ΦMA Sinfonia: ΣΩ Chapter

The Sigma Omega chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia invites you to join us for our Spring Rush! Any interested gentlemen should try to attend as many events as possible. Any changes to the schedule will be announced here. We look forward to seeing you!

Monday: Cookout @ 7pm
-Location: Outside Music Building
-Cost: Free!

Tuesday: B-Dubs Night @ 7pm
-Location: Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 1301 North Collins Street #101, Arlington, TX. Meet in Music Building @ 6:40pm to carpool. (.45 cent Wing Tuesday!!!!)
-Pay on your own

Thursday: Sports Night @ 6pm
-Location: Intramural fields on W Mitchell Street
-Cost: Free!
-We will be heading to Hooters afterwards, pay on your own.

Friday: Bowling & Billiards night @ 7pm
-Location: AMF Arlington Lanes, 1801 E. Lamar Blvd.
Arlington, TX 76006
-Meet in Music Building @ 6:30pm to carpool
-Cost: $10 per person (BUT the more attendees, the lower the price!!!)

Sunday: Formal Dinner
-Meet in Music Building @ TBA to carpool
-Cost: Free!
-Dress Code: Shirt & tie

Monday, November 14th, 2011, the Sigma Omega Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia took on the local Kappa Kappa Psi Chapter in a game of Softball. This game was dubbed the Phi Psi game. This game was to be six innings long. Going into the top of the fifth inning the game was K-Psi 8, Sig-Os 7. K-Psi put two on the board during the top of the fifth whilst the Sig-Os hit in a whopping eight runs during the bottom of the fifth. To win, all Sigma Omega had to do was to keep K-Psi from scoring five runs. Unfortunately, the tying run made it around the diamond, putting the Sig-Os in a bind. Going into the bottom of the sixth, it was fifteen all. If K-Psi could keep the Sig-Os from scoring in the bottom of the inning, the game would go into extra innings. Unfortunately for K-Psi, the Sig-Os were not going to let a seventh inning happen. They had a couple runners on base when Otis “Can’t Get Right” Allen stepped up to the plate. After a few balls and one wild swing, the count was full. Well, “Can’t Get Right,” got right. He belted a low flying ball past the infielders into the outfield allowing Derek Ficken to score the winning run and end the game. All in all, it was a heck of a game. The Sig-Os win both the trophy and bragging rights for a semester. There are already talks of a rematch in the spring. Thus begins a new tradition between K-Psi and the Sig-Os.

The Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia are kicking off this year’s Fireside Chat series with guest faculty member Dr. David Grogan.

What is a Fireside Chat? A Fireside Chat is an opportunity for students to speak one-on-one with UTA Music faculty to hear about their life experiences and get to know faculty members on a deeper level then can be achieved in the traditional classroom setting.

It is a casual atmosphere and food and drink will be provided. Times are not strict and you may come and go as your schedule permits.

A little about Dr. Grogan:

David Grogan, baritone, has performed extensively throughout the Southwest to critical acclaim. The Dallas Morning News hailed Mr. Grogan as the “perfect Christus” after a performance of the St. Matthew Passion with the Dallas Bach Society. The Albuquerque Tribune, in reference to a performance of Messiah with the New Mexico Symphony, said, “David Grogan had all the range and power required of the part, sounding like the voice of doom in ‘The people that walked in darkness’ and the light of revelation in ‘The trumpet shall sound.’” A recent performance of Elijah had critics praising his ability to “move easily from stentorian declamation to lyrical aria.” Another critic said that he “….brought an impressive vocal power to the lead role of Elijah, and his rich emotive gift set the level for the other chief performers.” He has performed as a soloist with many Dallas area arts groups including the Dallas Bach Society, Texas Baroque Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Singers, Mesquite Civic Chorus, and the Allegro Artists, as well as at several Texas universities. Recent performances include Elijah with the New Mexico Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Arlington Master Chorale, and the Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the Plano Civic Chorus. Grogan looks forward to his performance of the Brahms Requiemunder Helmuth Rilling this fall.

Grogan joined the faculty at the University of Texas Arlington in the fall of 2009, first as visiting professor and in 2010 as tenure-track Assistant Professor of Voice. In addition to providing private vocal instruction for voice majors, Grogan teaches vocal pedagogy, voice class, and choral methods. His background in choral music education is extensive, including experience directing programs in both private and public schools across the metroplex. As choir director at Dallas Christian School from 1996 to 2000, Dr. Grogan increased choir participation from 15 members to 115, and took the choir to one of the first TPSMEA competitions. He has taught voice and served as assistant choral director in some of the most prominent programs in the area, including at Arlington High School under Dinah Menger, and Manor Middle School under Tommy Haygood.

Grogan holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Texas Christian University, where he studied voice with Sheila Allen and pedagogy with Vincent Russo. His love of choral music was solidified under the tutelage of the late Ronald Shirey, who taught Grogan much of his musicality. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy in 2010 from the University of North Texas, where he studied voice with Jeffrey Snider, pedagogy with Stephen Austin, and worked closely with Lyle Nordstrom in the early music program. Dr. Grogan’s dissertation was on the vocal pedagogy of Frederic W. Root, who was an American vocal pedagogue of the 19th century. A shorter version of the dissertation was published in the January 2010 Journal of Singing under the title, “The Roots of American Pedagogy.”

The Sigma Omega chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia will be holding their Rush Week from Monday Sept 12th – Saturday Sept 17th. We invite all Collegiate Men who have a love for music of any kind and are interested in seeing what ΦMA is about to attend at least one of these days.

Monday 9/12: Cook-Out. Location: Music Building. Time: 8:00pm (right after Marching Band) Cost: Free!

Tuesday 9/13: Bowling Night. Location: AMF Arlington lanes (1801 East Lamar Boulevard). Time: 7:00pm. Cost: $5 for 2 hours of bowling

Thursday 9/15: Buffalo Wild Wings night. Location: BWWs on Collin’s st. Time: 7pm. Cost: However much you eat.

Friday 9/16: Gentleman’s Poker Night. Location: Meet at the Music Lobby at 7:30. Time: 8pm-midnight. Cost: Free! Dress Code: Dressy Casual (Nice jeans and a nice button-up, for example).

Saturday 9/17: Formal Dinner. Location: Olen Jack’s. Time: TBA. Cost: Free! Dress Code: Shirt and Tie.

All interested gentlemen are suggested to attend at least one event. The Friday event is highly recommended for interested students and the Saturday dinner is Very Highly Recommended.

Do not let cost or transportation stop you! A car-pool will be leaving from the music building every night for those who need a ride. Talk to any Brother for info on any night. We hope to see you there!

About Sinfonia:

Our Fraternity’s Object:

“The Object of this Fraternity shall be for the development of the best and truest fraternal spirit, the mutual welfare and brotherhood of musical students, the advancement of music in America and a loyalty to the Alma Mater.”

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is a Social Fraternity whose members are all united by a love of music. Phi Mu Alpha is not a “Band” Fraternity or a “Choir” Fraternity or an “Orchestra” Fraternity. We are a fraternity of all Music.

Visit www.Sinfonia.org to learn more!

The Sigma Omega Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia invites you to the first in a series of “Fireside Chats.”

A Fireside Chat is an opportunity for students at UTA to meet and chat with a selected Faculty member every month. Guest Faculty will share life stories from their careers and various experiences, as well as answering questions and having discussions with students present at the event. This gives us an opportunity to learn from our faculty in a way that the traditional classroom or ensemble setting does not always provide.

Sigma Omega will provide food and drink as these chats are designed to be a very casual atmosphere. The location of this month’s chat is TBD.

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Biography of Dr. Clifton Evans from the UTA Music website:

Dr. Clifton Evans currently serves as Director of Orchestras, Assistant Professor of Music, Graduate Advisor, and String Area Coordinator at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Evans has enjoyed a conducting career that has taken him to England, Austria, the Czech Republic and throughout the United States. Most recently, he had his debut performance in China with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra. Highly sought after as a clinician and lecturer, Dr. Evans has conducted numerous Region Orchestras and Bands and given multiple lectures on conducting and rehearsal technique. His upcoming schedule includes an invitation to work with an orchestra at the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp in the summer of 2011 and a return engagement with the American Festival of the Arts Conservatory Orchestra in Houston in the summer of 2012.

Dr. Evans’ work has been widely acclaimed both at home and abroad. At the 11th Annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival and Competition in Buxton, England, he was awarded Outstanding Music Director for his work with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston. Recent concerts here at home have also been reviewed enthusiastically in the Houston Chronicle. His guest appearance with OrchestraX was hailed as “strong music-making” with “plenty of character” by music critic, Charles Ward. Mr. Ward later wrote that Dr. Evans’ debut as Music Director with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston “exploded with beauty,” and added, “the performance was the best musically I’ve heard from the society.” Everett Evans wrote that Dr. Evans’ performance of H.M.S. Pinafore featured a “crisp, vivid orchestral performance: sprightly in the brisk turns, gracefully flowing in the lyrical numbers.”

In addition to his duties as a music director and teacher, Dr. Evans maintains an active schedule at summer festivals and conventions. For six years, he conducted the Fargason concerts for the Texas Music Teachers Association, which featured concerto competition winners selected from musicians across the state of Texas. He has conducted the prestigious American Festival for the Arts Conservatory Orchestra in Houston for five consecutive seasons. He has also performed with the Symphony Orchestra at the UTA Summer Strings Camp as well as the Texas Cello Academy Orchestra. In the summer of 2010, he presented two conducting workshops at the state convention for the Texas Orchestra Directors Association in San Antonio.

Dr. Evans’ previous positions include Director of Orchestras and Chamber Music for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Music Director for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston, Conductor for the Houston Youth Symphony, and Music Director and Conductor of the Houston Civic Symphony. He currently maintains professional memberships in TMEA, TODA, Conductors Guild, the College Music Society, and the League of American Orchestras. He is an honorary member of the Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi chapters at UTA and also serves as the faculty advisor to the newly formed Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia chapter. He resides in Arlington with his wife, Christy, and their four children, Samuel, Luke, Gabriel, and Ava Grace.

This week, I challenged my brothers to share what drew them into Sinfonia when they were rushing. This one is shared by Clinton Fuller:

The most memorable things to me about rushing Sinfonia was the generosity, humility, and brotherhood that were obvious throughout the Active members. These things turned me on to Sinfonia immediately.

This one is shared by Christopher Johnson:

Originally, it was curiosity. I took part when there were around ten to twelve of us in the spring of 2009. We had two brothers among us and they were people I looked up to. For me, even at those very early meetings before we were even a colony, I had felt like I had found a place that I truly belonged. I don’t think that has changed one bit. It’s definitely nice to have a place where you can feel like you truly belong. When you find that, everything else in your life can go topsey-turvy, but you’ll always have that one special place that you belong and for me, that place is the Sigma Omega Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.

More will be posted later on this week.