ensemble added excitement, energy, and pizazz for a packed Centennial Center at both the women’s and men’s basketball games. The pep band will be back by popular demand for Homecoming 2025 next winter.

January brought us the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast during which Max Noah Singers (MNS) sang “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.” February brought us the 17th annual Valentine’s Day Rendezvous presented by MNS. MNS joined with Women’s Ensemble (WE) and University Chorus (UC) and other ensembles from the department to perform the 3rd Biennial Terry Endowed Concert in March.

April brought us our combined spring choral concert, Choral Billboard Top Hits at First Baptist Church. This concert featured familiar and new choral works in English, Latin, and German. The choirs performed works by such noteworthy composers as Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, William Byrd, Daniel E. Gawthrop, Stacey V. Gibbs, David Hamilton, George Frideric Handel, Franz Joseph Haydn, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Cristóbal de Morales, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Stephen Paulus, Rosephanye Powell, and Eric Whitacre. Choral conductors for the concert included Jennifer Flory, Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, Savannah Greene, Tyler Harris, Addie Resh, and Hallie Thompson. The choirs were joined by pianists Lev Ryabinin and Hue Jang; percussionists Mia Eaton and Cameron Sparks; and singers from Lakeside Academy Choir and Midway Academy Choir. The elementary singers performed in our concert finale, “Dona nobis pacem,” which was commissioned by and for the GCSU Choral Ensembles and conductor Jennifer Morgan Flory in 2013. The piece had its world premiere in 2014 and is dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the community of Newtown, Connecticut. We are ever so grateful for the hospitality and assistance of the First Baptist Church in Milledgeville where we held our spring concert.

After the spring concert, MNS, WE, and University Chorus Select Ensemble (UCSE) turned their attention to Music at the Mansion. Women’s Ensemble was able to perform under the direction of Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, Savannah Greene, and Addie Resh, along with other departmental ensembles before threatening skies brought us a spectacular thunderstorm. MNS and UCSE did an exchange with Wind Symphony the following week to give the instrumental and choral student conductors a chance to perform their pieces. The baton was passed from senior assistant directors Tyler Harris and Hallie Thompson to the assistant directors for next year, our largest group since 2014: Kelsey Foster, Savannah Greene, Riley Greer, Richard Guyton, and Addie Resh.

The voice area experienced an exhilarating semester filled with remarkable events and achievements. In February, we were honored to host the Catacoustic Consort, an early music ensemble, on campus. Soprano Melissa Harvey conducted a masterclass for three voice students—Riley Greer, Anna Ogletree, and Addison Resh—focusing on operatic and oratorio arias, enriching their understanding and skill in these genres. February also saw the remarkable Spring Voice Honors Recital, where twelve students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, captivated a packed audience with their performances (Kaylah Sherow pictured). The diversity of talent and dedication was truly inspiring. In April, the tenor Dr. Jonathan Yarrington delivered a memorable performance of Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin alongside Owen Lovell, demonstrating extraordinary artistry and skill. Dr. Yarrington further shared his expertise in a masterclass with three voice students—Tyler Harris, Richard Guyton, and Shani Thompson. Additionally, April featured the annual voice faculty recital, showcasing the collective talent of all faculty members, alongside Lev Ryabinin and Hue Jang. Each performer presented two songs—one art song in an unfamiliar language and another from the realm of musical theatre—highlighting the versatility and depth of the voice area.

We extend heartfelt congratulations to Hallie Thompson, MacK Arrington, Aidan Fortenberry, Tyler Harris, and Kelsey Foster, who presented senior or junior recitals this semester. Their dedication and hard work are truly commendable. As we reflect on these accomplishments, we recognize the growth in both numbers and quality within the voice area, a testament to the guidance and support of our exceptional faculty members. Here’s to continued success and a bright future ahead!

Where are you from? I am from Albany, Georgia, but I have lived in Milledgeville just about as long as I lived in my hometown!

Why did you choose Music Therapy as a career? Music therapy is not as well known as other degrees, and I didn’t discover it until my Godmother gifted me a music therapy textbook as a graduation gift during my senior year of high school. In 2003, I transferred to GCSU to pursue music therapy because music is something that I have always connected with since a young age. I grew up in a musical household and making music has always been a part of my life. The thought of helping people through music seemed like a dream job. And, after practicing music therapy for eighteen years, it is still magical to witness how music can affect people in such positive and profound ways… in ways that other therapies and medicines simply can’t.

What attracted you to the Department of Music at GCSU and how long have you been here? I am a proud double Bobcat! I graduated with my BMT and MMT from GCSU. After obtaining my BMT, I worked at a non-profit, the Life Enrichment Center, here in Milledgeville and worked closely with the music therapy students in that role, including starting an internship program. When the opportunity became available to supervise students for the college (2011) and then to teach part-time (2013), I was elated to come back to GCSU as a faculty member. I started teaching full-time in 2015 and began coordinating the undergraduate program in 2019. What I love most about GCSU are the smart and talented students in our program, the family-like atmosphere, and the beautiful grounds.

What is your favorite class to teach and why? I have two favorites​​—Intro to Music Therapy and Psychology of Music. I love getting to introduce students to the practice and profession of music therapy, and it carries a great responsibility to instill foundational concepts such as the importance of musicianship and providing individualized, person-centered treatment. Psychology of Music is my most fun class to teach. It is where students learn about music perception, musical acquisition, music and neuroscience, and theories on music and emotion, among many other fascinating topics.

What is your applied and/or research area? I just recently defended my qualitative dissertation studying the pre-internship clinical experiences of undergraduate music therapy students using an art-based approach with reflexive thematic analysis. Two interesting findings came from this—the prevalence of impostor phenomenon among music therapy students as well as affective ambivalence related to their clinical work and transitions. I’d love to continue this line of research with quantitative methods exploring the intersection of these constructs. I plan to submit my dissertation research for publication and would like to present on the analysis method I developed for my research, the Synchronous Lyric and Music Analysis, which examines the explicit lyrical and musical elements, and the associated affective meanings of the music based on the findings of music psychology researchers.

What words of advice would you give to students thinking about coming to GCSU to major in music/music therapy? Come visit our campus, and observe some classes and ensembles. The best way to get a feel if a major in music therapy or our other music degrees are right for you is to meet our amazing students and caring faculty!

Where are you from? I am from Augusta, Georgia.

Why did you choose music therapy as a major? My choice to be a music therapy major started because I knew that the only job that I would be truly happy in had to involve music. When I first heard about music therapy in middle school, I thought it was interesting, but I didn’t know much about it. As I entered my senior year of high school and started to look at college, I really only picked music therapy because I thought it was interesting. It wasn’t until I started college and started my music therapy classes that I realized that my purpose is music therapy because I want to use the gifts that I have been given to help others through something that I love.

What attracted you to the Georgia College & State University music program and how long have you been here? I honestly had never heard of Georgia College & State University until I started looking at colleges that have a music therapy degree in Georgia. The University of Georgia is the only other option and I applied to both. I was only accepted into GCSU, however, this turned out to be the best thing that could have happened! I soon realized how personal and in-depth the music program, and specifically the music therapy program truly is. I have been here for six semesters now, and I have truly seen just how amazing and talented the professors are and how much they care about our education and future profession.

What has been one of your favorite musical experiences in your time here? This is a really hard question to answer because there have been so many. Everything I have done in my music therapy clinical work with my sessions has been an amazing experience. Any time one of my clients met an objective or when they told me that they were enjoying the sessions it meant the world to me. It really confirmed that this is the profession in which I am meant to be. But my favorite personal music experience would probably have to be when I competed in the NATS competition this past year. This was the first time I had ever competed in it, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I ended up winning in my category of Music Theatre 7A. I’ll never forget the moment the judge brought the finalist sheet out and Christopher Hendley, my voice professor, jumped up and down and congratulated me. It was a very rewarding experience.

What is your applied area and how have you progressed since you started lessons here? My applied area is voice and I have progressed so much since starting lessons here. I had never had one-on-one voice lessons before, so I was very excited to get that experience. For my first four semesters, I had an interesting obstacle in that I had a different voice professor each semester. So, I had to learn how to work with each person, and it was trial and error as they had to learn my voice and what works best for me. Through all of this, my voice has progressed in ways that I don’t even think about now, such as breath control and placement. Of course, there is always room for me to grow and learn more. I have also progressed in the different uses of my voice. By this, I mean that I am able to sing in a wide range of genres, which is extremely helpful for music therapy. Specifically in my music theatre voice, I have progressed in my belting and mixing. Lastly, I have progressed in the range of my voice. Of course, as I mature, so does my voice and I have learned how to harness that and explore parts of my voice that I didn’t even know I had.

What are your plans for after you graduate? I am currently looking at internship sites for my six-month internship after which I will graduate and hopefully find a job in my hometown area. As of now, I think the population I want to work with is children, specifically younger preschool age.

• Sara Carr. Outstanding MMT major (2024).
• Victoriyah Friend (BS Psychology). Best Digital Humanities Short Publication for “Performing Mask-ulinity: Ron DeSantis and the Art of Musical Disguise.” Digital Humanities Collaborative, Georgia College & State University, March 2024.
• Riley Greer (BA+MAT). GCSU Concerto Competition Winner (2023–2024). Harriet L. Dunahoo Leadership Award, Dr. Steven Elliot-Gower Endowed Honors Scholarship, Karen D. Green Endowed Honors Scholarship (2024).
  
• Kenton Jolliff (MAT). Fine Arts Teacher of the Month, Renaissance Middle School, (March 2024).
  
• Anna Ogletree (BMT). GCSU Concerto Competition Winner (2024–2025).
  
• Ambria Persaud. Outstanding Music Therapy Equivalency Student (2024).
• Preston Raburn (BA+MAT). GCSU Concerto Competition Winner (2023–2024).
  
• Campbell Ransom. Outstanding BMT major (2024).

Bachelor of Arts

*Megan Bralley

+Terrence Burch

+Aidan Fortenberry

*Elizabeth Galloway

*Tyler Harris

*Hallie Thompson (pictured)

Bachelor of Music Therapy

Taylor Luiz

Victoria Palazzo

Master of Arts in Teaching: Music Education

Kenton Jolliff

Victoria Smith

Grayce Weller

Master of Music Therapy

Alexandra Balducci

*Music Precertification Minor

+Creative Music Media Minor

• Charlotte (Henderson) Bearden (BME ’76): “I am so grateful for the music education I received at Georgia College that prepared me for a wonderful and rewarding career of teaching music to all ages. This year I complete my 48th consecutive year of teaching music, with no plans for retirement. I taught elementary music for 23 years in Baldwin County Public Schools and was named West End Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year three times. The last seven years of teaching music in schools were at Georgia Military College where I started a program of choral music, music appreciation, and drama, teaching middle school through junior college students. While at GMC, I felt incredibly honored to be named Teacher of the Year at the end of my first year there. After retiring from GMC and thirty years of teaching school music, I began teaching babies and toddlers in Kindermusik and private piano students of all ages. Teaching my piano students continues to bring me joy and inspiration every day. What an incredible blessing to receive my music education at Georgia College in Milledgeville where I continued to live and teach and raise my family for thirty-three more years before moving back to Macon and starting a second music career owning my private piano studio! I thank God every day for His gift of music and the indescribable joy it continues to bring to my life.”
• Dana Bolton, Associate Editor for Imagine Magazine, a resource for Early Childhood Music Therapy; recent edition “NICU Music Therapy,” June 1, 2024.
• Ting Ting Chang, soprano with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
• Shelby Cloud (BME ’14), Production Manager for “Hymn Song,” Encore Performing Arts (Orlando, FL) and Full-time Guest Experience Manager of Entertainment at Walt Disney World (2023).
• Robert Davidson (MME ’21), Education Specialist of Music Education, Piedmont University, started May 2023; 2023 GMEA Exemplary Performance Award, Trickum Middle School Band Program; 2024 Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival, Trickum Middle School Symphonic Winds.
• Jay Davis (BME ’00), Houston County High School Wind Symphony, National Band and Orchestra Festival, Carnegie Hall, and guest ensemble, Tri-State Honor Band Festival, University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
• Ellie Deener (BA, Creative Arts Therapy minor, Creative Music Media minor, ’23), attended the MTNA national conference in Atlanta, March 2024. “I have absolutely loved my first year of getting to teach piano! It has been wonderful to get to use all of the pedagogy skills and musical knowledge I gained at GCSU to gain experience teaching and further developing my own musicianship.”
• Johnny Edwards (MME ‘13), Visions Unsung Hero Award Winner, The Covington News (2024). GMEA District 4 Music Educator of the Year (2024); GMEA recognition of 25 years of service to music education (2024).
• Clay Fallin (BMT ’83), retired in 2024 from Activities Therapy (heavy on music) with Senior Living.
• Sarah Griffin (BME ‘21), accepted the band director position at TJ Elder Middle School in Washington County.
• Stephen Hall (BME ’89), sang Carmina Burana (2023) and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (2024) with Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus.
• Calia Howse (BMT ‘16), Communication Sciences and Disorders Leadership Award, Communication Sciences and Disorders Graduate Scholarship, Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology), Georgia State University (2024).
• William Humphrey (BA ’74), has sung with GCSU University Chorus since Spring 2022.
• Noah Jackson (MME ‘23), GMEA Leadership Symposium (2024).
• Christopher Karow (MMT ’22), Middle Eastern Drumming Experiential presentation; and with Jay Warren, Music Technology Petting Zoo presentation at the Southeast Region Chapter of the American Music Therapy Association regional conference, Atlanta, GA (2024).
• Griffin Law (BME ’19), presented “Connecting the Field and Stage Through Rudimental Swing Style” at several universities in 2023; Phoenix Synthesizer Festival 2024, World premiere of Hinterkaifeck, a new opera for string quartet and electronic performance; Professor of Sound Design and Electronic Music at Paradise Valley Community College; Audio Coordinator for the Sacramento Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps; Adjudicator for Arizona Marching Band Association and Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association; Founder of the Tucson Ableton Live User Group, a community-led group focused on education and outreach for electronic musicians in the Southern Arizona area; Launch of Infinite Pigment, a solo electronic music project; New Flo Marching Audio Engineer.
• Heidi (Zakaluzny) Long (BME ‘89), GMEA District 6 Music Educator of the Year (2024); GMEA recognition of 25 years of service to music education (2024).
• Rachel (LeGrand) Love (MME ‘20), Doctor of Music Education, Liberty University (2024); Teacher of the Month, Little Mill Middle School (March 2024).
• Taylor Luiz (BMT ‘24), accepted a music therapy position at Perfect Harmony Health in Roswell, GA.
• Jacob McDonald (BA ‘20), Master of Music dual track choral conducting and vocal performance, Georgia State University (2024).
• Kaitlin Merck (BME ‘17), Master of Music Education, University of West Georgia (2024); Walton EMC School Empowerment Grant, $3,913, Walnut Grove High School, for flutes and clarinets (2024).
• Cheryl (Carrouth) Mills (BMT ’84), Masters of Education (Intellectual Disabilities), West Georgia College (1998).
• Mitchell Moore (BME '15), Rotary Club of Knoxville's (TN) 2023–2024 Middle/High School Teacher of the Year.
• Casey O’Neal (BA, Creative Music Media minor, ’21), Technical Director for the music department at William & Mary University (2023).
• Megan Ostrat (BA+MAT ‘22, ‘23), accepted into the Master of Arts in Musicology program at the University of Georgia, Fall 2024.
• Anthony Pacchioli (BME ‘20), Staff Member of the Month (April 2024).
• Tori Palazzo (BMT ‘24), accepted a music therapy position at Gulf Coast Music Therapy in Sarasota, FL.
• Payne Pitts (MAT ‘21), Director of Bands, Fitzgerald High School (2024).
• Ansley (Montgomery) Sampson (BME ’22), elementary school music teacher for two sister schools in Yuma, AZ (2024).
• Jan Serpan (BA ’17, MAT ’21), Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction; College Student Affairs, University of South Florida (2024); Honor societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi, Golden Key International Honour Society; House Director, Stanford University (2023); Housing Operations Coordinator, Brown University (2024); acceptance to the PhD program in Higher Education Administration, University of South Florida (2024).
• Matt Seymour (MMT ’21), “More than a Weekend: An Exploration of Songwriting in MT with Veterans,” presented at the Southeast Region Chapter of the American Music Therapy Association regional conference, Atlanta, GA; the regional music therapy conference, on working with veterans as a music therapist (2023, 2024); awarded a $6500 grant (2023) and $7000 (2024) for creative arts programming within the VA Medical Center.
• Sam Shanine (BMT, Creative Music Media minor, ’14), works as a finance consultant at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and performs guitar weekly in midtown Atlanta.
• Bradley Sowell (BME ’15), Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance, University of Memphis (2024). Poster Session, “The Music-Borrowing Techniques in Ben Moore’s Comedy Songs,” College Music Society Southern Conference (2024). Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Buffo in Der Schauspieldirektor, Austrian-American Mozart Academy, Salzburg, Austria (2023).
• Tiffany (Timmerman) Tanner, Master of Education, Georgia Southern University (2024).
• Moriah Treadwell (MMT ‘23), accepted a position as an activity therapist at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, GA.
• Jillian Truchan (BMT ’23), is moving to Cleveland, Ohio to work as a full-time music therapist.
• Zach Williams (MME ‘23), GMEA Leadership Symposium (2024).

These three Friends of Music worked together with other alumni and donors to establish the Lucy Lynn Underwood Endowed Scholarship.

Q: Why did you first give to Friends of Music?

Charlotte Bearden: Sitting at Lucy Underwood’s funeral in July of 2016, in my 40th year of teaching music, I pondered how different and less fulfilling my life might have been without Ms. Underwood as my fabulous teacher, guiding light, and great encourager throughout those last two, sometimes difficult, years of college. After the service, I talked with another one of her students and also long-time music teacher, Sheila Clopton. We both agreed that we had to do something to honor Lucy Underwood’s amazing legacy as an inspiring educator, motivator, and positive influence on Georgia College’s music education majors during her thirty-six years as the music education professor there. Sheila and I, with the help of a classmate of mine, Cathy O’Dillon, started the process of raising money for the endowed scholarship in Lucy Underwood’s name. A year and a half later, her former students and friends had overwhelmingly responded with the required donations of over $10,000 for the Lucy Underwood Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Sheila Cash Clopton: I was inspired to give to Friends of Music to support the Georgia College Music Department which prepared me so well to become a music teacher. The passing of my music education professor, Miss Lucy Underwood motivated me to want to do something that would continue her legacy of preparing so many music educators for so many years. Charlotte Bearden, another GC alumna, and I began the discussion at Miss Underwood’s memorial service. In a short period of time, former students, colleagues, and friends gave over $10,000 to name a music scholarship in her name.

Cathy O’Dillon: I gave money to the Lucy Underwood Scholarship Fund because Lucy Underwood was my favorite music teacher and became a dear, trusted friend whom I visited every year for many years until 2016 when she died.

Q: What interests you most about the Department of Music?

Charlotte Bearden: Throughout my years at Georgia College’s Music Department, there was a high standard of teaching from our professors, who in turn, expected high standards of performance from us students. I saw this continue through the next twenty-four years after my graduation when Ms. Underwood’s music education students would have their practicum labs in my elementary music classroom in Baldwin County Schools. I want to see this high standard of excellence continue for years to come.

Sheila Cash Clopton: Preparing music educators to teach in today’s classrooms.

Q: What do you tell others about our Department of Music?

Charlotte Bearden: I am so grateful for the education I received at Georgia College. Those four years were wonderful! I loved living in Bell Dorm, right next door to the music building and being able to walk about fifteen steps from the place where I slept to the place where I lived! I loved the small class sizes and the personal interest that the professors gave to their students, especially the music professors. My graduating class of music majors in 1976 totaled eleven, which was a rather large class. We started out with thirty three in our freshman music theory class and by the end of the first quarter there were eleven of us “still standing.” Those eleven lasted through the next four years with the help and support and encouragement from each other and from our professors. It was tough, but we were determined!! I could not have gotten a better college education anywhere else.

Sheila Cash Clopton: I began studying voice under music professor Clyde Tipton when I was fourteen years old. As I prepared to graduate from high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in music education to fulfill a dream of mine to become an elementary music teacher. I was more comfortable with attending a smaller college campus that I was already familiar with that was close to home. The classes were small enough to really get to know the faculty and fellow music students and staff was readily available to offer any support that I needed.

Cathy O’Dillon: I know for a fact that in the 1960-1980s, our music department was THE #1 music department in the GA public colleges. I tell others that very thing: “Back in the day, GA College produced THE best music teachers.” I actually taught elementary school music for 35 years. It was a great career.

Q: Why does this organization matter to you?

Charlotte Bearden: I am happy and thankful to be a Friend of Music and to know that the Lucy Underwood Scholarship Fund provides assistance to music education majors, keeping Ms. Underwood’s legacy of compassion, encouragement, and inspiration alive today, eight years after her passing.

Issue 8 | January 2, 2024

Issue 7 | June 5, 2023

Issue 6 | December 23, 2022

Issue 5 | May 25, 2022

Issue 4 | January 27, 2022

Issue 3 | May 24, 2021

Issue 2 | January 15, 2021

Issue 1 | May 5, 2020