Lee University Music Department holds Second Annual Collab Music Event
Photo by Shay MacLean.
On Saturday, Jan. 30, the School of Music hosted the second annual Collab Music event for musicians. The event’s title, created by Advisory Board member Mrs. Darla Conn, was “Making music together.”
Panelists such as Dr. Cho Eun Lee, assistant professor of collaborative piano and vocal coaching ran the event. LeeU Collab Music was a day-long workshop focused on musical collaboration and music learning. This event was designed for musicians of vocal, instrumental and piano backgrounds.
The event brought together music professors from several universities so students could gain a wider perspective of music. The audience included Lee University music students, high school students and teaching professionals across the U.S.
“In the promotion procedure, I send out emails to our high school music teachers in Tennessee. Last fall, we had over 70 participants from six different states and Canada. This semester’s audience number count is over 60 participants,” said Dr. Lee.
The participants went through a series of lectures designed to benefit the musician’s well-being.
“I think students want to learn from other people. You have your applied teacher, but learning from other people will get more perspectives about the music,” said Dr. Lee.
The day was broken up into seven different lectures. This included a session titled “Music Learning and the Brain,” faculty spotlights, a masterclass, breakout sessions, a workshop and the closing performance. This semester, LeeU Collab Music focused the masterclass on music’s instrumental side.
Lee music faculty members Dr. Randy Sheeks, Dr. Charlotte Kies, Dr. Andrea Dismukes and Dr. Mark Bailey lectured at the event.
“There should be room for you to use your gifts in the church,” said Sheeks, associate professor of church music. He shared his passion for church music and worship during the event. “To think beyond the score, and how can I learn from looking at the score and what’s there? What are my other possibilities if I wanted to do the same piece in another style? How would I change the style?”
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed those who are passionate about music to find new ways to learn together, according to Adjunct Professor of Clarinet and Music Theory Dr. Charlotte Kies.
“To perform, study and participate in anything musical online is just so different. Without it, we lose a lot of opportunities. Performers and students have lost a lot of opportunities to perform. It’s important to continue playing music even though it’s in front of a screen. It’s important to find new and creative ways to adapt to what has happened,” Kies said.
Senior Vocal Music major Lindsey Gore said these events provide opportunities to become more comfortable rehearsing and performing with other musicians in different fields.
“I feel like as a musician, it’s important to get as many perspectives from all sorts of people with different experiences and backgrounds,” said performance major graduate student Emily Stewart.
The LeeU Collab team hopes students gained a deeper understanding of music through the experience.
“Through the LeeU Collab Music event, we hope more people will learn how active and vibrant our music program is at Lee University,” Dr. Lee said.
