Sigma Alpha Iota

28 Summer 2023 • sai-national.org Bechtel Bechtel Butts Butts Dr. Lydia Bechtel Dr. Lydia Bechtel was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Alpha Kappa Chapter at Pittsburg State University in March. Dr. Lydia Bechtel joined the Music Department at Pittsburg State University as an Assistant Instructional Professor of Applied Voice and Music History in 2021. She earned her DMA in Vocal Performance and MM in Musicology at the University of Missouri- Kansas City (UMKC), while serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Voice. While in Kansas City she also worked as an Adjunct Professor of Applied Voice at Northwest Missouri State University and Rockhurst University. Her voice students have earned awards at the West Central Regional NATS and Kansas City NATS competitions. Bechtel has performed a number of operatic roles with companies in the U.S. and abroad. Recent performances include appearances with the Southeast Kansas Symphony, PSU Wind Ensemble, UMKC Opera, AIMS in Graz, Varna International Opera, Wichita Grand Opera, Boulder Opera, and Opera on Tap Colorado. Her roles include Fanny in La Cambiale di Matrimonio, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Lisette in La Rondine, Serpetta in La Finta Giardiniera, Le feu in L'enfant et les sortilèges, and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance. As a soloist Bechtel returned to her alma mater, Oklahoma State University, in 2020 to perform Beethoven's Mass in C at the newly opened McKnight Center for the Performing Arts. She has also been the soprano soloist for Bach's Coffee Cantata, BWV 159 Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem, and Handel's Messiah. Equally committed to scholarly endeavors, Dr. Bechtel presented her research at the 2022 International Congress of Voice Teachers in Vienna, the 2018 CMS National Conference in Vancouver, and presented a poster at the 2019 ATMI National Conference in Louisville. In 2019 she earned the prestigious P.E.O. Scholar Award, which allowed her to complete research on Pauline Viardot at the Harvard Houghton Library, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and Mediathèque Hector Berlioz. Her musicology thesis research on Viardot earned her the Distinguished Master's esis Award for UMKC and the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools in the Humanities Division. Her research was also recognized by the National Opera Association as the winner of their Scholarly Paper Competition in 2020. Dr. Bechtel received her MM in Vocal Performance from Colorado State University where she served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, teaching both Applied Voice and Music eory Fundamentals. She earned her BM in Vocal Performance summa cum laude from Oklahoma State University. Trevor Butts Trevor Butts was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Delta Chi Chapter at the University of South Florida (USF) in March. Mr. Butts is the current USF Director of Athletic Bands where he oversees and runs the USF Herd of under Marching Band, as well as the USF Concert Band. Butts is currently finishing his Doctor of Musical Arts in wind band conducting at Louisiana State University. He holds both a Master of Music degree in instrumental conducting and a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from USF. During his time at USF, Butts marched trumpet and later served as drum major of the Herd of under Marching Band. Before returning to USF for his master's, Butts taught high school band and orchestra in the Hillsborough County Public Schools system. Mr. Butts currently serves the Delta Chi chapter as its Financial Advisor. He has passionately served the USF music community through many stages of his life and continues to do so. Butts is an active clinician and adjudicator in the state of Florida and Louisiana. Recently, Butts was selected as a conducting fellow for the 2022 United States Army "Pershing's Own" Conducting Institute. Butts has marched with Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, and e Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. He has served on staff with drum corps including Heat Wave Drum and Bugle Corps, e Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and is currently on staff with the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. Butts hold professional affiliations with Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Pi Kappa Lambda. Giovanni Corrodus Giovanni Corrodus was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Alpha Iota Chapter at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in April. Conductor Giovanni Corrodus began tertiary music training in Jamaica at Northern Caribbean University, pursuing both a BA in Music and a BSC degree in Computer Science. Upon completing undergraduate study, Corrodus continued his academic work in the United States, earning an Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Andrews University. He is currently pursuing a DMA in Choral Conducting at the University of Oklahoma where he holds a choral graduate assistantship. Corrodus has held conducting engagements throughout Jamaica and the United States and was most recently the chorus master for the OU Opera eater production of Susannah. Dr. Jason Gardner Dr. Jason Gardner was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Epsilon eta Chapter at Appalachian State University in April. Dr. Gardner is the Associate Director of Bands in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. He is Director of the 275 member Marching Mountaineers, conducts the Symphony Band, and teaches various music education courses including Band Literature, Band Techniques, and Marching Band Techniques. Dr. Gardner has over 20 years of teaching experience, 14 of which were spent teaching high school and middle school bands in the public schools of Indiana. For over 20 years he has performed with various bands and orchestras across Indiana and Illinois. He earned his DMA with a concentration in Wind Band Conducting and a Cognate in Horn Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UI) where he served as a graduate teaching assistant and was the recipient of the TJ Harris Award for excellence in conducting. While studying at the University of Illinois, Dr. Gardner also conducted bands at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL. He was also the Music Director and Conductor of the Indiana Youth Wind Symphony in Distinguished Members Corrodus Corrodus Gardner Gardner

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