March 2, 2004 News Releases
Released 2/27/04
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES 2-27-04
LOGAN CANYON WINDS
IN SPRING CONCERT
LOGAN — The Utah State University music department announces
the Spring semester performance of Utah State’s faculty
wind quintet, Logan Canyon Winds. The quintet performs Wednesday,
March 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Eccles Conference Center Auditorium
on campus. Thanks to the generous support of the Marie Eccles
Caine Foundation, this performance is free and open to the public.
Several guests are featured on the program, including a guest
oboist and the members of the Caine Woodwind Quintet. Guest
oboist Lara Saville joins the quintet for the semester. Saville
is completing a doctor of musical arts degree in oboe performance
at Arizona State University and teaches oboe at Utah State this
semester. She taught as a sabbatical replacement last semester
at Brigham Young University and University of Nevada—Las
Vegas and also currently plays in the Arizona Opera.
“The students really enjoy working with her, and have
made remarkable progress, this semester,” said clarinetist
Nicholas Morrison. “I’m pleased that we can feature
Lara on the same performance with our student wind quintet.”
The Caine Quintet, so-called because of the scholarship support
members receive from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation, joins
Logan Canyon Winds to present “Nine Characteristic Pieces”
by the French composer Jean Françaix. Members of this
student quintet (Greta Jo Hays, flute; Kristin M. Anderson,
oboe; Christy Murray, clarinet; Rebecca Phillips, horn; and
Joseph Jones, bassoon) all study in the music department and
are coached by members of Logan Canyon Winds.
“One of the goals of Logan Canyon Winds is to involve
students of all levels with the professional performers in the
quintet,” said music department Head Bruce Saperston.
“The quintet has commissioned several pieces to involve
younger students, and programs works from the standard repertoire
to involve Utah State undergraduate students each spring semester.
This kind of collaborative learning, not just listening to your
teacher, but sitting beside your teacher and performing right
along with him or her is an example of the kind of pre-professional
training opportunity that the department is proud to offer our
students. We’re grateful to the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation
for its support of these activities.”
In addition to the “Nine Characteristic Pieces,”
Logan Canyon Winds performs “Three Short Pieces”
by Jacques Ibert, “Serenade for Wind Quintet” by
Ferenc Farkas, “Six Bagatelles” by György Ligeti
and a movement of the “Roaring Fork” quintet by
American composer Eric Ewazen. These works, all from the last
century, exemplify a wide variety of styles in what is most
often called “contemporary music.”
The light-hearted and transparent French style of Ibert and
Françaix, the relentless and intensely compact Eastern-European
style of Ligeti, the tuneful and haunting melodic writing of
Hungarian Farkas, and the evocative programmatic compositional
style of American Ewazen will treat the audience to the amazing
palette of colors that is the woodwind quintet, Morrison said.
For additional information on Logan Canyon Winds, contact Morrison
at (435) 797-3506.
February 20, 2004
Contact: Nicholas Morrison (435) 797-3506
UPR SATURDAY
CONCERT SERIES FEATURES PATTY LARKIN
LOGAN – An enthusiastic, near-capacity crowd welcomed
well known modern folk musician Patty Larkin to the Utah State
University campus Jan. 27. Larkin is featured next in Utah Public
Radio’s series of local folk concert broadcasts, presented
in conjunction with the Bridger Folk Music Society.
The hour-long broadcast will be heard Saturday, March 6, 8-9
p.m. The concert runs in place of the locally originated "Fresh
Folk" which returns the following week. The Larkin concert,
originally held at Utah State University’s Eccles Conference
Center, was part of the Bridger Folk Music Society concert series.
Larkin’s performance included music from her recent recordings:
“Red=Luck,” “Regrooving the Dream,”
“A Gogo” and “Perishable Fruit.” The
performance also featured an extended version of the song “Wolf
at the Door,” based on Larkin’s hilarious encounter
with British punk rockers at a New York City night club.
This concert is part of a continuing collaboration between Utah
Public Radio and the Bridger Folk Music Society, presenting
broadcasts of concerts for those unable to attend the events.
Bridger Folk Music Society is a Logan-based non-profit organization
dedicated to supporting folk music in its many forms. Utah Public
Radio collaborates with the all-volunteer organization to showcase
local, national and international artists who perform in its
annual concert series.
In northern Utah, Utah Public Radio programs are heard on KUSU
FM (89.5) and KUSR (91.5 FM).
For more information visit Utah Public Radio’s web site
at UPR.ORG.
February 27, 2004
Contact: Richard Meng, (435) 797-3132
Writer: Craig Hislop, (435) 797-1352
THE GENOMICS
REVOLUTION IN AGRICULTURE IS TOPIC OF NEXT FRIENDS LECTURE AT
UTAH STATE
LOGAN — “The Genomics Revolution in Agriculture”
is the topic of the next Friends of University Libraries lecture.
College of Agriculture Dean Noelle Cockett is the featured guest
and speaks March 5 at 7 p.m. in the Merrill Library at Utah
State University. The lecture is free and all are invited.
The past decade has seen a revolutionary change in the way that
life science research is conducted, exemplified by the June
2000 milestone when Celera Genomics and the National Institutes
of Health jointly announced the completion of the first assembly
of the human genome sequence, Cockett said.
“This accomplishment represents a significant turning
point both in the way science is done and the types of research
questions that are posed,” she said. “DNA sequence
data from a wide variety of species are now being integrated
with information from gene expression and proteomics analyses
to develop a complete understanding of biological systems.”
Outcomes of genomic research will result in unprecedented advances
in the fields of medicine, agriculture and evolutionary biology
and will allow genomics-based industries to become significant
contributors to state and local economies, Cockett continued.
In addition to her duties as dean, Cockett is a professor in
the department of animal, dairy and veterinary sciences and
has established an internationally recognized program in sheep
genomics. Her current projects include the identification of
causative mutations responsible for Spider Lamb Syndrome, a
congenital bone deformity, and callipyge, a gene responsible
for muscle hypertrophy in sheep. Her laboratory recently identified
several genetic regions that contain quantitative trait loci
(QTL) involved in parasite resistance in sheep. As the United
States coordinator for the Sheep Genome Project, Cockett’s
responsibilities include the development of resources necessary
for genome mapping. As a result, her laboratory is coordinating
the construction of a comparative map using an ovine radiation
hybrid panel, and she has recently contributed funds for development
of an ovine BAC library suitable for fingerprinting and eventual
sequencing of the ovine genome.
The final Friends lecture of the year is April 16 and features
JaDene Denniston, media specialist at Sunrise Elementary. Denniston
will discuss the contributions of Utah State alumni to children’s
literature.
For information on Friends of the Libraries membership and activities,
contact Trina Shelton at (435) 797-2631.
February 27, 2004
Contact: Trina Shelton (435) 797-2631
Noelle Cockett (435) 797-2215
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354
UTAH STATE
UNIVERSITY GRAD STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AS “LOGGERS”
AT ELKO’S ANNUAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING
LOGAN — Every year since 1985, approximately 8,000 people
brave winter roads in the last week of January to travel to
Elko, Nev., for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a celebration
of ranching culture and its creative traditions of poetry and
song. This year, a group of eight current and former Utah State
University department of English graduate students traveled
to Elko to volunteer as “loggers,” whose task is
to create a written record of each performance. These records
will be archived in the Western Folklife Center.
The Utah State group was recruited by Sally Haueter, Utah State
folklore grad student and manager of the Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
Over a total of six days, Haueter oversees the presentation
of dozens of workshops and performances, featuring close to
100 cowboy poets, musicians, craftsmen and visual artists. The
English department volunteers signed on to log four to five
shows per day over a three-day period. The Utah State volunteers
included Sharon Seminario, Kevin Davis, Mary Ellen Greenwood,
Liz Harvey, Darcy Minter, Rachel Rich, Brooke Smith and Sarah
Vause.
Harvey said the opportunity to experience folklore outside of
the academic setting was the most significant aspect of the
gathering.
“I can study culture and folklore all I want, but it will
never give me possession of the folklore of a culture,”
she said. “I appreciated the opportunity to sit humbly
and learn from those around me about life and love and the land.”
Greenwood found that the gathering enhanced her perspective
as a writer.
“One of my interests is in the individual’s relationship
with his or her environment,” Greenwood said. “By
participating in the gathering, I observed — through music
and readings — multiple connections people have with their
landscape and how it forms identity.”
“The thing I most enjoyed about the Cowboy Poetry Gathering
was the people,” said Vause. “The poets and musicians
were real people speaking and singing about real life, but more
importantly, they were happy to include you in their experience
and in some small way make it yours.”
The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was started by western
folklorists who rediscovered a long-standing oral tradition
still practiced by the cowboys and cowgirls of the contemporary
West. These folklorists saw an opportunity to bring cowboy poetry
and song to a larger audience and, in the process, strengthen
and maintain the art form, and support the men and women who
practice it.
The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering outperformed all expectations,
growing from a small regional festival to an event that was
awarded national status by the U.S. Congress in 2000. The gathering
is produced by the Western Folklife Center, a nonprofit organization
in Elko that preserves and presents the folk arts of the West.
In addition to producing the gathering, the center conducts
folklore research, produces media and presents public performances,
exhibits and educational programs.
Utah State University associate professor of English Steve Siporin
was involved in coordinating the gathering in its very early
years, and he returned this year to conduct a writing workshop
called “Transforming Memories” with his wife, Ona,
and to host several performances.
“In the early days of the gathering, I think even we were
surprised that people came and stayed and loved what was happening,”
said Siporin. “The event has been the inspiration for
many more gatherings on a local level not only throughout the
West, but practically everywhere in the United States.”
According to Siporin, this is evidence that cowboy poetry is
only one category of a thriving vernacular poetry writing tradition
in America, including loggers, sailors, housewives, rap artists
and more.
“My personal experience is that when you spend time around
the people who recite cowboy poetry and spend some time listening
to it, you’ll find all that you want out of any kind of
literature — laughter and tears, enlightenment and discovery,
despair and hope over human effort and desire,” Siporin
said. “You’ll be entertained and encouraged. You’ll
be reminded that art isn’t the monopoly of the wealthy
or the educated: art is a human universal.”
February 27, 2004
Contact: Darcy Minter (435) 797-0265, dminter@english.usu.edu
JAZZ GUITARIST
TO PERFORM AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
LOGAN — Mike Christiansen, director of the guitar program
in the department of music at Utah State University, has always
wanted to bring a jazz guitarist to campus to perform. More
than that, Christiansen wanted to bring a guitarist whose reputation
is known beyond the guitar world. That’s why he is bringing
Mike Stern to campus. Stern’s one time appearance is supported
by a grant from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation.
“Mike Stern is well known among anyone who likes jazz
— not just guitar,” Christiansen said. “He
has played with all the jazz luminaries around.”
Stern, along with a five-piece band, is featured in concert
Monday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Morgan Theatre of the
Chase Fine Arts Center. Tickets are available at the door. Admission
is $15 for the public and Utah State students with current ID
are admitted free.
Christiansen can’t say enough about the jazz guitarist
who will also present a workshop during his two-day stay at
Utah State. Anyone interested in the workshop can contact Christiansen
at (435) 797-3011.
“Mike Stern is a real A-list jazz artist,” Christiansen
said. “His work is considered state-of-the-art jazz. He
has a great stage presence and relates well to the audience.
Mike is a real jazz star.”
Christiansen said Stern performs a jazz fusion style and has
a unique, identifiable sound.
Critics have hailed Stern as one of the premier guitarists of
his generation. He is a three-time Grammy nominee. Born in Boston
(1953), he grew up in Washington, D.C. and returned to Boston
to study at the Berklee College of Music. He got his professional
start as a guitar player with Blood, Sweat and Tears at the
age of 22. Following that he had a stint with Billy Cobham’s
powerhouse fusion band from 1979-80, then moved to New York
City where he was recruited by Miles Davis and played a key
role in his celebrated comeback band of 1981. During his three-year
period with Davis, Stern appeared on three recordings with the
jazz maestro — “Man With the Horn,” “Star
People” and the live recording “We Want Miles.”
From 1983 to 1984 he toured with Jaco Pastorius’ Word
of Mouth band and in 1985 returned to perform a second tour
with Davis.
Stern’s recording career as a leader began in 1985 with
“Beesh” for the Japanese Trio label and then his
debut on Atlantic Records in 1986 with “Upside Downside.”
Other highlights include his acclaimed 1993 Atlantic Jazz release
“Standards (And Other Songs),” which led to him
being named Best Jazz Guitarist of the Year by the readers and
critics of “Guitar Player” magazine. “Is What
It Is” (1994) and “Between the Lines” (1996)
received Grammy nominations and 2001’s “Voices,”
his first foray into vocal music, earned him a third nomination.
February 27, 2004
Contact: Mike Christiansen (435) 797-3011
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354
MEDIA ALERT:
ASTRONAUT TO SPEAK ON UTAH STATE CAMPUS
LOGAN ? Astronaut Mario Runco, a veteran of three space flights,
presents an “Astronauts View of Earth” Monday, March
1, at 3:30 p.m. on the Utah State University campus in Engineering,
room 104. The public is invited and everyone is welcome at the
free event.
Runco served as an astronaut on the STS-44 in 1991, the STS-54
in 1993 and the STS-77 in 1996 and has more than 551 hours in
space, including a 4.5 hour space walk. During his career Runco
has assisted in the design, development and testing of the Space
Shuttle crew escape system, has performed tests and evaluations
of space shuttle mission-specific flight software and has assisted
in preparing space shuttle missions for launch. He currently
serves as an earth and planetary scientist as the lead for science
and utilization for the International Space Station’s
Destiny Module Science Window and the Window Observational Research
Facility, both which he helped design. A research hydrologist
by training, Runco has also served as a New Jersey state police
officer as well as a commanding officer in the United State
Navy.
For more information on the Runco presentation contact Dave
White in the Utah State College of Engineering at (435) 797-3692.
February 27, 2003
Contact: Dave White (435) 797-3692
Writer: Maren Cartwright (435) 797-1355
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