Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • SPRING 2016 • PAN PIPES 31 Iowa and New Hampshire, as well as the Nassau County (NY) Honor Jazz Choir, and he will be serving as the director of the 2015 Missouri and New Jersey All-State Jazz Choirs. He graduated in 2000 from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor's in Music Education and a Master's of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. Rebecca Murphy Rebecca Murphy was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Epsilon Pi Chapter in January. She is a wonderful choir director at Kirksville High School in Kirksville, MO. She does a great job bringing the community together for great choral music. She works closely with Truman State University and puts on huge concerts that attracts hundreds of people each year. Mark Uranker Mark Uranker, initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Gamma Pi Chapter in March, serves as a devoted patron to the world of music. Uranker joined the California State University, Long Beach, Department of Music faculty in 1999 and has enjoyed a varied career as a concert pianist, chamber musician, composer, and dance musician. He has concertized extensively and has premiered the works of many composers. He has performed at many venues such as the Luckman Center for the Arts, The Carpenter Performing Arts Center, California Institute of the Arts, The Palm Springs Winterfest Bach Festival, and the Sundays at Four program on KUSC, a live broadcast from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.He has composed for both theater and dance; his works include incidental music for Moliere's Bourgeois Gentleman, Peter Shaffer's Royal Hunt of the Sun, and music for prominent choreographers. Mark composed and directed the music for the Gala Opening of the Aquarium of the Pacific. He collaborates with Althea Waites as the keyboard ensemble, The Orpheus Duo. Murphy Uranker DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS D r. Vincent Phelan received the "Studio Teacher of the Year" award from the Ohio String Teachers Association "for excellence and dedication in string teaching." e award was established in 1989 to recognize teachers for their outstanding contributions to string education and exceptional leadership and commitment in string teaching. Dr. Phelan was honored at the Ohio Music Education Association conference with his wife Elizabeth Council- Phelan in attendance, made possible by an SAI Professional Development Grant. In Cincinnati, Vincent and Elizabeth are Co-Artistic Directors of the Corryville Suzuki Project (CSP), TEEN STRINGS Ensemble, and the Cincinnati City-Wide Suzuki Camp. In addition, they facilitate the annual Cincinnati City-Wide Suzuki Violin Play-In. ey are both active performers with extensive conservatory and pedagogical training. As guest clinicians, the Phelans give lectures for workshops and teach and perform at Suzuki summer institutes. Vincent has been teaching for over 30 years and loves working with students of all ages and abilities. "It is so unusual to observe an instructor who can skillfully teach a four-year old and later the same day teach a college student with a very high level of sophistication! Very young siblings of his students love to crawl on his lap while he teaches. He has such a loving spirit and sense of humor," says his wife, Elizabeth. Vincent's vast performance experience contributes to his effective teaching. Vincent is Concertmaster of the Middletown Symphony and plays fiddle in the bluegrass band RETREAD. He is an active recitalist and has performed extensively for young audiences. Dr. Phelan teaches violin at God's Bible School and College and the Cincinnati Dominican Seminary. He also served as an adjudicator for the 2011 and 2012 Cincinnati Overture Awards. Vincent holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he studied with Won Bin Yim and Dorothy Delay. He received his doctoral degree from CCM in 2006. He was initiated as an SAI Friend of the Arts by the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter in 2009. As a life-long learner, Vincent is constantly practicing new music for his own public recitals, listening to recordings, observing instructors, and coaching new teachers. He is always looking to learn more effective teaching techniques and loves his work. e recipient of the "Studio Teacher of the Year" award is chosen each year based on nominations from string teachers throughout Ohio, and Dr. Phelan is proud to add his name to the list of recipients! — SuzukiProject.org Friend of the Arts Receives Teaching Award Co-Artistic Directors Dr. Vincent Phelan and Elizabeth Council-Phelan with the Corryville Suzuki Project TEEN STRINGS Ensemble.

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