Zachary Whitaker is one of the newest members of our string faculty and is building a private cello studio in addition to his work as a chamber coach and a member of the Faculty String Quartet. Faculty Coordinator Claire Allen sat down to learn more about Mr. Whitaker and his cello playing.

 

CAllen: How long have you taught at Potomac Arts Academy?

ZWhitaker: About six months.

 

CAllen: What is special about working for the Academy?

ZWhitaker: Potomac is special because the staff put the growth and development of the students first. Since I’ve been at Potomac, there have already been efforts to create friendly competitions for the students, to add classes to the curriculum, and free concerts have been given to showcase the teachers whom the students work with.

 

CAllen: How did you first fall in love with music?

ZWhitaker: When I was a freshman in high school, we were all given the opportunity in orchestra to advance our seating by “challenging” the next highest seated player to a playing test. I began that year as last chair out of about seven, and ended up second chair by the end of the year. The drive to become as proficient as these upperclassmen helped me to understand and to appreciate the factors which make music so enjoyable to play and listen to.

 

CAllen: Tell me about a teaching experience you had which was especially memorable.

ZWhitaker: It wasn’t so much a teaching experience as a teaching outcome, but one of the proudest moments I had was watching a student of mine play the Vivaldi C minor Cello Concerto with their youth orchestra, which happened to have been the same youth orchestra that I had played in while in high school. We had worked together on the piece for some time, and all of this student’s efforts and determination came together in a truly excellent performance.

 

CAllen: What are some unique things you do when you teach?

ZWhitaker:  I don’t know if anything I do is truly “unique”, though maybe it’d be considered such to someone who has not witnessed many music lessons. I’ve danced for students, I’ve had students dance… I have students come up with stories to their music, I have students sing their parts, I’ve had students compose music which we then play together, I’ve accompanied students on the piano, I’ve hopped up and down to the beat for students. I also tell my students to relate aspects of cello technique to bouncing a basketball, which some might find unconventional.

 

CAllen: Do you have any pets?

ZWhitaker: My family has a cat named Tiggur, who is an eight year old black Persian. He is proud, sassy, and he always finds his way into shenanigans.

 

 

You can hear Mr. Whitaker perform in his upcoming Master’s Recital on Sunday, April 23 at 5 pm. The recital is at Vienna Baptist Church: 541 Marshall Rd., SW, Vienna, VA 22180. See Map

In our Fall 2017 semester, Mr. Whitaker will also be teaching a Beginning Cello Class for young students ages 4-7, as he completes his Master’s degree in Cello Performance and Pedagogy at George Mason University. Young students (and parents) interested in exploring the idea of cello playing can sign up for our Summer Music Sampler which includes a day of cello introduction by Mr. Whitaker!

 

SEE ZACHARY WHITAKER’S BIO

 

At the Mason Summer Trumpet Academy, young trumpet players ages 13-18 will gain insight into the working world of music from building a solid foundation in basic fundamentals, to developing a practice routine, help in audition preparation, and more.

“I find that many young trumpeters often don’t have a solid routine or goal in mind,” explained Program Director and Mason School of Music professor Dr. Kevin Gebo. “This is something that I think is imperative for success in this field, and we want to address that and other important musicianship skills at the Trumpet Academy.”

Several standard questions that many students are unsure about will be addressed, including:

• How do I warm up properly?
• How much should I be practicing daily?
• How many days can I take off from practicing?
• What musical selections work best for my school auditions?

These topics and many more will be discussed and worked through comprehensively throughout the week. Along with this, music rehearsals and applied lessons will prepare students for a Friday final performance.

 

 

Dr. Kevin Gebo has performed with musicians and ensembles such as Andrea Bocelli, Idina Menzel and the Brass Band of Battle Creek, and can be seen frequently performing with the Washington Symphonic Brass, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Learn more at www.kevingebo.com .

Several guest artists will also be joining Dr. Gebo, including internationally renowned jazz trumpeter Graham Breedlove. Mr. Breedlove (pictured below) is a trumpet soloist with the Army Blues jazz ensemble, part of The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC and he has appeared as a soloist, composer/arranger or lead player on seven CDs with the Army Blues. Learn more at www.grahambreedlove.com .

 

 

The Trumpet program takes place during the “Mason Summer Music Intensive Week” on July 31 – August 4, 2017 (9am-4pm) in the de Laski Performing Arts Building on the Mason Fairfax campus in northern Virginia. A special Residential option which includes on-campus housing, meals and evening activities is also available for the full university experience. If you’re a young percussionist age 13 to 18, this is the place to be this summer!

 

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Chamber music is the special focus of Ovations Summer Strings Academy at Mason. High School and Middle School violin, viola, cello and bass students have a unique opportunity to play in small ensembles, as well as a conducted full string orchestra.

This full week of small and large group rehearsals, masterclasses and performances will take place June 25-30, 2017 (Sunday-Friday). On Thursday evening, students will have the opportunity to perform and lead their chamber group in Mason’s Harris Theatre. On Friday evening, everyone takes the stage for the full string orchestra concert, conducted by two Guest Conductors: Veronica Jackson and Erin Eberly.

 

 

“The chamber group performance is always a highlight for our participants,” explained Program Co-Director and Mason School of Music professor Glenn Dewey. “They receive outstanding one-on-one guidance throughout the week from our roster of professional teaching artist coaches, then they get to perform without a conductor with the other members of their small ensemble on a professional stage.”

The Ovations program also provides an opportunity for the talented young artists to play a solo piece in a master class featuring our world class George Mason University string faculty, where they have the incredible chance to receive excellent guidance and suggestions from these higher education professors and musicians!

 

 

“This year, Ovations will include a performance by members of our outstanding faculty,” said Program Co-Director Alex Morrison. “This provides our students the chance to see that we are not only their teachers, but accomplished performers as well!” Many of the faculty teaching artists are school orchestra program directors and members of professional orchestras.

 

 

Ovations 2017 will once again feature master Luthier Aaron Reiley from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Reiley will arrive with a truck load of string instruments and bows for purchase, and he will present a fascinating master class on how instruments are built. Aaron will also be doing minor repairs on the site for a small fee. There will be an “instrument petting zoo” for students to try out some world-class professional instruments – a standard favorite of all the attendees!

“And there’s food! Who doesn’t like food?!” exclaimed Mr. Dewey. “Ovations week always starts with a pizza party and a meet & greet, and we always finish out the week with a wonderful catered meal. What will it be this year? A Mexican buffet? An all you can eat smorgasbord at Southside eatery? You will have to sign up to find out!”

 

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Pictured above: Ivy Rawlins Ward, holding her OAKE Lifetime Achievement Award. 3/24/17

 

Kodály at Mason Senior Master Teacher, Ivy Rawlins Ward, has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the national Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE). Program Director Robbin Marcus shares highlights about this award as well as this summer’s Kodály program.

FROM KODÁLY AT MASON DIRECTOR ROBBIN MARCUS:

 

 

We are so proud of Ivy and so excited for this recognition. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor given by OAKE, our national professional organization, and we can’t think of a more deserving individual!

Ivy received the award at the OAKE national conference in Philadelphia, PA in March of this year. Mason Kodály students past and present contributed their voices to the packet of letters sent in support of Ivy’s award nomination. Here’s some of what they had to say about Ivy as a teacher:

“Of all the things I learned from Ivy, the most inspiring to me was her reminder to always be musical. Even with the most challenging and seemingly mundane exercise: make it musical. Every time she said that, it helped me to find the beauty in what we were singing, and to see beyond the solfége and the individual notes to become an artist with my voice.” – Kate F.

 

Ivy celebrating with GMU faculty members Beth Anne Young (left) and Ginger Albertson (right) at the OAKE conference in Philadelphia last month.

 

“Ivy challenges her students to do their best in a pleasant and humorous classroom atmosphere. Learning to sing pentatonic and modal scales can be challenging, but Ivy handles it all with such good humor that her students are eager to prove to her that they can do it! I will never forget her presentation of the wonderful folk song, ‘Shoo Turkey’ — or the athletic movement/dance which accompanies the song. Ivy is able to ‘out shoo’ everyone else in the class!” – Alan W.

“(Ivy) graciously imparts wisdom and insight into the traditions of African American singing games with energy and enthusiasm. In the spirit of the Kodály philosophy, she is a true master teacher.” – Julianne M.

 

Ivy’s solfége class pauses for a game break.

 

Want a chance to study with Ivy this summer, along with myself and fellow Master Teacher Vicki Dohrmann? You have two options!

• Join our summer music teacher training course as a Kodály Levels student and experience Ivy’s masterful, personally-tailored solfége teaching. We welcome transfers from qualified programs for levels 2 and 3, and new level 1 students every summer. Participants can take the courses for Mason graduate credit or as non-credit, with both categories eligible for a Kodály Certificate upon successful completion of Level 3.
  Dates: July 17-28, 2017
• Already have your Kodály certificate? Come take Brush Up Your Kodály! Ivy teaches a solfége review for half of each day of the course. Our pedagogy team of Ginger Albertson and Beth Anne Young make up the other half this year, and they are teaching on the hot topic of what to do with “older beginners” – beginning Kodály training in grades 5 and up. It’s definitely a “don’t miss” year!
  Dates: July 10-14, 2017

We also welcome Beth Anne Young to the team as our Choral Studies instructor. Beth Anne is no stranger to Mason – she graduated from the program in 2013 and has been shadowing the faculty for the last 2 years. At home in Massachusetts she teaches choir and general music to middle and high school students. Last year she capably guided the students through the last week of choral studies to our final concert, and we are thrilled that this year she is taking the reigns.

Our Levels program continues to grow and develop, as pedagogy teacher Ginger Albertson adds level 2 to her classes this year. Master Teacher Vicki Dohrmann and Ginger are working together to craft the ultimate in pedagogy classes for their students.

Robbin Marcus (Program Director) conducts Harmonia Mundi during the 2016 Mason Kodály final concert:

 

During Supplemental week, I [Robbin Marcus] am offering Alexander Technique for Music Teachers – a special topic open to all music education students at Mason this summer. Want to learn to get up and down from the floor with ease? Figure out how to not be so physically tired at the end of the school day? This class is for you!

If you have any questions about studying Kodály at Mason this summer, don’t hesitate to contact me at robbin@robbinmarcusmusic.com. For information about the campus, housing and other Mason logistics questions, please contact Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy at potomac@gmu.edu.

Let’s make music together!

 

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