Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES • WINTER 2018 • sai-national.org 30 recitals at the American Church in Paris, the Dutch Reform Church in Harare, Zimbabwe, and at the Reapertura de la Iglesia Santa Teresa in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She also presented recitals and master classes at Oberlin College & Conservatory of Music, the University of New Mexico, Alma College, Murray State University, and at SongFest in Los Angeles. She continues to sing opera, oratorio, and solo recitals throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and Africa. In June 2017 she made her Carnegie Hall Debut as the soprano soloist in Ralph Vaughn William's Dona nobis pacem, under the baton of Maestra Nina Nash-Robertson. She has been a soloist in Mozart's Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria, Verdi's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Bach's Magnificat, and St. Matthew's Passion. Miss Lain's operatic roles include Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen, Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Polinesso in Ariodante, La Principessa in Suor Angelica, Baba in e Medium, and Ježibaba in Rusalka. She will make her role debut as Brünnhilde in Trilogy: An Opera Company's 2018 production of Wagner's Die Walküre under the baton of Maestro Julius P. Williams. Her awards include Art Song Preservation Society of New York (Semi-Finalist), Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (3rd Place Regional Winner), Gerder Lissner Competition (Encouragement Award), and National Association of Teachers of Singing (1st Place State, 2nd Place Regional)." Spencer Martin Spencer Martin was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Sigma Zeta Chapter at the University of Idaho in November. Spencer Martin, Associate Director and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow, has always cared for the organization of Sigma Alpha Iota. Martin holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Idaho. Martin has been head of Percussion Studies at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA since 2000 and at Northwest College in Powell, WY since 2010. From 2003-2006, Martin served as the Visiting Director of Athletic Bands at UI where he directed the Vandal Marching Band, Basketball Bands, Jazz Band III, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble and Dancers, Drummers, Dreamers Ensemble. For four years Martin served as director of bands at Sage Valley Middle School in Nampa, Idaho. His concert and jazz bands received numerous superior ratings and awards, including top scores at the District III Concert Festival, District III Solo and Ensemble Festival, District III Jazz Festival and the Gene Harris Jazz Festival. As Associate Director of Bands and head of percussion studies at Vallivue High School, Martin helped the VHS Marching Band earn the District III Marching Band Sweepstakes Trophy for three consecutive years, with the VHS drum line twice earning the percussion sweepstakes award. Of Basque decent, Martin performs internationally as a founding member of the Basque-American musical group Amuma Says No. Before touring northern Spain and southern France during the summer of 2011, his ensemble was featured at the opening of the Basque Exhibit on Ellis Island in New York City and at both the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Martin also teaches the ancient Basque percussion instrument Txalaparta, presenting for the American Folklore Society in 2009. For 2010-2011, he was awarded the State of Idaho's Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant On call with Crystal and Carnival Cruise Lines, Martin has traveled to over 30 countries as a professional percussionist. As a jazz drummer, he has backed up many artists, including Claudio Roditi, Jamey Aebersold, Mark Levine, Jay Coble, John Harbaugh, Curtis Stigers, Lee Musiker, Donald O'Conner, John Davidson, and Maureen McGovern. He has also served as principal percussionist in the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra and played pit percussion for Monty Python's national touring show "Spamalot" in 2007. Dr. Lisa Nelson Dr. Lisa Nelson was initiated as a Friend of the Arts in November by the Sigma Alpha Chapter at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU). Dr. Lisa Nelson is the Visiting Assistant Professor of violin, viola, and string pedagogy at Illinois Wesleyan University and the current head of the IWU String Preparatory Department. She holds a Master of Music in violin performance from St. Olaf College and a DMA in viola performance and literature with a cognate in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Her responsibilities at IWU vastly expand past what is expected of her, including her position as Executive Director of the IWU Cello Camp and her affiliation and faculty position with the International Chamber Music Academy in Kyustendil, Bulgaria. Every other year, Dr. Nelson, along with other IWU faculty, accept a group of students to join them in Bulgaria to spend 5 weeks playing chamber music. ese contributions to the arts embody all of the ideals that we hold through our mission statements. Dr. Nelson has displayed these principles throughout her time as a musician, performer, and faculty member. Dr. Gary Packwood Dr. Gary Packwood was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Epsilon Chi Chapter at Mississippi State University in October. Dr. Packwood has worked as the Director of Choral Activities at Mississippi State University since 2011. Before that, he was the Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Montevallo for eight years. He also worked for Louisiana State University as an Instructor of Music while he was studying to earn his doctorate and at William T. Dwyer Community High School from 1992 to 2000. Choirs under his direction have performed in state, regional, and international conferences and tours, and since 1997 he has been adjudicating and acting as guest conductor for festivals. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and American Choral Directors Association. From 2015-2017 he has been the President-Elect of the American Choral Directors Association's Southern Division, and he has served on committees for ACDA's Southern Division since 2004. He is affiliated with many more organizations outlined in his resume, but he is notably a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Phi Kappa Lambda. Martin Nelson Packwood DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS

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