Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • SPRING 2017 • PAN PIPES 13 Tania León is an SAI National Arts Associate, as well as a member of the SAI Composers Bureau. She also served as an IAMA Composer/Judge for the 2015 Competition. She had this to say in 2016 about her Resident Fellowship at the MacDowell Colony: "I am grateful for the opportunity to share thoughts, philosophy, perspectives, meals and presentations with exceptional artists from the nation and abroad. Also, the appreciation of time in support of my artistic endeavors, have generated a palpable effect in my mental space. My gratefulness for that gift is monumental." 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist composer Kate Soper on her 2013 residency: "One of the best artistic experiences of my life; ideal working conditions. In addition to the work I completed I'm left with a model of relaxed but intense focus, openness of thought, and a connection to process that I will try to recapture and incorporate into regular life in whatever way I can. I will also carry with me the lessons I learned from hearing other artists discuss their work intimately and openly outside of a typical artist talk format, both in presentations and in casual settings." Dr. Ingrid Arauco is an SAI Patroness Member, initiated by the Iota Tau Chapter at UNC- Chapel Hill in 1992. "The delight of MacDowell is that everything conspires to fuel one's creativity—the beauty of the landscape, the comfort of the studios, the lovingly prepared and delicious meals, and of course, the inspiring example of excellence provided by all the artists in residence. There is a special fellowship here among the artists, founded on mutual trust and respect. I feel that at MacDowell new pathways were opened for me artistically, which I intend to continue pursuing in the quest of deepening my work as a composer." SAI PHILANTHROPIES Richard Danielpour, a member of the SAI Composers Bureau, shared his experience in 2015 about his fifth Fellowship at the Colony: "This was my first time back to the MacDowell Colony in 12 years, and it offered me a unique perspective on how it has grown and developed in the last decade. I believe that nearly everything about the Colony (the food, library, communication apparatus, and staff ) has been improved upon within that time. The essence of the Colony has, however remained unchanged -which is what is most heartening. The overall willingness of the staff to go that extra mile in helping the artists to be productive and comfortable during their stay cannot be overstated enough. The Colony of course does not make the art - the artists do that, but the way the Colony is set up thankfully puts the artists in the best possible position to do their work effectively." sai-national.org • SPRING 2017 • PAN PIPES 13

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