Clinic with Kathy Romey
Building Bridges between academia and the community
Bridging-applies to every education area
Who is Kathy Romey?
- 12 years old-lived abroad-new country, language, culture
-High School went to Germany-lived as governess-got insights into bridging
-Undergrad Degree-Oregon-flute performance-not the major for me!
-Grad Degree-Germany-conducting
-Profession brings people together in significant ways
-Think of Significant projects-they bring people together
Role Models in K. Romey's life and in Bridging
Father-conductor, music administrator, and founder of International Organization of Choral Music
(6th World Symposium is Aug 3-10-will bring 50 countries and 25 International choirs together)
Primary Teacher in Germany-Had the courage to look for significant projects-First German choir to
go into Israel, East African Countries after WWII, commissioned several new works (these will
have a lasting impact), 2001 Grammy Award
Elaine Brown-Choral Music Education-Brown University. Her organization was Singing City, a
choral organization that brings people together from many walks of life.
1984-an importnat year-K. Romey was director of the Minnesota Chorale
-Chorus had nothing to sing, so they came up with "Bridges"
Bridges-utilize resources in this community, and brings all people together
Bridges over Time
-1984-Russian Sisters (just moved to city) who play piano-cheap project
-performed Rachmoninoff Vespers with Russian community
-K. Romey knocked on Russian church door and asked to learn Russian culture
-cantor gave her lessons, got russian newspaper, radio, and people involved in the project
-Singers initially resistant-why should they learn so much about culture?
-teach singers something new-inreach program
-good way to expand as musicians
-Russian Night-packed-more appealing to funders than Orchestra Hall
-arts moneys and community money
-Earth Day Family Concert
-Childrens Concert
-1995 Service of Rememberance and Peace
-held at temple, part of Shabott-many hadn't even been in temple
-Many Faces of Women
-women of all ages and with living composers
-Janika Vandervelde-wrote commissioned piece
-This led to her receiving a meet the composer grant and a 3 year residency
Little Bridges lead to Big Bridges
-fall 1997-spring 1998 Derrick Pennocks
-doctoral student at U of M and member of MN Chorale
-asked why not reach into the African American community?
-Lead to long term relationship to explore sacred song from African Americans
-Kathy Romey gave up the podium
-Robert Morris with the Lee Morris Chorale and Sam Davis were people involed in the 2
community choirs and 4 inner city church choirs took over and taugh MN Chorale
-Went over difficult issues that were there
-Music was also performed extremely stylistically
1st set of concerts-Lift Every Voice
-all conductors asked to submit pieces
-all choirs put together to sing "God's Trombones" and James WIlden Johnson and William
Morfield said words of preacher
-very interactive
-Bobby McFerrin and Porgy and Bess performance while this was going on too
Piece for Millenium-Music and Meditation
-Nobel Prize Winner
Adventures of the Black Dot
-childrens opera by Janika Vandervele
-black dot goes to the island of clans (1/2 note, 1/4 note, whole note clans)
-orchestra plays gamalan sort of music
-put on at Ted Mann
-remounting project-revising and going to present next season
-Work with Carrie Margolis-Producer and Writer and narrator...
-Contemporary-using theatrical aspects
Venezueala Project
-country devestated by Mud Slides, thousands dead, Political Turmoil, unsettled country
-amazing youth music program
-involves 100,000 kids-has support from everyone. Every participant is given uniform,
instrument, lots of lessons and rehearsal time. -dedication in every village-rehearsal and
lessons 3 to 4 hours a day-instrument is most valuable possession of many of these family's-
this is the childrens future-play amazing repertoire-conductor is graduate of program-16 yr
old boy
HUGE IMPACT
-how do you reproduce something like this-they create so much out of so little
Discussion
-we need to find ways of connecting and reconnecting with people
how well has this stuff been attended?
-amazing and very successful
Is goal to have community working with groups?
All communities should be involved-everyone just trying to immerse for one minute in a
different culture
In the end we always know why, in the process we don't always
No Pain No Gain
Home Members Events/Schedule Information Archives/Library Photo Gallery Links
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.