Articles tagged with: spring convocation

  • Embracing music’s healing powers

    Image Caption: Samantha Bowman (BMus ’24) discovered her passion for using music to treat illness through her Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Music Therapy at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

    FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2024 | by 

    Guiding people on a journey of healing through music — especially those facing mental health struggles — was something Samantha Bowman (BMus ’24) knew in her heart she always wanted to do.

    On Friday, June 14, Bowman walked across the stage during Brock University’s 115th Convocation and became one step closer to achieving her dream of helping people through music therapy.

    Bowman’s path to earning a Bachelor of Music with a Concentration in Music Therapy Foundations came with many unexpected turns, such as applying to — and dropping out of — several post-secondary programs that were not a good fit.

    When she eventually received a mental health diagnosis for depression, her life completely changed.

    “I had been living with depression for a long time, but not known it. Suddenly, everything clicked into place,” she said.

    Bowman knew that music was going to be an important part of her path forward.

    As a vocalist, however, encountering an injury to her instrument — her voice — was not in the plan.

    Bowman decided that while singing would always be part of her music practice, she would shift her professional interests toward becoming a mental health professional that works with music therapy.

    When she was accepted into Brock’s Department of Music at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), she immediately felt that she was supported and set up for success in her chosen field.

    “When you are learning in a safe and supportive space, you just thrive,” Bowman said. “Your best comes out and that’s what I felt at Brock, I was fostering the best version of myself.”

    Karin Di Bella, Associate Professor and Chair of Music at Brock, said students sometimes start in programs because that is what they feel they should do, or that others want them to do. If it’s not something that truly interests them, however, they may struggle.

    “When students come into a program that lights them up, they then succeed —  not because our program is easy, but because they are deeply invested,” Di Bella said. “Sam beautifully exemplifies this transformation and has excelled in our program.”

    Through her studies in the Music in Community course, Bowman worked with a local organization called Major Progressions Music Therapy, which provides music therapy to residents of long-term care in the Niagara region. During the course, she completed a practicum placement which she said was “transformative.”

    “It is difficult to get elderly people living with Alzheimer’s or dementia to want to get up, especially if they have chronic pain, too,” Bowman said.

    During her placement she was able to assist with using music, in conjunction with other types of care, such as physiotherapy, to help those long-term residents manage their conditions.

    Bowman also observed long-term care residents, who were non-verbal and struggling with cognition, listen to old songs they could recall the words to, which sparked joy and connection.

    Bowman said her “life has been healed” because of her own ongoing therapeutic journey and “having the chance to be a part of somebody else’s journey through music” meant the world to her.

    Thanks to her success at Brock, Bowman has now been accepted into Wilfred Laurier’s highly competitive Master of Music Therapy program, which only accepts 10 to 15 students out of the hundreds that apply.

    “Nearly 10 years after I began my post-secondary education, I am now pursuing my dream career thanks to the support and skills I gained at Brock,” she said.

    Looking to the future and motivated by her own experience, the aspiring music therapist aims to focus on mental health research and how music can alleviate suffering.

     

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    Categories: Alumni, Alumni, News

  • Teaching award recipient inspires through music education

    Image caption: Associate Professor of Music Rachel Rensink-Hoff addressed Brock’s newest graduates on Friday, June 14 during the University’s 115th Convocation. Rensink-Hoff received the Faculty of Humanities’ 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award.

    FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2024 | by 

    “Life is long.”

    Using these three simple but impactful words of poet T.S. Eliot, Rachel Rensink-Hoff hoped to inspire Brock’s graduating class to reflect on their experiences and take in the world around them.

    “Give yourself permission to dwell in the length of life, and do this by resisting pressures, graduates, to take shortcuts, to give up, to make hurried choices or choose the path of least resistance,” the Associate Professor of Music said during her Convocation address on Friday, June 14. “Instead, relish in surprising connections. Enjoy the subtle shades of colour and the interesting shapes around you. Take the time to observe every single little detail.”

    It is an idea that has been important to her life and work, she told graduates from the Faculties of Humanities and Mathematics and Science.

    Rensink-Hoff received the Faculty of Humanities’ 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition for her dedication to supporting students on their academic and creative paths.

    Reflecting on the honour before Brock’s Convocation celebrations, she said the most rewarding thing about teaching music is when students let go of their inhibitions and take risks.

    “There is an energy that fills a room when one student, then two, then more, dare to try new things — it has an inspiring ripple effect. I feel I’ve done my part as an educator and conductor if I’ve made space for this to happen,” she said.

    The biggest source of joy for Rensink-Hoff is when students take ownership of the creative process.

    “In rehearsal or the classroom, teaching and learning depends on the willingness of students to encourage and mentor one another. When this happens naturally, then I know I’ve done my job,” she said.

    At the core of Rensink-Hoff’s teaching philosophy is a commitment to educating the whole person, seeking to accommodate the diversity of musical experience and motivation among those she teaches.

    This helps her develop an approach to teaching that is both inclusive and rigorous, striving to help all students and singers to discover their full potential regardless of their musical background or ability.

    How people learn music, the kind of music they interact with and the advancement of digital forms of music creation translate into a wide range of musical skills and identities shaped by one’s exposure to music, family and social influences, and cultural environments, she said.

    “The prospective music student of the 21st century looks very different than was historically deemed ‘suitable’ or  ‘eligible’ for a music degree program,” she said. “As music educators, it is incumbent upon us to diversify approaches and the musical content we interact with, all with the goal of better representing the incredibly rich and diverse tapestry of global music traditions beyond the historically favoured Western canon.”

    Her research and creative work focuses on three elements of well-being: being, belonging and becoming. Through these lenses, she explores how engagement with music supports all aspects of humanity from the physical to the social to the psychological and spiritual.

    “I feel strongly about the profound impact that group singing and musical skill development can have on one’s health and sense of well-being across the lifespan,” she said.

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    Categories: Events, Faculty & Instructors

  • Fine and Performing Arts grads poised to shape the future with creative skills

    Image caption: Soo Myung Oh, at her piano, will graduate with a Bachelor of Music and plans to perform professionally in addition to pursuing teaching performance after completing her degree at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. Image credit: Photo by Shannon Peebles, Ventures & Vows Photography.

    Students graduating from Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) are ready to make their mark in the world.

    From creating innovative art in support of social justice causes, to utilizing professional art practices in the mental health field and pursuing careers in live performance bringing joy to audiences, MIWSFPA grads are drawing on their academic experiences and diverse skill sets to propel them forward on their career paths.

    For Ian Ball, who will graduate Friday, June 18 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts and History of Art and Visual Culture, continuing his creative work in digital media is a top priority.

    Music graduand Nick Braun will continue to write and record his own music after graduation.

    Ball is currently working with Toronto-based [elephants collective]’s Telethon Telethon! This collaborative project is a monthly digital performance experiment that aims to provide aid to various social justice causes and is currently supporting the Anishnawbe Health Foundation.

    Ball is looking forward to the easing of public health restrictions within the arts when it is safe to do so.

    “I’m hoping I’ll get a chance to develop a follow-up to work I co-created in 2019’s Nuit Blanche in Toronto,” he said.

    Combining his interests in dramatic arts and visual culture, Ball will be pursuing a master’s degree in Cultural Studies at Queen’s University in the fall, with hopes of one day completing a PhD and working in the cultural field.

    As Music graduand Soo Myung Oh looks to the future, she reflects on her time at Brock. The busy mother of three pursued her degree during the day, reserving her evenings for family time.

    “My four years in the Music program were about the process of identifying myself as a musician,” said Oh, who graduates Friday with a Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Music Education and Minor in Applied Linguistics. “Although I played piano for years in my youth, I was completely new to public performance and I had to learn how to play music and deliver it to audiences.”

    Oh fondly remembers the experience of performing in the Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, adjacent to the MIWSFPA in downtown St. Catharines. Performing on a professional stage was a defining moment for the musician.

    “I can still recall the way the piano sounded as I played, and the interaction between the sound and the air in the hall on that special day. It was simply an amazing experience,” she said.

    After she graduates, Oh will continue to perform professionally and would like to eventually teach performance, inspired by her concentration in Music Education. Her current interest for further study is therapeutic recreation and gerontology.

    “Since my musical experience at Brock started from my own experience of retrieving memories, and my process for preparing my solo piano recital relied heavily on the cognitive process of music and brainwork, I became interested in the connection between the two and implications of aging,” Oh said.

    “My degree has allowed me to write music and produce my own recordings,” Braun said.Nick Braun, who will also graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, is excited to continue writing music.

    His studies have given him a unique skill set “to make modern, unique and refreshing music,” he said, adding his style fits somewhere in the alternative rock realm.

    Braun will take some time after graduation to work locally, save money and continue to work on his personal music projects.

    “Between me and my network of friends in the music industry, I will be taking on opportunities to work with various people and explore our creative potential as young artists,” Braun said.

    Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture graduand Maya Meyerman is excited to continue her scholarly and creative work in the cultural field and will pursue a graduate certificate in the arts and culture sector at Humber College in September.

    Graduand Maya Meyerman, who will receive her Bachelor of Arts in Studies in Arts and Culture with a concentration in Cultural Management on Friday, discovered her career pathway through diverse experiences within the interdisciplinary program.

    Gaining a critical view of contemporary culture and connecting with the local arts scene led Meyerman to pursue a graduate certificate in Arts Administration and Cultural Management at Humber College.

    “I’m excited to pursue opportunities in Toronto and build upon my experience at Brock,” she said. “The MIWSFPA is such an inspiring place to learn and connect with the arts, and I have made deep connections with the arts community.”

    Meyerman recently produced an arts festival for youth ages 13 to 30 in Kingston and will be spending the summer preparing for next year’s edition.

    “As someone who didn’t want to study just one branch of the arts, the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture and the MIWSFPA provided me with a creative and safe venue to explore my personal interests, introducing me to the many versions of what ‘the arts’ can be,” she said. “I know that it has prepared me to take on the next step towards my career in the arts industry.”

    Visual Arts (VISA) graduand Kendra Bosse has developed her art practice and realized her passion for photography as therapy.

    Bosse, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Psychology and Minor in Indigenous Studies, is committed to engaging with her art to positively impact individuals experiencing mental health issues and addiction.

    “After graduation, I will be attending Canadore College to study mental health and addictions counselling to gain experience in the field before pursuing graduate school,” she said.

    Bosse and fellow VISA graduand Cree Tylee are capping off their final year at Brock with a double exhibition “treasured | (A)part,” currently on view virtually in the VISA Gallery on the first floor of the MIWSFPA until Monday, July 5.

    Relationship as Deep as The Ocean, 2021, Cyanotype on Cotton (24 in x 36in) by Kendra Bosse as featured in the double exhibition “treasured” and “(A)part.”

    The bodies of work were developed under the supervision of Visual Arts Chair and Associate Professor Amy Friend for the students’ independent studies courses in the Visual Arts.

    “The double exhibition of treasured and (A)part was a cathartic way to finish the end of an unconventional graduating year,” said Tylee, who will graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Minor in the History of Art and Visual Culture. “Working with Visual Arts Media Resource Co-ordinator Max Holten-Andersen to create a virtual exhibition for our show (including a 360 virtual tour) was an insightful experience that wouldn’t have happened under different circumstances.”

    Even though they were unable to have a traditional gallery opening, the ability to learn and become well-versed in the creation of virtual exhibits is a valuable skill the students will take with them, she said, calling it a “silver lining.”

    Title wall of Cree Tylee’s body of work entitled (A)part. Tylee describes this exhibition as a “very introspective and multi-faceted body of work with multiplicities of concepts I’ll be able to draw on for further graduate studies.”

    Both artists agree that bringing this final exhibition into fruition has been an enlightening process, acknowledging that completing a thesis under the supervision of Friend and having a final exhibition made their final year very fulfilling.After graduation, Tylee, recipient of the Distinguished Graduating Student Award in Visual Arts, will be taking an accelerated studio program in Ceramics at the Haliburton School of Art + Design while preparing for further graduate studies.

    The virtual exhibition and 360 gallery tour of treasured | (A)part can be viewed on the Visual Arts website.Fine and Performing Arts grads poised to shape the future with creative skills

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    Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, News, Uncategorised

  • Student completes music degree started 18 years ago in Mexico

    Mexico’s Luis Gerardo Molina will graduate from Brock Friday with a degree in Music.

    (from The Brock News,  Tuesday, June 05, 2018 | by )

    For 20 years, Luis Gerardo Molina worked his way up the corporate ladder of a growing computer software firm in his home country of Mexico.

    After high school, he had made what he viewed as a responsible decision to choose a stable career in technology over a fragile one as a classical pianist, but his love of music kept pulling at him like a magnet.

    Eventually, he gave in, and on Friday, June 8, at the age of 48, his career change will be official when he graduates from Brock University with a degree in Music.

    “It means everything,” said Molina. “That was a dream that I always wanted to make happen and I really struggled to get it.”

    Born into a family of talented musicians, Molina grew up around choirs and instruments, and by the age of six it was obvious he had a gift. At nine, he started working with a piano teacher and for eight years he attended a specialized school of music that turned his hobby into a craft.

    “I finished my high school and I had that dilemma many people face — should I devote my life to music? Is that a safe path for the rest of my life?” Molina said. “I decided to follow an alternative career. I always really liked the maths, so I decided to choose engineering.”

    A literal flip of a coin at the age of 17 made Molina choose computer engineering over civil engineering, and that set in motion a software career that lasted 20 years.

    But while his career progressed to the point of becoming a manager, so did his ongoing love of music. Having never truly given up his dream of being a professional pianist, Molina went back to the University of the Americas part time in 2000, completing two years of a four-year degree before realizing the workload wasn’t sustainable.

    Luis Molina’s music career has taken him to competitions and performances around the world.

    “It was just too much,” he said.

    But an invitation to an international piano competition in Paris in 2003 ramped up his duelling interests. After beating out nearly 100 competitors from 35 countries to win the contest, he was invited to more international performances and competitions, leading to the production of his first album of live recordings.

    “I got very good support from the company I was working for. The owner was a kind guy who was also involved in music and he always felt proud to tell them he had an employee with this background in competition and music,” said Molina, who traveled to the U.S., Germany, Russia, Poland and elsewhere over the years.

    “After doing all that, I decided the music is calling me more and more,” he said. “The company I was working for was growing and every day it was getting more complicated to do both things together.”

    Finally in 2015, the door opened to make music his full-time endeavour. He was hired as a pianist with a philharmonic orchestra in Mexico and went back to university for his third year of music school.

    Then, in 2017, a trip to Canada to visit friends in Niagara led to another big change.

    “I loved the Niagara region so I thought, if I’m going for my passion in music, I found the perfect place to do it,” he said.

    A tour of Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts and a meeting with Associate Professor of Music Karin Di Bella confirmed that Brock was where Molina would finish his degree.

    “I fell in love with what I found here. And now that I’m almost done, I feel very lucky to have had this great opportunity in this great country and at this great University,” he said.

    Di Bella called Molina “the real deal.”

    “He possesses a rare combination of drive, discipline, musical maturity, technical facility, innate musicality and a true flair for performance,” she said. “Despite his many accomplishments, he is very humble and always eager to learn, making him a true joy to work with.”

    After graduating Friday in the final day of Brock’s Spring Convocation, Molina will move on to do his master’s in musical literature and performance at Western University.

    From there, a PhD and potentially a teaching career are in his sights.

    “I’ve been performing for more than 30 years and I want to continue doing that, but I’d like to share my perspectives and teach others,” he said.

    Molina credits his wife, Marcela Lagunas Burgos, herself a talented musician who plays the cello, as playing a major role in his career success.

    “We’re definitely on the same frequency. She has supported me with everything and all the decisions.”

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