Student Profiles: Ashley Morris, BA Music '11

Wow, this is one busy student. Ashley Morris is a face you see in the Music Department, wherever, whenever. She's there! And she's talented. A music major with a minor in theatre, Ashley is a Presidential Arts Scholar who graduates May, 2011 and intends to become a music teacher. She is a vocalist and bassoonist, currently in College Chorus, Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Singers, and Percussion Ensemble. Her last semester will be spent in the Walt Disney World College Program in Florida. Between ensemble rehearsals and classes, she is employed by the music department as an attendant in the Music Resource Center and as the Concert Manager in the Recital Hall. Tired yet? She also tutors in the Music department, specifically for College Chorus, Fundamentals of Music, and Ear Training 1. Ashley's senior project will be a lesson plan for elementary students on opera, focusing on Gian Carlo Menotti's opera The Old Maid and the Thief, specifically the aria "The Kitchen". Her final semester on campus includes a Directed Study with Dr. Gary Wood on choral conducting.

Behind the Events: A Day in the Life

You see what happens on stage: gorgeous performances by students and visiting artists, and there are dance workshops, lectures, art exhibits. But what about before that moment? What happens in the Center for Creative and Performing Arts? It's a lot of business, but it's great to support the creative people and the great cause of the arts.

Here's today: compiling a list of guitar teachers to reach out to regarding an upcoming classical guitar concert; processing payment for dancers and lighting technicians; ordering posters and fliers from design services; editing an upcoming brochure for a donor appeal; writing thank you notes to some generous patrons who support the arts; calling the news to request a photographer for Zombies dancing on the Salem Common this Saturday; writing a press release or two; reaching out to high school music teachers about a music educators' reception; selling tickets to this weekend's theatre performance and answering lots of phone questions; printing and editing playbills and concert programs; and whatever walks in the door and requires our attention. It's not as glamorous as the stage, but supporting artists is an art in itself.

Getting Creative.. and Creepy at Salem State

Ahhh, here we are in the Halloween capital of the world! It's Halloween every day for the entire month of October in Salem, and Salem State loves to be a part of this eacky phenomenon. First off, let me point out that this is one, completely creative holiday! So long live creativity, Halloween style!

RDT (Repertory Dance Theatre) students are in the spirit! They just participated in the kick off parade for Haunted Happenings along with other student groups, and they'll be teaching Michael Jackson's Thriller Zombie dance moves on October 23rd. Anybody can learn the dance, then put on your zombie best and perform it on the Salem Common with dozens and dozens of other dancing zombies!

And a nod to Professor Halloween himself, Haig Demarjian. A magnificent painter/illustrator/printmaker, Haig's got a thing for... monsters. Check out his artful, humorous take on creepy.

Sponsoring Evil: Student Attends Tom Huck's WoodCut Boot Camp

The foremost outlaw printmaker, Tom Huck, is known for large scale, satirical wood cut prints and his press, Evil Prints. This past summer, The Center for Creative and Performing Arts sponsored art + design major Jessi Hardesty to attend his Evil Prints Wood Cut Camp . Jessi is among the first Salem State University students to receive the Summer Artistic Development grant.

You can meet Jessi and hear about working with Tom Huck and the woodcut boot camp when she discusses her own large scale prints on Monday, October 4th at 11 am in the Printmaking Studio in Meier Hall. (shown above, Beast, woodcut print by Jessi Hardesty)

Alumni websites

Wouldn't it be great to have one location with all the websites of the artists and performers who graduated from Salem State? I invite you to post yours here! To get us started,

Check out theatre grad Julie McNiven, from Class of 2003. She has recurring roles on Mad Men and Supernatural and is putting together a great acting career! http://http://www.juliemcniven.net/home/index.php?location=home

Or see what Danny Swain's contemporary dance company is up to-- upcoming events and classes: http://www.dannyswaindance.org/

And how about this gorgeous wedding photographer? Jill Person, Art grad from the Class of 2003: http://www.personkillian.com/

Check them out and add your own in the comments section.

Artistic Development Grants: Or! How I Spent My Summer Vacation

The Center for the Arts has lots of friends and alumni who donate to support programs and scholarships in the arts. This year, with donor support, we offered up to 5 summer artistic development grants to students with innovative artistic projects proposed for summer 2010.

Jesse Mangan '12, who majors in multimedia design and dance, earned a grant to spend two weeks training, rehearsing, eating, living and performing with the PUSH physical theatre company of Rochester, New York http://pushtheatre.org/ . It was an intensive re-defining of dance, and what is possible within the fusion of dance and theatre and other physical artforms.

Jesse describes the experience: "My mornings training in modern dance, gymnastics and contemporary mime. Afternoons were spent working with non-traditional partnering, contact improvisation and Anne Bogart's viewpoints as students were guided to understand how structured movement explorations could be used to create new works. Our evenings were spent critiquing videos of mimes, dancers, actors and comedians and engaging in discussions on the history of contemporary mime, the evolution of modern dance, the survival of performance art in the digital age and the place of spirituality in the arts. While at PUSH the lines began to blur, I began to look at all of the different disciplines in the performance arts not as a series of separate definitions, but as one big conversation, I stopped thinking about the technique that I lack and delved into the emotion, physicality and stories that I have."

Student Profiles: Rachel Alexander, BFA '12

Each week, we'll profile a student in the arts at Salem State! Meet Rachel. (seen here in Burning the Barn, as Lexi.)

Rachel Alexander is working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, 2012.

Q: What did you do to stay creative this summer?

A: I performed in two shows, one in Boston: Burning the Barn by Bea Wissel (photo above), and one in New Hampshire: A Picture of Dorian Gray by David Preece. I also worked as business coordinator for the Center for the Arts to see behind the scenes of Summer Theatre at Salem.

Q: One of your shows was an original production. How was that different from other productions you've performed in?

A: We had a lot more freedom to do what we wanted with script, editing, adding, with lots of close contact with the playwright. We knew we were acting out her vision, getting support from the playwright.

Q: What is something you would want other people to know about Salem State?

A: Don't think we're underrated. We have great faculty, great funding support for the arts, and even though we're a state university we are totally on par with private universities with what we have to offer.

Q: What advice would you give to a new student this fall?

A: Stay motivated and push yourself, because you will exceed expectations and get more opportunities because of it. Do the work!