PHONATHON SURVEY Thank you for completing this brief survey. Your answers will act as one of the main sources of script and caller training information for the RuffaloCODY writer, Susy Romero. Please email your completed survey, and mail/email copies of the following materials to melanieearl@missouristate.edu Recent mail pieces o Solicitation pieces o Magazines o Newsletters Thank you for helping make your phonathon successful! Your name: Julie Combs School name: COAL, Department of Music Accepted school nicknames: Music Department Year established: National Association of Schools of Music member since 1967 Dean: Dean Gloria Galanes Enrollment (please include undergraduate vs. graduate enrollment): Undergraduate: 330 Graduate: 47 Person alumni can contact with questions/comments: (INCLUDE TITLE, PHONE, E-MAIL ADDRESS) Julie Combs, Department Head, 901 S. National, MSU, jcombs@missouristate.edu; phone 417-836-5648 SCRIPTING INFORMATION What this year s gifts will support, and why support/funding for those things is important: (Please list any applicable areas. NOTE: It is very important to have as much information as possible for this question.) The Music Department has awarded every scholarship it has to over 50 deserving students from the state, region, outside our region, and to students from China, Malaysia, and South America. Page 1 of 5
This year we plan to support student travel to regional competitions and master classes such as the Joe Allessi Trombone Masterclass or the Eastern Trombone Workshop in Virginia. Singers will need help to attend regional National Association of Teachers of Singing Competitions. Students will need travel help to compete in regional and national competitions away from the MSU campus. Funds and donations will be used to bring visiting teachers and clinicians to campus to work with students in specific studios. Last year s Annual Fund gifts were used to (The more specific examples of what past gifts have helped make possible, the better. For instance, it s more significant to know that last year s gifts helped make 21 new computers possible for a computer lab rather than gifts support state-of-the-art technology. ): Donor gifts helped support travel to New York City for the White String Quartet to compete at the Music Teachers National Association final competition for string quartets and for Ryan Hardcastle, violist, to compete in the solo competition. Donor gifts also supported the Jazz Studies Ensemble, our curricular jazz program led by Randy Hamm, to travel to New York City to perform at the Theatre Showcase with musical theatre majors singing and for the Jazz Studies Ensemble members to have master classes and lessons with members of the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Donor gifts also helped to support some choral student travel to Germany and Paris with the Concert Chorale under the direction of Guy Webb. The following are examples of specific information that is helpful when scripting: Scholarships: How many scholarships were you able to award this year? Over 50 endowed scholarships, one award from the Presser Publishing Foundation, and numerous band grants for participation in the Pride Marching Band. What percent of your students rely on some kind of financial aid? Over 75% of our students receive some sort of financial aid. Study abroad: How many students are able to study abroad currently? Last year, 42 music majors in the Concert Chorale traveled in Germany and Paris to perform. 3 singers were part of the Amalfi Coast Vocal Festival in Italy Fifteen students went to London for two weeks with Dr. Muchnick Page 2 of 5
This fall the entire Chamber Orchestra, all string students will spend Fall Break in China at Qingdao University performing and meeting Chinese music students. Are there new countries or locations that are now accessible for study abroad? We are exploring possibilities in Columbia and Brazil. Equipment: How many new pieces of equipment, technology or resources were purchased for classrooms and labs? What is the significance of these upgrades? The Music Department was able to replace four upright pianos for practice rooms and studios with student fee money in an effort to begin our All Steinway School campaign. We intend to use student lesson fees annually to replace our aging piano inventory until we achieve All Steinway status; a status that will enable our students to have the best pianos on which to study and which will attract many more fine students to our programs. Community outreach/programs: Have you been able to begin any new initiatives with community outreach? How many people do you affect with your existing programs? What is the goal of these programs? What do you hope these programs can accomplish for the future? Our MSU String Project serves over 60 elementary students every semester with group and private string instruction under the direction of Dr. David Hays. These low to nocost lessons are available in partnership with Roundtree Elementary School. Students present a recital every semester. Attractions: Were you able to offer any guest speakers, visiting professors or exhibits to your students last year? How do those experiences impact your students? We offered over a dozen guest artist recitals and masterclasses to various students in the past year. Some examples are: five voice masterclasses, guests in the clarinet, flute, trombone, and percussion studios, guest jazz combo for Public Affairs Weeks, guest lecturers in music history, music appreciation, and world music classes. Our students benefit greatly from having guest experts here on campus. Often a mass lecture or lecture recital gives way to individual lessons or small groups discussions. Our annual guest composer works with every composition students critiquing work and offering suggestions for improvements on individual compositions. How can the School/College/Department benefit from gifts at the following levels? (For example: $50 buys a journal subscription for the library, or four gifts of $250 add up to a scholarship for a student. Please provide as many examples as possible.) Page 3 of 5
$50---pays an entry fee for a competition; buys music or reeds $100---helps offset travel expenses for a student to a competition $250 four or more of these gifts can fund a meaningful scholarship for a student; helps a choir students raise funds for foreign travel $1000: again, a scholarship that helps defray tuition costs; buys books for a year $2500: pays a half year s tuition $5000: covers a full year s expenses 2-3 themes/messages you would like included in your scripts (ideally these would be tied to the Annual Fund): 1. Annual Fund gifts can help the Music Department get to All Steinway School status faster by supporting smaller items 2. MSU music students CAN and DO go anywhere. Our students are in graduate programs at Northwestern, University of North Texas, University of Kansas, University of Oklahoma. These fine students rely on your private support for that leg up that could mean the difference between a top and a second tier graduate school. 3. Music lives its mission of cultural competence and community engagement. Your gift which helps a student right now is going to come back to a community in the future when our student settles there and gives back to the community as a citizen-scholar. The top 3 reasons why alumni/parents/friends should give are: 1. Someone generously helped you when you were a student here! Time to pay it forward! 2. State Support is not sufficient to provide the kinds of experiences we want our students to have to become leaders in a new global society. 3. Following your Passion and finding your Place continue beyond the MSU campus---your gifts can help pave the way for future generations to do this and give it back to MSU. News from the last year: (For example, if you have added a new major, offer a new study abroad destination, or class size or if average GPA has increased. Use this area to highlight the accomplishments of the school/college.) This past year, the MSU Music Department has placed its undergraduates in at least five top regional and benchmark institutions for graduate study. Undergraduate composition major Tyler Durham was a national winner in a composition contest for his First Symphony. The MSU Opera Workshop produced its first full-length opera in the past ten years: Mozart s Magic Flute. Music education graduates continue to find full-time employment upon graduation. Music Theatre majors have gotten successful summer placements in Montana, Ohio, and New York, as well as with Springfield s Tent Theatre. Page 4 of 5
PROSPECT PROFILE Controversies or topics alumni might ask about/mention to student callers. For instance, we would want to know about a popular professor leaving or alumni from the 1990s feeling especially disconnected from the School. If available, include the School s standard response. Dr. Guy Webb, director of Choral Studies for over 30 years, at MSU will retire at the end of the 2013-14 academic year. Although Dr. Webb says he doesn t want a sendoff, the department intends to give him one. It would be wonderful for as many of his former students to return for the President s Concert, which Dr. Webb will conduct, in May 2014. INFORMATION FOR STUDENT CALLERS Upcoming alumni events: Major changes in the past 12 months i.e. prominent faculty or staff retired/departed, building renovations, programs eliminated, organizational changes: The Music Library which is now housed in Meyer Library left space that has become four new offices for faculty on Ellis s main floor. We have two new vocal hires: Drs. Carol Chapman and Ann Marie Daehn. We have a new trombone hire: Dr. Jason Hausback. Page 5 of 5