News & Notes

Teaching Award for Sarah Mordan-McCombs '03

Details: Saturday, May 24, 2014; By Daniel M. Reck

Dr. Sarah Mordan-McCombs '03 was awarded the the Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award at Franklin College today during the college's commencement exercises in Indiana.

"Whenever a student comes along who is genuinely excited about learning, it’s invigorating as a professor," Mordan-McCombs says in a forthcoming profile of her work as a professor and cancer researcher at the college. "It reminds me why I was so excited to be a teacher in the first place."

"The award is given to a faculty member who exhibits excellence in mastery of subject and works well with students," notes the Johnson County Daily Journal.

Sunday Band Concert Prepares DePauw Students for Ninth CD Recording

Details: Tuesday, April 8, 2014; By Ken Owen

The DePauw University Band -- joined by faculty soloists Eric Edberg (cello) and Carla Edwards (organ) -- presents its final concert of the 2013-14 academic year this Sunday, April 13. In the event, which begins at 3 p.m. in the Green Center’s Kresge Auditorium, the band will performing a wide range of repertoire that will be recorded at the end of the month for the ensemble’s ninth compact disc.

The adventuresome program will include two movements from Mozart’s masterpiece for winds, Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, K. 370/361a, “Gran Partita”; Tramonto, a romanza for cello and wind ensemble by Luis Serrano Alarcón; Avelynn’s Lullaby by Joel Puckett; and the final movement, Toccata, of Joseph Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante, arranged for organ and symphonic band by DePauw professor of trombone, James Beckel.

Guest Soloist Randy Salman Performs with University Band Sunday

Details: Wednesday, March 5, 2014; By Ken Owen

The DePauw University Band welcomes School of Music faculty member Randy Salman as guest clarinet soloist this Sunday, when it performs Artie Shaw’s masterful Concerto for Clarinet. The concert, conducted by director of bands Craig Paré, will begin at 3 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium at the Green Center for the Performing Arts on DePauw's campus.

“Prof. Salman is always a welcome soloist with University Bands,” says Dr. Paré of his colleague, whose guest performances with the DePauw Band include a recording of Michael Daugherty’s Brooklyn Bridge, the title work on the student ensemble’s sixth compact disc. “Each opportunity to work with Randy is a pleasure for me and a treat for our students to accompany him; his artistry is a model for the University Band musicians.”

'Frozen' Oscar for Tiger Pep Band's Alex McAdams '06

Details: Monday, March 3, 2014; By Daniel M. Reck

"As many people in the past have said, they're heavy!" says Dr. Alex McAdams '06 of the Academy Award he and his team won for Disney's blockbuster movie, Frozen.

The Tiger Pep Band Director Emeritus is a senior software engineer at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

"On Sunday, Frozen beat out stiff competition to take home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature," reports Jeff Peterson at the Deseret News. "Its win marks Disney Animation Studios’ first-ever trophy in the relatively young category after six previous nominations in the 13 years since animated features were first recognized in a separate category."