By Geri Laudati and Steve Sundell
We want to take this opportunity to highlight recent achievements of two graduate students who work in the Music Library and to say "thank you" publicly to the library's student staff who will graduate in May.
Joyce Kurpiers reviewed the premiere of Pauline Oliveros' opera Io and Her and the Trouble with Him. Published in the Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music, 7/3 (2001), Joyce's erudite and insightful article was based in part on her personal interview with the composer. The performance took place at the Union Theater during the spring semester of 2001 when Oliveros served as the University's Composer-in-Residence.
Joyce will complete her master's degree in musicology in May and then plans to tackle the doctorate. Her goal is to teach at the university level and pursue her research interests which range from Schoenberg and German nationalism to late twentieth century popular music.
Graduate student Steve Henry was the first recipient of the Caddock Prize. The annual prize, which carries a cash award, is presented by the School of Music to the author of the best student paper written on a Schenkerian topic. (The term Schenkerian refers to Austrian music theorist Heinrich Schenker who developed a widely accepted model for musical analysis.) His paper, Panic in Music and the Scandal of the Hanging B#, analyzed J. S. Bach's "Prelude in C# minor" from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I.
Steve is currently pursuing master's degrees in both music theory and librarianship and hopes to become an academic music librarian. Since the fall semester of 2000, both Steve and Joyce have served as reference assistants in the Music Library and worked in the Audio Facility.
Sarah Murray, webmistress extraordinaire, ereserves assistant, and all around great student worker, will graduate in May with majors in both International Relations and History as well as a certificate in Environmental Studies. Sarah's duties in Mills have included designing the Music Library and Dance Resources web sites. After graduation, she hopes to secure an internship or employment in Washington, DC while deciding on a graduate program to pursue, possibly in public policy. She began working in the Music Library in the summer of 1998 which gives her the most seniority of all the current student workers.
Ayako Yoshimura, B.A., is probably only one of two Japanese nationals whose specialty is Norwegian folklore. Ayako plans to remain in Madison while trying to decide where to embark on a graduate program in cultural anthropology. Her ability to do many tasks very well has made her an invaluable resource for both the Music Library and the folklore program. Her work in the Preservation Studio has included making digital transfers of important Wisconsin folk materials from the 1940s. She joined the staff in the fall of 1998.
Brian Lee, B.M., began his Music Library employment in February 2000. His jazz background has been put to good use as he worked to make the library's ever-expanding jazz LP collection accessible in MadCat. Brian is also responsible for creating many of the audio files used for electronic reserves and he has been equally active with projects in the Preservation Studio.
Rachel Naylor has been a student worker since spring semester 2000. Her expertise in Russian and the fact that her DNA includes a librarian gene have proven to be very beneficial for the Music Library. Rachel has worked in the Audio Facility and has transferred electronic cataloging records for donated sound recordings into the online system.
Brad Allen will receive his M.A. in Afro-American Studies in May. His thesis is tentatively entitled Doing What Comes Naturally: The Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band Story. Brad already holds the MLS from University of Illinois and hopes to find a library position that will enable him to use his vast knowledge of popular music. He joined the staff in fall 2000 and has worked in the Audio Facility and as a reference assistant.
Ronna Hoeper is perhaps less known to the public than our other graduates-to-be although her contributions are equally impressive. Since September 2000, she has made distinctive contributions to the design and maintenance of the library's web site. In addition to her Music Library work, she staffs the reference desk at the Business Library. Ronna will receive her MLS in May and already is a finalist for positions in two academic libraries.
Jennifer Viken joined the Music Library in spring 2002 and has been a sparkling addition to the Audio Facility staff. She will graduate in May with degrees in Legal Studies and Journalism and plans to relocate to Boston prior to attending Law School.
Please join us in thanking these individuals for their dedication and years of service to the Music Library. We wish them success in their future endeavors