Sigma Alpha Iota

Marga re t E. Fox P Bloomington/Nor mal Il A lum nae Chapter , Upsilon A , Region V his year's Career Performance Grant recipient is excited to go back in time. Margaret Fox, Sigma Alpha initiate, was awarded this year's Career Performance Grant to study and become a seasoned performer of early music. Margaret has been interested in this music for a while but needed help to get there. "I have seen an emergence of young performers gravitating to this music and it seems to be catching fire. I want to be a part of that." Margaret has a great resume' for her short time after graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2004. Her first real job experience was with the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. She has also performed with the Grant Park Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Chorus and toured with the group, Opera for the Young. Her two summers in San Francisco with the American Bach Soloist Academy is what led her to apply for the Career Performance Grant. "I have looked at applying for this grant previously but at the time didn't really know what I would do with it if awarded. The summers in San Francisco helped me realize that I wanted to work in early music." The early music ensemble is usually a smaller group of performers utilizing smaller venues. The performances are more intimate and require a more focused listener. The instruments and musical style used should be more closely related to what the composer would have wanted. The performances should be captivating to the listener. Margaret's favorite composer is Handel. She says that she has experienced more emotions in his operas than any other composer's. She is excited to see his operas being performed by major opera companies and she is excited to start performing this type of music on a regular basis. Her goal for her grant is to find out more about early music performance groups and become involved with them. She says there is an intellectual aspect that is needed to add to the drama that is required for this type of music. "There are three cities in the United States that are very important to this type of music right now-Boston, Seattle, and SIGMA A T IOTA • Ca re e r P er fo r ma nce G r a n t • HA LP 2013 PHILANTHROPIES AWARDS N T HR O LA HI San Francisco. I want to go there and begin work with the groups they have in these cities, while also exploring the groups nearby in Chicago. I want to attend workshops and get to perform frequently with this type of group. I haven't been able to specialize in this type of performance before but jumped at the chance to whenever it was offered to me. Now with the support from this grant, I can learn how to become a better performer of this music." Once Margaret figured out what she wanted to pursue, she remembered that SAI Philanthropies had a Career Performance Grant that could help her. She felt the application process fit what was needed for this type of grant and she enjoyed recording the art songs that were required. " The short narrative that was required was helpful to me so that I could focus my goals. " When asked what advice Margaret could provide to future applicants of this grant, she said to find something that really moves you and gets you excited. "Hone in on what makes you want to practice and perform. When you are motivated with that excitement, the process becomes easier." Margaret isn't new to the benefits provided by SAI Philanthropies. She is a past recipient of a scholarship for the Aspen Music School. She is grateful for what SAI Philanthropies has done for her in the past and now in the present. " It is great to receive an award from a group that will be encouraging and follow up with me and is there to watch me grow." Carly Pigg is currently the Coordinator of Grants and Development for the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing. She was initiated at the Beta Iota chapter at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. She is the Secretary for the SAI Philanthropies, Inc. Board of Directors and Treasurer for the New Orleans Alumnae Chapter. She also serves as Financial Advisor to the Theta Psi chapter of SAI. She and her husband currently reside in River Ridge, LA. sai-national.org FALL 2013 PAN PIPES 23

• Cover