Student Achievements

February 13, 2023

Connor Ainsworth (percussion) placed as first runner up in the 2022 Percussive Arts Society International Convention Mock Timpani Audition in Indianapolis, IN. He was one of five timpanists, and the youngest by far, invited from a preliminary recording round to compete live at the annual convention on Thursday, November 10. Connor was awarded second place overall from the esteemed panel that included John Tafoya (professor of percussion, Indiana University), Jean-Baptiste Leclere (principal percussion, Opera National de Paris Orchestra), and Jason Ginter (owner/founder, JG Percussion). This marks the second time in two consecutive years that a Baylor percussionist advanced to the finals of the PASIC Mock Audition Competition, building off of Lisandro Atencio's second runner up finish in 2021.

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Members of Baylor Trumpets will represent the School of Music very well in several upcoming events. Both trumpet ensembles, Baylor "Green" and Baylor "Gold," have advanced to the live rounds of the Large and Small Ensemble Divisions of the National Trumpet Competition, respectively, to be held at the University of Colorado-Boulder in late March. Additionally, eight soloists will compete in the Undergraduate Solo Division: senior Mario Mojica; juniors Alison Marseglia, Johniel Najera and Joel Reaves; sophomores Jacob Lira and Camden Smith; and freshmen Mason Stokes and Eloy Trevino. Graduate Associate Matthew Burn has advanced in the Graduate Solo Division. He, along with Alison Marseglia, will also compete in the Military Band Excerpt Division.

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In April, Texas State University will host the inaugural National Brass Quintet Competition. Four ensembles from Baylor submitted for the event and were accepted: Lux Brass, [redacted brass], Express Brass and Minimum Wage Brass.

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Lux Brass, comprised of all juniors and now in their sixth semester of performing together, have been invited to the semifinals of the International Trumpet Guild's inaugural Chamber Music Division. They will travel in late May to the ITG Conference in Minneapolis. Also competing in semi-finals at ITG will be Alison Marseglia in the Orchestral Excerpt Division, Joel Reaves in the Jazz Improvisation Competition, and Matthew Burn in both Solo and Wind Band Excerpts Divisions.

Lux Brass: Alison Marseglia, Blake Moreland, Hutch Dunn, Mark Bennett, Johniel Najera

Baylor Green: Eloy Trevino, Johniel Najera, Jadyn Doss, Joel Reaves, Elizabeth Grahn, Paul Stancampiano, Aaron Bouchard, Mark Bennett, Russell Morrell, Matthew Burn

Baylor Gold: Mario Mojica, Camden Smith, Jacob Lira, Mason Stokes, Alison Marseglia, Alan Wemhoff

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Graduate Associate Matthew Burn, trumpet performance, successfully auditioned for the substitute musician list for the Houston Symphony Orchestra last fall.

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The Baylor University Saxophone Ensemble performed Christmas music in the Rotunda of the Mayborn Museum and at the Arbor House retirement center in Waco, TX, on Monday, December 12, 2022.

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Representing the Woodwind Area, Cole Allex, M.M., soprano saxophone, performed in the finals for the Concerto Competition in January in Jones Concert Hall.

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The Impetus Saxophone Quartet, comprised of Cole Allex, Zach Lancaster, Mitch Gilly, and Manfredo Guerra performed a recital at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, on the Exhibition Hall Stage.

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The Baylor Saxophone Studio will participate in the Region 4 Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance on April 14-16, 2023, at the University of Texas at Arlington. The three soloists participating are Cole Allex, Zach Lancaster, and Mitch Gilly, assisted by Baylor Piano Collaborative Professor Dr. Cameron Hofmann. Three saxophone quartets, Impetus, Script and Viridis, will be performing along with the Baylor Saxophone Ensemble, featuring Dr. Jacobson, and will play a piece for solo alto saxophone and saxophone ensemble written by Houston composer Jeol Love. The piece was written for Love and the Timber Creek High School Saxophone Ensemble and premiered at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago in December of 2019.

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Impetus also performed a recital before the Baylor Bronze handbell concert in Roxy Grove Hall on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. The group was featured on the final piece of the handbell choir's concert, performing an arrangement of Wizards in Winter (Mannheim Steamroller) by Bob Avant, the handbell choir director.

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The Baylor University School of Music and Vocal Studies Division is proud to celebrate the many winners, finalists, and semi-finalists who competed in the student voice competition at the fall 2022 Texoma Region NATS Convention in Canyon, TX. Congratulations to these students and to all of our excellent participants:

Baylor finalists and winners:
Monica Malas - 3rd place Freshman Treble
Johnny Alves - 1st place Junior Tenor/Baritone/Bass
Ellie McBride - 6th place Sophomore Treble
Gabriel Martinez - Cross - 2nd place Freshman Tenor/Baritone/Bass
Emma Madsen - 5th place Sophomore Treble
Alan Hollinger - 3rd place Senior Tenor/Baritone/Bass
Blayne Stonecipher - 1st Place Freshman Tenor/Baritone/Bass
Emily Pace - 2nd Place Sophomore Treble
Katy Sanderford - Finalist Junior Treble

Baylor semi-finalists:
Caroline Lee
Emily Perry
Giselle Bautista
Natalia Leslie
Valarie Miles
Nalani Defensor
Troy McDonald
Jonathan Moore
Alexander Reichert
Riley Winterton
Elizabeth Irby
Garrett Thompson
Riley Duggan
Audrie Liles
Kate Bishop
Davian Raggio

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Emily Bohmer (music education, choral) and Dr. Kelly Jo Hollingsworth surveyed Baylor singers in August 2023 to discover their knowledge of vocal health and hygiene practices. Results from the study, Collegiate Singers' Vocal Health Knowledge and Practices, were presented at the research poster session at this year's TMEA conference. Findings from their second study, Singers' Self-Assessment of Singing Difficulties, was also presented.

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Emma Madsen (music education, choral) turned a class project from Dr. David Montgomery and Dr. Kelly Jo Hollingsworth's Introduction to Music Education into a children's book. "It started when I was studying Dalcroze Eurythmics and made a website blog to display my knowledge," said Madsen. "On the day of the exam, I had extra time and felt like my project needed something, so I decided to write a cute little song to use to demonstrate my knowledge of Eurythmics. Later that summer, I saw a TikTok post from an illustrator who wanted to 'give away' a free illustration of a children's book, so I entered the giveaway and had my family and friends vote for my idea."

"I later found out I won the competition and began creating my book, Going Outside. While my illustrator worked on the images, I worked on creating sheet music and a website," said Madsen.

The book was published on February 1 and can be found on Amazon and the Barnes & Noble website.

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Congratulations to senior Amy Nguyen (music education, viola) for receiving the TMEA 2023 Student Teacher Scholarship. Amy is an instrumental music education student with an emphasis in viola and is currently student teaching at Reedy High School in Frisco ISD with Baylor alum and TODA President Aryc Lane. The scholarship is given to music education students with TMEA membership, are in high academic standing, and are on track to student teach within the two semesters following the application. Amy expresses immense gratitude to her professors at Baylor, especially Dr. Michael Alexander, Dr. Kathy Steely, and Dr. Kelly Jo Hollingsworth, as well as her high school directors, for walking alongside her on her music education journey. She is on the four-year track and will graduate in spring 2023.

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Kaylee Smith (music education, instrumental) presented her honors thesis research, "Elementary Music Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward the Use of Adaptive Materials for Students with Disabilities," as a solo research poster presentation at this year's TMEA conference. The follow-up study, "Pre-service Educators' Perception of Adaptive Materials in the Elementary Music Classroom," was conducted with Dr. Kelly Jo Hollingsworth with Baylor music education majors in August 2023 and was also presented at the research poster session.