Monday, January 28, 2013

Ashley Dixon (BM, '13) and Natalie Logan (BM, '14) @ Lunch with the Hawthornes

Ashley Dixon (BM, '13) and Natalie Logan (BM, '14) both attended the CMS 2013 Summit, "Developing the Artist Citizen at SMU in Dallas. Their trip was made possible by two loyal alumni of LSU--Robert and Kay Hawthorne. Natalie and Ashley were able to thank them over lunch and convey their enthusiasm for changing the world!

At this two-day summit, they interacted with and heard from: Joseph Polisi, President (Juilliard), Robert Blocker, Dean, Yale School of Music, José Antonio Bowen, Dean Meadows School at SMU, Kevin Bott, Imagining America, Gigi Antoni, President/CEO, Big Thought, Dallas, TX, Donna Emmanuel, University of North Texas, David Juritz, Violinist and founder of Musequality, Elizabeth Hunter, Acting Director, Playing for Change Foundation and author Eric Booth.

Natalie Logan and Kay Hawthorne

Steve Beck, Natalie Logan and Robert Hawthorne

Robert and Kay Hawthorne (front)
Ashley Dixon and Natalie Logan (back)

Natalie explaining about her attendance at the CMS 2013 Summit
Photos by Alice Stout--CMDA Graphic Design and Digital Media

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Opera students learn the way of the ‘artist citizen’ at CMS - lsureveille.com : News

Opera students learn the way of the ‘artist citizen’ at CMS - lsureveille.com : News

LSU students Ashley Dixon and Natalie Logan flank College Music Society President
Patricia Sheehan Campbell (University of Washington)

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Developing the Artist Citizen: CMS 2013 Summit at SMU

This was a very important conference with presenters from Juilliard (President Joseph Polisi), Yale (Dean Robert Blocker), SMU (Dean José Antonio Bowen), Imagining America (Kevin Bott), and others.

Two LSU students attended the conference and will report back on what they heard--and what they think we should do.

President Joseph Polisi (Juilliard), Ashley Dixon (LSU), Natalie Logan (LSU),
and Dean José Antonio Bowen (SMU).

Dean José Anontio Bowen presenting.
A SMU student string quartet, LSU students and Eric Booth.

Dean Robert Blocker (Yale).

Ashley Dixon (LSU), President of CMS, Patricia Sheehan Campbell (Univ. of Washington)
and Natalie Logan (LSU)


Exploring four interrelated threads:The CMS 2013 Summit, "Developing the Artist Citizen," 

  1. What does it mean to be an artist-citizen?
  2. How can music be used to engage those who might feel marginalized within a particular community, and how might marginalized groups use music to give themselves a voice?
  3. What can we do as artists to improve the world?
  4. How can we position ourselves to be the most useful and how can we give our students the skills they need to be effective artist-citizens?

The 2013 CMS Summit focussed on Developing the Artist Citizen and took place at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, January 19-20, 2013.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Music of Queen--Louisiana Philharmonic and LSU School of Music collaborate

Incredible moment!!! LSU student Brady Lewis comes out of the choir
(at the invitation of Michael Shotton) to sing the ballad section of
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Brady is a theatre minor at LSU--and he brought the house down.
Proud!!!!!
The LSU Tiger Vocal Ensemble
Nathan Walker, ensemble leader
Rosalyn Craft, coordinator and liaison with
Louisiana Philharmonic
The stage is set for the 2nd half

The electrifying Michael Shotton, recreating the music of Freddie Mercury and Queen

The Louisiana Philharmonic, the LSU Tiger Vocal Ensemble, Michael Shotton
and members of the Jeans 'n Classics ensemble from Canada.
Performing for sold-out houses on
2 consecutive nights at the
Mahalia Jackson Theatre in New Orleans. 

TEDxLSU--CMDA staffer Joey Watson


 Communications Across the Curriculum and Digital Media Coordinator
TEDx @ LSU on March 9, 2013



Friday, January 4, 2013

A new friend of LSU--Cecilia Clark

Cecilia Clark is Assistant Band Director and Fine Arts Department Chair at McEachern High School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Master of Science in Special Education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Clark is currently working on a Doctorate in Musical Arts at Boston University.

Thank you to Ms. Clark and the faculty and administration of 
McEachern High School in Powder Springs, GA, where the Tiger Band rehearsed prior to their appearence at the Chick-fil-A Bowl on New Years Eve.

Photos from Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta

Dean Larry Kaptain, Dolores Arce-Kaptain and Director of Bands Emeritus Frank Wickes

Dolores Arce-Kaptain, Interim President and Chancellor William Jenkins, and Miriam Overton

Dolores Arce-Kaptain, Dean Larry Kaptain, Charlie Beck and Stephen David Beck

Tiger Band Director Roy King and Senior Associate Athletic Director Verge Ausberry

Scenes from Experience LSU @ Georgia Aquarium

LSU faculty, staff, alumni, prospective students 

and their parents. In Atlanta on Dec. 31, 2012.






Developing the Artist Citizen


  1. What does it mean to be an artist-citizen?
  2. How can music be used to engage those who might feel marginalized within a particular community, and how might marginalized groups use music to give themselves a voice?
  3. What can we do as artists to improve the world?
  4. How can we position ourselves to be the most useful and how can we give our students the skills they need to be effective artist-citizens?
Exploring four interrelated threads:The CMS 2013 Summit, "Developing the Artist Citizen," 
The 2013 CMS Summit will focus on Developing the Artist Citizen.  Scheduled for Martin Luther King weekend, the 2013 Summit will take place at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, January 19-20, 2013.