At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy. 

More broadly, in the words of Ukrainian-born writer Joseph Conrad, “All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.” 

As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations. 

For example, I encourage you to discover how Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg is creating sustainability through music education, ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society. Related, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder and Ian Gunnarschja—received grants to support innovative projects that promote equity in music and wellness among neurodiverse musicians.

Creative courage and unique expression at our college are further personified by Enion Pelta-Tiller—a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy—whose ambitious, experimental approach to music brings together a wealth of coexisting influences and helped shape our new cross-genre ensembles and curricula. And, in case you missed it, our Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar recently shared a delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday—a labor of love and creative fortitude in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

Additionally, more than 100 guest artists, ensembles and lecturers have energized our classrooms and graced our stages so far this academic year—most recently including Kennedy Center honoree and five-time Grammy Award-winner , and Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon; as well as visiting scholars in our Musicology + Music Theory Colloquium Series and local luminaries like alumnus —son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—who presented a master class last week as part of our annual Persevering Legacy events showcasing works by women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Also inspiring to our community this month was a musicians’ workshop led by Blues icon (and Boulder resident) , a Colorado Music Hall of Famer.

For all these reasons among many more, I remain steadfast in our resolve to inspire artistry and discovery, together. 

With gratitude, 

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

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will celebrate the impact and influence of Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee who retires this year. In the following tribute, Professor of Jazz Studies John Gunther—who directs our Thompson Jazz Studies Program—reflects on the remarkable career and contributions of the world-renowned jazz trombonist, arranger, composer and educator: 

For more than a decade, Paul’s contributions to the Thompson Jazz Studies Program and the College of Music have been of the highest caliber and his tenure at ���������� caps a 33-year career in higher education that began in 1991. 

Paul possesses remarkable artistry in his performance and composition. As a jazz trombonist, he is regarded as one of the top performers in the world. His ability on the instrument shows a level of artistry rarely heard. He is simply a beautiful player with a gift for swing and expressive melodic improvisation. 

As a composer and arranger, Paul is equally regarded as one of the best. Paul’s specialty as an arranger is in the tradition of big band swing, having spent many years on the road with one of the great touring swing bands—the Woody Herman Orchestra. He can create an arrangement that captures the spirit of the tradition of the music while adding his own contemporary voice. Many of his arrangements are performed by high school and college bands across the country. Creating a jazz composition that is accessible to young musicians yet still retains the sound and excitement of the idiom is not easily accomplished, but it is a craft that Paul has mastered. 

Paul approaches all his classes and applied lessons with high expectations for his students, a sense of genuine care, and a dedication to their growth and learning. At ����������, he has directed the department's large and small jazz ensembles, taught applied jazz trombone lessons, and taught Jazz Composition + Arranging and Jazz Theory + Aural Skills—as well as advised and directed graduate students in individual composition study. Just recently, while attending a concert, I heard how much growth had occurred in one of the young jazz trombonists. He had a grasp of jazz improvisation at a level that I had not heard just a few months before. When I complimented the student, he grinned and said, “... it’s because I’m studying with Paul!” 

Paul has been an integral part of the growth and success of the College of Music’s jazz program. As department chair, I have always been able to rely on his steadfast commitment to his teaching and artistry. He will be greatly missed and leaves us with a legacy of great teaching and beautiful music making.

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A wealth of influences coexist in Enion Pelta-Tiller’s approach to music.

Classical components drawn from composers like Berlioz, Mahler, Bartok and Stravinsky; jazz violin echoes that summon the best work of Stephane Grappelli and other giants of the genre; folk and traditional elements that run the geographical gamut from Eastern Europe to Ireland to India—all of these ingredients figure into Pelta-Tiller’s ambitious and unique brand of fusion.

It’s no wonder, considering her consistent dedication to musical exploration which started with childhood and college classical music studies in San Francisco and continued after she moved to New York, connected with her future husband/musical collaborator David Tiller and eventually landed in Colorado.

“The Bay Area was a great place to grow up, musically speaking,” Pelta-Tiller recalls. “I became quite interested in experimenting with improvisation and often spent hours improvising music that sounded like what I was supposed to be practicing, or played along with Coltrane, Miles, TISQ, Jascha Heifetz and Ravi Shankar records. I was in this environment of classical, new acoustic and bluegrass-adjacent music, jazz and Indian music—and soaking it all up. 

“When I moved to New York after college, I got involved in playing new music, rock, Irish music and bluegrass.”

Combined, these influences helped carve out Pelta-Tiller’s unique niche in the local music scene, and show up in her work as a performer and an educator, as a composer and as a collaborator with musical luminaries from across the globe. She’s a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group  and directs our new Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, roles that draw directly on her wide-ranging interests and skills. She’s also a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy at the College of Music, set to graduate in May.

Pelta-Tiller’s no-holds-barred musical approach is sure to figure in her upcoming show at  on March 11 with her group EnQuintet—a jazz ensemble that also features ���������� faculty members John Gunther on winds/reeds and Victor Mestas on piano as well as Eric Thorin on bass and Kevin Mathews on drums. 

“This time, we’re mostly focusing on repertoire from members of the David Grisman Quintet because I’m interested in how that music—so inspired by both jazz and bluegrass—sounds when played by more traditional jazz instruments instead of in a string band setting,” she says. “For a couple tunes, we’ll add extra horns—Wil Swindler, Jonas Peterson and Cian Kruger—and give our pianist a rest.”

The show will also be an occasion to experience Pelta-Tiller playing her six-string violin—also known as a fadolin—made by New York-based luthier Eric Aceto, offering the depth and tone of a baroque instrument. “It’s amazing for accompanying myself on voice and expanding my improvisational palette,” she notes.

Expanding her skill-set and pushing the boundaries of creative expression have long been a hallmark of Pelta-Tiller’s approach and her connections within the College of Music have only deepened that mission, especially as it aligns with the college’s universal musician approach to fulfilling its mission.

She speaks of the work she’s done with students in her cross-genre ensemble, taking part in fiddle flash mobs and collaborating with artists like Klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals. She speaks of  working with jazz faculty members like Gunther, Mestas and composition professor Annika Socolofsky. It’s all been part of a musical evolution that began when Pelta-Tiller played musical call-and-response games with her father as an infant.

���������� has been integral to that evolution and Pelta-Tiller looks forward to continuing the connection long after the upcoming Dazzle show and her time as a graduate student.

“In directing combos, my arranging and improvisation skills have been challenged,” she notes. “And in playing with my graduate colleagues in the jazz department, some of whom are doing really far out stuff, my concept of form and my musical imagination have been stretched further than I could have conceived.”

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Smiley, who teaches a large 370-student jazz history class as well as a jazz combo, plans to use the fellowship to advance his compositional goals. His primary focus during this time will be composing a suite of octet music—a significant leap in scope from his usual compositions for smaller groups like trios, quartets and quintets. He’s looking ahead to spring 2025 when he hopes to record his new compositions with both Colorado musicians and other collaborators from across the country.

As a composer, Smiley’s work sits at the intersection of jazz and contemporary classical music, drawing on improvisational techniques that challenge the conventions of both genres. “The music I write is always too improvisational for the contemporary classical world but utilizes modern compositional techniques that are still foreign to most of the jazz world,” he explains. Smiley is inspired by composers such as Christian Wolff, known for creating compositions meant to be performed in different ways with varying orchestrations, ensuring that no performance is ever the same. This flexible, open form of composition has become a hallmark of Smiley’s approach which he’s excited to explore further. 

While Smiley is accustomed to composing for small ensembles of musicians with whom he regularly collaborates, the MacDowell Fellowship offers an opportunity to expand his creative work to larger ensembles and broader collaborations—a challenge he’s ready to embrace while maintaining the intimacy and improvisational spirit of his works for smaller ensembles.

Smiley’s path to the MacDowell Fellowship was marked by persistence and inspiration from peers.  (BM ’11, MM ’20)—a ���������� College of Music alumna and a successful local composer, pianist, educator and entrepreneur—encouraged him to apply for composition residencies. “I have never had planned time off from teaching, performing and working to sit down and focus solely on writing music,” Smiley notes. “I have a lot of goals to accomplish while I’m there.”

Especially, Smiley is eager to develop new compositions that embrace the unpredictability of improvisation while utilizing advanced compositional techniques. His work will undoubtedly continue to challenge the boundaries of both the jazz and contemporary classical music worlds—bringing fresh perspectives to both genres.

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At the ���������� Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett
“I’m really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I’m 20 and need to be able to write really bad music … and then release the things that I really love,” says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student. 

“Last fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the ���������� graduate saxophone quartet.”

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. “It’s been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,” she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled “Legato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.” 

“The workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,” Del Simone says.

“It was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.”

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant. 

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across Colorado and Nevada. 

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet—trumpet, piano, bass, drums—writing and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses. 

“The opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,” Howarth says. 

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including “Avant Shorts”—10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren’t commonly used in jazz compositions. 

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant. 

“I thought I’d write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,” Kwon says. 

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community. 

“People are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,” Kwon says. “I think these short compositions put less pressure on people—they can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.” 

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen’s “” concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

“It was a very fun event,” Li says. “Even though it was off-campus, it was really CU that made this possible because that’s how we connected.”

Many ���������� musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos—who’s majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business—and the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

“I had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,” Li recalls. “So it was really special for me that—after 13 years—I got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!”

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye’s music, he knew he’d found something special. “I loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,” he says. “Eventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.”

To prepare, Stahl—who’s pursuing a DMA in piano performance—interviewed Okoye about her music. “We talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.” The ECM grant helped fund Okoye’s contribution.

Okoye’s music is already part of the American Music Research Center’s Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

“Okoye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,” Stahl adds. “I’ve never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.” 

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition in April—and the ECM grant helped her get there. 

“I submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,” Trejo says. “It went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.”

Trejo performed Chen Yi’s “Memory” for solo flute and Frank Martin’s “Ballade” for flute and piano. 

“I love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists—it’s very important and humbling, but still encouraging,” Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter—who earned a DMA in violin performance—recorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled “Origin: Music by Women of the Americas.” The pieces are “ko’u inoa” by Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Scratch the Surface” by Dana Kaufman, “String Poetic” by Jennifer Higdon and “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriel Lena Frank.

“I picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,” Winter says. “I learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.”

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year’s adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard. 

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Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee (center) at the inaugural Paul McKee Jazz Festival!

For Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee, it doesn’t seem all that long ago that he was playing a gig with a small combo at yet another wedding. Around him were a handful of bored players, earning another paycheck. “But regardless of whether it’s a rehearsal or a gig, it’s important to always put forth your best effort,” says the trombonist and composer/arranger extraordinaire. “That’s what I told the kids at Indianola last month: ‘You’ve got to play full power all the time. Give it 100% effort.’” 

McKee was referring to his recent visit to Indianola High School: On Feb. 17, his high school alma mater inaugurated the Paul McKee Jazz Festival, rebranded in tribute to an illustrious alumnus. “It’s a huge honor and a big event,” he explains. “Forty bands competed in the festival—from middle school to high school. 

“Next year, I’m going to write a piece for the Indianola High School Jazz Band—and maybe come back and play something.” This year, McKee served as a guest judge.

McKee speaks with the Indianola High School Wind Ensemble sharing stories and life advice.
Photo courtesy: Indianola High School Band.

Being recognized in this way invites reflection on an unusual life in music—one in which McKee nimbly juggles academics with exciting experiences in jazz performance including a stint with the legendary Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd. 

“I always wanted to play,” he says. “But I felt that getting a college degree would be a wise choice, so I earned music education and composition degrees. I later had the opportunity to send an audition tape to the Woody Herman band. That was in 1984. 

“I had sought out opportunities to go out on the road—so when they brought me on board, I was ecstatic. It was one of the big deals of my lifetime.” 

McKee’s years as a traveling musician still serve as a valuable experience to share with his students. “I always strive to teach by example,” he points out. “I give them the ball and let them run with it.”

On May 9, McKee’s impact will extend beyond the classroom to the university commencement ceremony at Folsom Field stadium, premiering his new arrangement of the familiar theme from Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In D (1901), performed and recorded by students in the college’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program. “It’s a contemporary arrangement in three parts capturing the diversity of our graduates and our campus community,” explains McKee. “You’ll hear a big band rendition of the march, then in the Latin montuno style and finally in the New Orleans style that should lighten things up for everybody.”

This eclectic musical mix both mirrors McKee’s approach to life and the lessons he imparts in his teaching, and reflects the College of Music’s universal musician mission: “The more skills you have, the stronger a candidate you are for finding interesting, interdisciplinary work,” he says. “That’s what I reinforce in mentoring my students. I encourage them to build on what they’ve experienced, what they’ve learned and what they know, and to understand how much they have to offer.”

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Professor of Jazz Studies John Gunther shares details of the long-anticipated program: “Thanks to the generous support of Jack and Jeannie Thompson, this program is finally coming to fruition. Jack and Jeannie are astute supporters of the College of Music and are very involved and aware of the needs of the college.”

He continues, “The program is not only for aspiring jazz vocalists, as we hope it will serve the College of Music more broadly. Jazz improvisation is such an important part of the history of performance of American music and the skill sets that our musicians need to have in the 21^st ����Գٳܰ���.”

The methods incorporated into the Thompson Jazz program reflect a commitment to providing real-world experiences. Unlike traditional audition-based ensemble formation, the program embraces a unique approach. “Ensembles are formed without auditions and then rotated every few weeks, fostering an environment where students of varying ages and experience levels come together and collaborate,” Gunther explains.

“This approach encourages students to build relationships, learn to communicate effectively and navigate the dynamics of working with musicians of varying backgrounds—mirroring the professional world, where collaboration is essential and musicians must adapt to different skill sets within the group.” 

Developing and implementing the new degree program was both a response to internal recognition and driven by external demand. “The Jazz Studies department had been receiving inquiries from high school directors and prospective students eager to know when such a program would be offered,” Gunther says. “The call among young musicians for a broader experience is a clear recognition of the importance of engaging with contemporary music making, improvisation and diverse styles beyond their primary focus.”

Additionally, the jazz program has introduced a new extracurricular ensemble—Ralphie’s Ramblers—committed to embodying the spirit of New Orleans brass bands. Ralphie’s Ramblers ensures that students across disciplines have the opportunity to experience and collaborate in jazz in meaningful ways.

Looking ahead, over spring break, faculty and students from Thompson Jazz will spend a week-long intensive in Havana, studying and performing with master musicians of Afro-Cuban jazz, underscoring the College of Music’s commitment to providing a comprehensive education beyond the classroom walls. “With nearly 30 participants—20 students and 10 faculty—we’ll immerse ourselves in the culture and vibrant musical landscape of Havana,” shares Gunther. “This trip will broaden our understanding of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, and our appreciation for the cultural nuances that shape these genres.”

In sum, the opportunities within the jazz program at the College of Music extend beyond traditional education. In addition to immersive experiences, cultural exchanges and a comprehensive curriculum, students are actively engaged in shaping their musical journeys by producing their own music, composing original pieces, overseeing the production process and independently releasing their works. According to Gunther, the program’s commitment to fostering this creativity is further exemplified by its record label, Thompson Jazz Records, and strong student support: “We not only encourage but actively support students in entering professional recording studios, ensuring their artistic projects receive the attention they deserve. Our faculty supports students throughout the process—whether it’s recording in the studio or securing copyrights.”

As the Thompson Jazz Studies Program continues to empower students to be performers—as well as creators and contributors to the ever-evolving landscape of jazz music—it serves as a hub for innovation and artistic expression, and a space to pursue limitless creative possibilities.

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Nate Bonin and Danny Kaminski are our 2023 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars! These students will receive full scholarships funded by John and Anna Sie who established the award in 2014.

“I’m delighted that both Nathan and Daniel have been named our next Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars, and I'm pleased that we’re able to support two exceptional music students from Colorado,” says Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies + Enrollment Management Matthew Roeder. “Nathan and Daniel are not only outstanding individuals but also exemplary musicians who will undoubtedly represent the College of Music extremely well.”

Bonin—a Longmont native—is studying French horn performance with Professor of Horn Mike Thornton. “I chose ���������� because I’ve worked with Professor Thornton in the past,” he says. “My teacher in high school would take me to master classes and things that were happening at the studio here—I got to see everything and really wanted to be a part of it.”

Bonin has chosen to pursue music because it makes him feel “completely fulfilled.” 

"I’ve played in a number of ensembles and not only being a part of those groups and playing, but also being in the audience is a good experience for me—and I think it honestly is for everybody,” says Bonin who’s excited to be at the College of Music.

“This scholarship is absolutely life changing,” he adds.

Kaminski grew up in Colorado Springs and is studying jazz bass with Jazz Studies Lecturer Bijoux Barbosa. He chose the College of Music because he loves the faculty and the students here. “My main goal in looking at music schools was to follow where the good players are going,” Kaminski says. “Because that’s where the future of music is and that’s what I want to be a part of.

“I just can’t necessarily imagine myself being happy doing anything else. I feel like, when I play music, it’s the only time that my thoughts feel more cohesive and more streamlined and purposeful. And most importantly, why we pretty much do anything, it’s really fun.”

Kaminski’s goals for the future are to continue to push jazz music forward and bring it into the modern age. More than anything, though, Kaminski says, “I just want to help give back. I’ve had too many teachers to count, my parents, so many students, that helped me in immeasurable ways. I feel like I owe it to them and to everyone else, including the next generation, to give that back and to be a helping force.”

The Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship will help Kaminski along that path and allows him to fully engage in his College of Music education. “I’m eternally thankful for that and I don’t think it will ever truly set in that I got a full ride. I truly don’t have the words, I’m so deeply thankful.”

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The College of Music is committed to supporting students in expanding their skill sets through certificate programs in a variety of areas. Venezuelan Andres Orco is a DMA guitar student in our Thompson Jazz Studies Program with a special interest in advanced rhythm and meter in jazz; as such, he’s also pursuing a Certificate in Music Theory. 

“I was drawn to ���������� for many reasons,” shares Orco, who earned a bachelor’s in music from the Berklee College of Music and a master’s in music from the New England Conservatory. “The faculty in both the jazz and theory departments, the student-faculty ratio and the teaching opportunities afforded to me as a Teaching Assistant.” 

For his Certificate in Music Theory project, by combining music theory with ethnography, Orco analyzed modern repertoire and interviewed 15 professional jazz musicians including Vijay Iyer, Terri Lyne Carrington, Miguel Zenon and Mary Halvorson. 

“The certificate is a pared-down master’s in music theory. I have always gravitated toward music theory, although I was more interested in studying jazz. Through the certificate program, I received a multidisciplinary education that has made me a more well-rounded musician and educator.” 

Evolution of 21st-century jazz 
“Jazz has always been an exceptionally sophisticated music. In the past 30 years, there’s been an increase in the use of rhythmic complexity, such as polyrhythms, asymmetrical meters and displacement as a compositional tool,” says Orco. “The modern jazz musician—coming from a tradition of rhythmic sophistication in improvisation—is now expressing rhythmic ambiguity in already ambiguous spaces. This, in my opinion, is an evolutionary marker in the music.”

Current theoretical literature isn’t sufficient to explain modern jazz
“There are two reasons why the current theoretical literature isn’t sufficient to explain modern jazz,” continues Orco. “First, most scholars discussing rhythm and meter in music have focused on Western classical music. As a result, analytical models have biases that can sometimes work when analyzing jazz … but often falter. Rules have to be broken and the music is essentially made to conform to the model, rather than the other way around.

“Second, the jazz literature is almost entirely dedicated to a 20-year period, 1940 to 1960. Given how much the music has changed, it’s very important to research modern repertoire to continue the discussion into the 21st ����Գٳܰ���.”

Amplifying the voices of expert jazz practitioners in theoretical discussions of their music
According to Orco, “While slowly settling as an academic discipline, jazz is still an oral tradition. Some of the most important theorists and historians are the players themselves, who understand this music from every aspect—theoretical, historical and embodied. 

“Some recent articles discussing modern jazz simply get it wrong, and my ethnographic findings demonstrate there is a conflict between the literature and practitioner’s perspective. Scholars overlooked important organizing elements endemic in jazz and, as a result, their interpretations conflict with how jazz musicians would normally understand and analyze the music. Including the perspective of professional jazz musicians is both ethically valuable and provides ecological validity to the analysis of music.”

He explains, “Ecological validity is a judgment made on research. Essentially, it’s whether the conclusions and findings have any relevance to the studied population—‘real world’ versus study. In this case, the academic discussion of music is often not ecologically valuable because it operates in a vacuum. It’s an analysis of music as a product rather than as a practice, where only scholars are in dialogue with it … and it goes nowhere beyond a journal. Including the actual practitioner of the music involves members of the broader population, discusses the music from both practical and analytical perspectives, and is more relevant to the ‘real world’ because of the dual perspective. 

“Ethical value builds from the same idea, but refers to the notion that it is ethically important to include the voice of the practitioner in jazz. Too often, this has not been the case … despite the fact that jazz is an oral tradition and some of the most knowledgeable historians and theorists of the music are the actual musicians themselves.”

An active performer in the Denver metro area, Orco is also focused on writing guitar pedagogy books and teaching aspiring guitarists of all levels and ages. 

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What experience are you most proud of, during your career at ����������?
In 1992, we brought a saxophone ensemble—even the bass saxophone—to the World Saxophone Congress in Pesaro, Italy. The ensemble premiered a piece by former College of Music faculty member Luis Gonzalez. I also played a short recital in which I premiered works by former College of Music colleagues Joe Lukasik and Richard Toensing. The concert was very well attended and well received, and I was proud to represent ����������.

What trends or culture shifts did you observe over the course of your career, and what’s your career advice to students today?
I always told my students that I don’t consider myself talented at all—I just worked really hard. So when students follow what they are truly passionate about, I have always supported that. I’m equally proud of my students who have found careers outside of music. 

You never know where music will take you, but dedication and hard work will always pay off. And while the record industry has imploded, there are so many new opportunities now due to the internet and social media. I hope the College of Music continues to adapt to these changes.  

What’s the best thing about being retired? What are you up to these days?
I just returned from Spain. My dog is happy that I’m home a lot. I’ll continue to play gigs … and now I have time to really work on my table tennis game. 

When the pandemic hit and I was teaching remotely, I purchased a microphone and an interface. One thing led to another and I ended up building a recording studio in my basement. I’m learning a lot about composition and arranging, recording, editing, engineering, mastering, producing and distribution … all things that I should have learned a long time ago!

With gratitude, we congratulate Tom Myer on his well-earned retirement! 

Myer directed the college’s jazz studies program from 1988-95 and also taught at East Texas State University. He worked professionally for the Mingus Big Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Nelson Riddle, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Ice Capades and Disney World—and backed the likes of alumnus Dave Grusin, Kathleen Battle, Doc Severinson, Bob Hope, Lou Rawls, Natalie Cole, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Dianne Carroll, Barbara Mandrel, Mel Torme, Ben Folds, Idina Menzel, Seal and many others. He also performed new saxophone works at the World Saxophone Congress in 1992 (Italy), 1997 (Spain) and 2003 (Minneapolis), and is credited with premiering John Harbison’s “Sonata” and David Maslanka’s “Concerto.” Myer has commissioned numerous classical and jazz pieces, and his recording “Harbison, San Antonio” was released on Albany Records; he can also be heard on Capri Records with the Fred Hess Sextet featuring Art Lande and Ron Miles, and he has recorded with Joel Kay’s Neophonic Jazz Orchestra. Myer earned a Master of Music in woodwind performance and jazz studies from North Texas State University, and an undergrad in music education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

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