Ashland to Host OPCICA Honors Festival

Ashland University Department of Music is honored to host the 2020 Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association (OPCICA) Honors Festival culminating with a free, public concert on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. The 2020 OPCICA Festival is organized by the association's president, John Packard (Mount Vernon Nazarene University), along with the local hosts from Ashland University, Joseph Lewis and Dr. Scott Garlock.

OPCICA represents the instrumental music programs in Ohio's private colleges and universities, whose primary purpose is sponsoring an annual honors festival. This year's festival will involve 111 student musicians and 25 band directors representing 17 schools including Ashland University, Bluffton University, Case Western Reserve University, College of Wooster, Defiance College, Heidelberg University, Kenyon College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Ohio Northern University, Otterbein University, University of Findlay, Wittenberg University and Walsh University.

Participating students have been nominated by their university band directors for their exceptional musicianship. All participating students and directors will arrive on the Ashland University campus on Saturday to rehearse with the OPCICA Honors Concert Band or Honors Jazz Band. The bands will then perform at Sunday afternoon's concert.

The OPCICA Honors Concert Band will perform the following pieces led by the corresponding conductors: Joyce’s 71st N.Y. Reg’t March (Joseph Lewis, Ashland University), Early Light (Roy Couch, Bluffton University), Cloudburst (Tom Roblee, Walsh University), Divertimento (Michael Kruger, Notre Dame College), and Danza Final from Estancia (Chris Schletter, Marietta College).

The OPCICA Honors Jazz Band's program will include performances of The Star-Spangled Banner, Thinking, Doin' the Things, Tones for Joan's Bones, Armando's Rhumba and Minor Bop II conducted by Jason Wyse, Malone University; Jordan Reed, Marietta College; and Jack Taylor, University of Findlay.

Ashland University students selected for the honors bands include Emma Graves on flute; Jacob Moses, Matt Roth, Hannah Smigel and Sydney Muller on clarinet; french horn players Jacob Bodnar and Bethany Leggett; and Eric Watts, bass trombone.

In addition to the OPCICA honors bands, the Ashland University Symphonic Band will perform as the host ensemble. Their selections include Sousa's Semper Fidelis, the World Premiere of Dr. Stefan Swanson's Women of World War II, Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium, as well as The Golden Age of the Xylophone featuring guest soloist Elizabeth Procopio.

Performers for Spring 2019 Honors Recital Announced

The best of Spring 2019 will be showcased at the Spring 2019 Honors Recital on Monday, Apr. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester will showcase their vocal and instrumental talents as selected by their private teachers.

Performers will include vocalists Michael Cowan, Maggie George, Alli Lange, Maya Rickard and Rebecca Young; while instrumentalists are Kailyn Buyok (violin), Ariane Hill (flute), Jed McFadden (piano), Jacob Moses (clarinet), Christine Shelton (piano), and Eric Watts (composer, tuba).

Music Students Honored

As the 2015-2016 academic year concludes, the Department of Music recognized students for their academic and performance accomplishments. At the University's Academic Honors Convocation on April 24, outstanding academic students from each Department were recognized including the following music students:

• Hannah Wise, Sophomore Academic Award 
• Abigail Brady, Junior Academic Award
• Rachel Crow, Senior Academic Award

The Spring Honors Recital featured performances by those students who accomplished exceptional musical performances in the 2016 Spring semester including vocalists Jacob Poiner, Elisha Hofer, Sarah Napier, Fatima Imani Smith; and instrumentalists Jaylynn Buchmelter (trombone), Nik Psota (trumpet), Chanel Bluntschly (saxophone), Dominic Febbo (guitar) and Emily Minns (flute).

At the conclusion of the Spring Honors Recital, several other awards were presented including: 

• The Ohio Collegiate Music Educators Association (OCMEA) Leadership Award to Hannah Wise, Rachel Crow, Jaylynn Buchmelter, Jessie Barnhouse and Jacob Poiner
• The Zach Spier Memorial Award for outstanding contribution from a non-music major to Emily Sparks and Alexandria Sandwisch
• Most Improved Music Major to Jessica Barnhouse
• Outstanding Student Teacher to Shayne Smith
• Outstanding Performer to Emily Minns and Jaylynn Buchmelter
• Outstanding Music Major to Hannah Phillips.

The Department also recognized the graduating senior music majors at a special dinner in their honor. Congratulations and all the best in their future to (l-f) Hannah Phillips, Rachel Crow, Shayne Smith, Jessica Barnhouse, and Fatima Imani Smith (not pictured).

AU Concert Band and Jazz Orchestra Musicians Selected for OPCICA Honors

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Four members of the Ashland University Concert Band and five members of the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra were selected to be members of the 2016 Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association All Ohio Collegiate Honors Concert Band and Honors Jazz Ensemble. The 29th Annual OPCICA Honors Festival was hosted on Jan. 23 and 24 by Muskingum University and the concert was held at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center in Cambridge, Ohio.

Those selected for the Honors Concert Band were music education majors Rachel Crow of Reynoldsburg and Jessica Barnhouse of Norwich, criminal justice major Nik Psota of Hinckley and accounting major Brett Stecker of Mansfield. Those selected for the Honors Jazz Ensemble were music education major Jaylynn Buchmelter of Wintersville, music and business administration major Cody Henderson of Bellevue, mathematics and language arts education major Alexandria Sandwisch of Elmore, psychology major Derek Rangel of Vermillion and Frank Stanek of Mansfield.

Nominations for the Honors Band and Jazz Ensemble were submitted by conductors at each of the member institutions. These students were selected from over 150 nominees. Both ensembles rehearsed for two days and then presented a gala concert.

The Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association, founded in 1987, held its first collegiate honors band festival on Jan. 24, 1988. Currently comprised of 20 member colleges and universities, the primary purpose of the organization is to develop a closer network of communication and resource sharing among the instrumental departments, divisions, or conservatories of the various privately funded institutions of higher education within the state of Ohio.

An additional purpose is to sponsor an annual honors festival featuring an Honors Concert Band and an Honors Jazz Ensemble comprised of instrumental students from the participating schools. These festivals have enriched the lives of thousands of college instrumentalists as well as the conductors from the member institutions. The students are together for two days, and prepare the concert in three rehearsal.

2014-2015 Music Department Awards

Last night after the Spring Honors Recital, several students were recognized for their excellence within the music department.

A member from each class was recognized for their Academic Honors including sophomore Jaylynn Buchmelter, junior Shayne Smith and senior Devyn Renninger.

OCMEA Leadership Awards went to Jessie Barnhouse, Rachel Crow, Hannah Phillips an DR Haught.

Other departmental awards included:

• Julie Bontempo, Zach Spier Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution by a non-Music Major
• Devyn Renninger, Outstanding Student Teacher
• Hannah Phillips, Most Improved Music Major
• DR Haught, Oustanding Performer
• Devyn Renninger, Outstanding Music Major

OUTSTANDING MUSIC STUDENTS HONORED

Ashland University Department of Music recognized its outstanding students for 2013-2014 including: 

Honors Recipients: 

(l-r) Andy Bartelhiem, Morgan Mirtes, Caleb Stout, Grace Keller, Andrew Shaffer, Jacob Poiner, Eddie Carney, Katie Mounts, Katie Metz. Not Pictured: Alex VanScoy, Steve Morsher, Erin Lingenfelter, Paige Arthur

Spring Honors Recital Performers    

 

(front l-r) Caleb Stout, Andrew Shaffer, Deric Dove(back l-r) Emily Minns, Jacob Poiner, Katie Metz, Jaylynn Buchmelter, Katie Mounts, Rachel Crow, Kelsey Bowens, Samantha Diemer