Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Alumni Notes

Alumni, please email us with your latest news.

• Gillian Martin (BA, 1990) is a National Host/Producer for American Public Media's Classical 24, a classical music radio service heard on more than 200 public radio stations across the country (including WSIU-FM). She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with her spouse Kate and too many pets.
  
  

• Jeff Bowen, BM, Percussion, 2007: I recently accepted a position at Meadowlawn Middle School in St. Petersburg, FL, which boasts approx. 350 students in the band program and over 200 in the choir. I am the Co-Band/Choir Director. I teach beginning band, a concert band, a percussion ensemble, and 2 choirs. In addition to my duties at Meadowlawn, I am also the pit instructor for the Scarlet Regiment at Northeast High School in St. Petersburg.
  
  
• Jane Brockman MMOMT 1988: May 2008 Jane appeared in the PBS Live From Lincoln Center broadcast of Camelot as Lady Anne. She was featured in the performance which starred Gabriel Byrne, Marin Mazzie and Nathan Gunn and was played by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Gemigniani conducting. This summer Jane will be playing the role of Chelsie in Arrowrock Theater production of On Golden Pond.
  
  

• Leo Ruebke, BME 1966, MM 1969: I taught for 1 year in Saprta and 4 years in Gorham. Then moved to Michigan where I taught in the Kearsley School District, near Flint, until I retired in June of 1997. Since retirement I am involved with the Flint Institute of Music where I conduct the brass sectionals for the Flint Youth Symphony and help conduct the New Horizons Band. My wife, Nancy, and I also do quite a lot of adjudicating, both band and orchestra and solo and ensemble, at Michigan School Band and Orchestra Assoc. events at district and state festivals.

  
  
• Jennifer Cannon MMOMT 2005: Jennifer is traveling the high seas with Celebrity Cruises on the good ship Constelation, singing and dancing and drinking mojitos in Spain. Prior to that she was in Jerry Springer: the Opera at the Playhouse on the Square in Memphis. You can follow her cruise details at garymusick.com or celebritycruises.com .

• Melody (Hesketh) Moore, BAMT 1998: Melody is starring in the 40th-season finale of Weathervane Playhouse in Ohio playing the tap-happy title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie. More information can be found at: www.dispatch.com

• Maegan McConnell, MMOMT 2003 was cast in another production of West Side Story with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera.  Her complete resume is on her website at www.maeganmcconnell.com

• Josh Shaw, MMOMT 2004 reports that ". . . he's doing Pinkerton with Opera Fairbanks the first week of April. I'm pretty excited and nervous about that. The conductor and a few of the singers are from the Met, so it's a real opportunity for me. I'm certainly the least experienced of the cast but I'm comfortable with the role, so I have high hopes. After that I'm doing another Edgardo in Riverside. His complete resume can be found at www.joshshawtenor.com

• Nik Wenzel, BM Voice 2007. Nik is on a full ride scholarship at Northwestern University pursuing an MM in Vocal Performance. He was one of four students selected to sing for Renee Flemming.

• Kara Shaw, MMOMT 2004, is has one of the four roles in the Marvelous Wonderettes in Los Angeles, which will be transferred to Off-Broadway in New York. She will also be appearing on the new NBC game show The Singing Bee as one of the singers with the band. Her website is www.karashaw.com

• Victoria Whitlow BA Music Theater 2005 just completed her first summer with Princess Tours Music of Denali in Alaska and is headed to Wichita, Kansas where she is performing at Crown Uptown Dinner Theater and will be doing Holidazzle, Honky Tonk Angles, and Ring of Fire through April.

• Jeff Bowen, BM, Percussion, 2007.
  I am currently Director of Bands at Riviera Middle School in St. Petersburg, FL where I direct three levels of bands. I am also the Percussion Caption at St. Petersburg High School.
• Nick Williams, BM, Music Education, Trombone, 2007. I am currently Director of Bands for Murphysboro Middle School, Murphysboro, Illinois. I teach band, 6th grade theory, and 8th grade music history. In addition to my duties at the Middle School, I am also the Assistant Director for the Murphysboro High School marching band, teaching both visual and musical elements. 
  
• Anthony Russ. For my alumnus notes, I am currently Director of Bands at Memphis East High School in Memphis, TN, and also am performing on Flute and Clarinet with the contemporary (Christian) music ensemble at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Bartlett, TN.
  
• Sean Osborn, MM, clarinet, 1999. This past year, I've traveled to North Carolina, Japan, Croatia, and Alaska for concerto and chamber music performances. My new CD of Rose Etudes is getting great reviews, such as Gramopone Magazine:
  "Splendid flexibility and expressive range..." "Osborn brings
  mellifluous beauty and agile ease to Rose's creations." I'm also
  currently editing my new CD of Mozart chamber music, which will be out in early 2008.

• Michael Norsworthy (’99 B.M. Clarinet) is teaching at The Boston Conservatory and Columbia University.  He is also an artist in residence at Harvard University with HGNM.  Michael enjoys a very active concert schedule and is playing around the world as soloist and chamber musician.  Recent collaborations and projects include Klangforum Wien (Vienna), Manhattan Sinfonietta (NY), Fromm Players at Harvard (Boston), Ensemble 21 (NY), ClarinetFest in Vancouver and he is director of the new annual Clarinet Day in Boston. He is a performing artist on the rosters for Buffet Crampon USA and Rico International.  For more info, please visit: http://www.michaelnorsworthy.com

• Roderick George, MM 96 sang Tamino in The Magic Flute with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis summer of 07, and he also sang Rodolfo in "La Boheme" with them the previous summer.  In October of 07 he will sing Don Ottavio in "Don Giovanni" with Asheville Lyric Opera.   He teaches at the University of Montevallo.

• Jonathan Perez, BM Voice Performance 2005: Summer 2007 will be performing daily at Busch Garden's Europe in Williamsburg VA until late Aug. Then a year touring with Theatre IV out of Richmond VA. Shows and parts are: Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, and Ugly in The Ugly Duckling.

• Michael Lindner, BA in Music Theater 1998. Michael will be on the national tour of MAMMA MIA as the father in 2008. He won the 2005 Joseph Jeff Award (Chicago's "Tony" Award) for Lead Role in a Musical: Sweeney in SWEENEY TODD. He was also nominated for a Best Supporting Role in a musical in THE FULL MONTY

• Sara Alstat, BA and MM in Opera/Music Theater 2003 is Voice faculty at Rend Lake Community College.

• Hollie Molesworth, MM 2005, will be getting married in April of 2007. She met her fiance when he was her stage manager at a Pennsylvania dinner theatre. She is currently living in Atlanta, GA.

• Sokrates Frantzis, BA in Opera/Musical Theater, 1999. After several years performing in Portland, Sokrates is moving to La La Land (Los Angeles) to continue his performance persuits. He would love to connect with any Salukis there!

• Sandra Agans, M.M. Opera/Music Theater 2004. Opera in the Ozarks as Rosina (Barbiere), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), La Badessa (Suor Angelica) 2006; Metropolitan Regional Auditions First Alternate 2005; Currently in St. Louis

• Erica C. Thomas, MM 1994 is Director of Cimarron Circuit Opera Company (CCOC) based in Norman, Oklahoma. Erica also teaches voice at Rose State College and is a candidate for ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. CCOC was founded by Thomas and Carol Brice Carey in 1975 and continues to provide opportunities for aspiring performers while educating. Check out our website www.ccocopera.org.

• Nathan D. Arnett: MM O/MT 2001. Nathan is the Music Instructor and Applied Lessons Coordinator for John A. Logan College in Carterville, IL. He continues to direct college, community, and professional musical theatre in southern Illinois. He and Lauren reside in Carterville with their first child, Grace Willett who will be turning one in May 2006.

• Lauren W. Arnett : MM O/MT 2001. Lauren is the choral instructor for K-12 music at Zeigler-Royalton Unit School District in Zeigler, IL. She continues to maintain a private vocal studio and loves to spend her time being a wife and mother.

• Jeff Miller: MM O/MT 2002 Jeff currently teaches voice for musical theater at Illinois Wesleyan University and is proud to have current and former students performing all over the world on national and international tours, and in scores of regional theaters. Jeff is married and has two children.