eNews: Internetzo – June 2025
Message from Seth Brenzel,
Executive Director
Dear Walden friends,
Walden 2025 is underway! A week ago, we said goodbye to our Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) participants, who spent eight wonderful days at Walden composing and performing, sharing ideas and inspiration, and furthering their development as teachers, composers, and creative musicians. On Saturday, we welcomed our Young Musicians Program (YMP) students, who are just beginning their 5-week (or in a few cases, their 3-week) summer experience immersed in musical creativity and fun.
Both Walden programs are held on the beautiful Dublin School campus in Dublin, New Hampshire, where our award-winning Concert Series series continues this week. On Friday, July 4, in collaboration with the Monadnock Folklore Society, we present Walden’s much-loved and now-annual concert of New Orleans jazz by Aurora Nealand and friends. Read on for more information, and visit our website to see all of our upcoming concerts!
This edition of InterNetzo also features upcoming fundraising events, a roster of our amazingly talented faculty and staff teams, and some very cool community news—including a Walden alum at the top of the pop-music charts.
Summer is here! I wish you the best for a wonderful season, and I hope to see you soon at one of Walden’s many upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Seth Brenzel
Executive Director
(603) 563-8212
Upcoming Fundraising Events
Giving Day is Monday, July 28
Join us online for Giving Day! Throughout the first day of Festival Week, we’ll be sharing live video updates from our Young Musicians Program (YMP) as part of a special fundraiser on Walden’s Facebook page. Help us raise $5,300 in honor of Walden’s 53rd summer.
Livestream events will include meals, classes, interviews with students, faculty, and visiting artists, a rehearsal of a student composition, and the first 2025 YMP Festival Week Composers Forum.
This is a great time to make your first donation to Walden, or to increase or supplement your annual gift. Your donation of any amount helps ensure that Walden continues to offer an immersive creative community for many more seasons to come.
A New Hampshire celebration and fundraiser on Saturday, August 2
You’re invited to a fabulous Festival Week celebration to cap off Walden’s 2025 Young Musicians Program! Join us to celebrate the impact of Walden’s transformative music programs and to raise funds for student scholarships and inspiring artist residencies. Guests will enjoy a musical performance followed by a reception with refreshments and Walden community.
While there is no charge to attend, gifts to support Walden’s award-winning programs may be made online, by check payable to The Walden School at P.O. Box 432, Dublin, NH 03444, or in person at the event.
For details or to RSVP, contact Noah Mlotek, Walden’s Director of Development and Alumni Relations, by email or by calling (603) 563-8212.
Support Walden Today
Upcoming Concerts
Walden’s 2025 Concert Series continues with multiple events each week, all free of charge and open to the public. Additionally, most concerts are livestreamed on Walden’s YouTube channel. Visit our website for a complete listing of Walden’s 2025 Concert Series, including livestream links.
Tuesday, July 1, 7:30 pm Eastern
Young Musicians Program (YMP) Composers Forum I
In the Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall, Dublin School, Dublin, New Hampshire
During Composers Forums, YMP students present their improvisational or compositional works in a concert setting. These new works are performed by students, faculty, and visiting artists and then discussed with forum moderators and the audience.
Watch the livestream: YMP Composers Forum I
Friday, July 4, 7:30 pm Eastern
Aurora Nealand and Friends
On the Fountain Arts Building patio, Dublin School, Dublin, New Hampshire
Join us for a special evening of traditional New Orleans jazz at Walden! This annual outdoor performance, proudly co-presented with the Monadnock Folklore Society, is a beloved tradition of the Walden and Dublin communities. Aurora Nealand is a sound artist and multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, accordion, voice) based in New Orleans, Louisiana. An established bandleader, composer, performer and improviser, and a former Walden faculty member, Nealand has become a prominent force in the New Orleans music scene since she first arrived in 2004.
This outdoor concert will not be livestreamed.
Summer 2025 Faculty and Staff
Each summer, Walden assembles an accomplished and well-rounded team of faculty and staff to mentor and inspire our students. Our philosophy is that by participating together in all levels of community life, faculty, staff, visiting artists, and students can create an environment where creativity flourishes and mentorship abounds.
Walden’s 2025 faculty and staff team is a wonderful mix of returning team members, team
members returning in new roles, and several new staff and faculty members. Walden’s faculty are a diverse mix of improvisers, composers, conductors, performers, and music scholars, all of whom are committed to the creation and dissemination of new music and to developing the next generation’s composers, performers, arts leaders, and more.
Visit our website to learn more about our faculty and staff at the Young Musicians Program (YMP) and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR).
CMR Faculty and Staff
Seth Brenzel, Executive Director
Jeff Dutter, Staff
Renée Favand-See, Faculty
Francesca Hellerman, Staff
Caroline Mallonee, Faculty & CMR Program Director
Osnat Netzer, Faculty
Loretta Notareschi, Faculty
Sam Pluta, Faculty
Dahlia Riddington, Staff
Sarah Riskind, Faculty & Choral Director
Rodier, Technical Director
D. J. Sparr, Faculty
Sammi Jo Stone, Director of Operations
YMP Faculty and Staff
Zaki Andoh, Staff & Faculty
William Bolles-Beaven, Faculty
Seth Brenzel, Executive Director & YMP Program Director
Kittie Cooper, Teaching Mentor & Director of Electronic Music
Olga DiMeglio, Nurse
Shannon Dunning, Staff
Brian Fancher, Staff & Assistant Choral Director
Kari Francis, Faculty & Choral Director
Aidan Gold, Faculty
Cara Haxo, Faculty & Academic Dean
Francesca Hellerman, Faculty & Director of Composers Forums
Douglas Hertz, Teaching Mentor
Ashlin Hunter, Faculty
Lukáš Janata, Faculty & Academic Dean
Camara Kambon, Faculty
Veronica Kao, Faculty
Cadence Manuel, Staff
Tara McGovern, Staff
Loretta Notareschi, Teaching Mentor
Carlos Henrique Pereira, Faculty
Rodier, Technical Director
Luke Schroeder, Faculty & Staff
Sammi Jo Stone, Faculty & Director of Operations
Carolyn Tilton, Nurse
Theo Trevisan, Faculty
Nate Trier, Faculty & Academic Dean
Paul Zito, Staff & Faculty
Community News
Luka Kloser produces Addison Rae’s debut album
Young Musicians Program (YMP) alumna Luka Kloser co-wrote and produced all 12 tracks on Addison Rae’s new album Addison, including the hit single Diet Pepsi. As Rae told Rolling Stone in January, she met Luka and Elvira Anderfjärd—both songwriter/producer protégées of famed producer Max Martin—in early 2024, and the three wrote the hook of Diet Pepsi together that same day. Luka can be heard on keyboards and background vocals in all but two tracks, and she and Anderfjärd are the album’s sole producers. Addison was reviewed positively, described as “sensual and heady, propelled by private intensity, occasionally euphoric” by Pitchfork, and debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Walden composers honored by Morton Gould Young Composer awards
On June 18, the ASCAP Foundation announced the winners of the 2025 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, which encourage young creators of concert music ages 13 to 30. Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) alumnus Nathaniel Parks won a cash prize, while former YMP faculty member Lila Meretzky and YMP alumnus Max Chung received honorable mentions. The juried national competition is named in honor of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Morton Gould for his lifelong commitment to encouraging young creators. Congratulations, Nathaniel, Lila, and Max!
Lila Meretzky also has a new album out on Sawyer Records, entitled Simultaneous Contrast, featuring five of her recent compositions.
Kari Francis finishes doctorate and starts position at Bowdoin
Kari Francis, choral director and faculty member at YMP, recently received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in choral conducting and was appointed Director of Choral Activities at Bowdoin College. In the photo at left, Carrie is hooded by her doctoral advisor, the composer John Liberatore. Kari’s work centers living and historically underrepresented voices through improvisation, contemporary a cappella styles, and learner-focused pedagogies, and she is a composer-in-residence at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Detroit, Michigan. Congratulations, Kari!
Juantio Becenti wins Thea Musgrave Performer-Composer Collaboration Grant
Composer Juantio Becenti, a YMP alumnus, received the inaugural Thea Musgrave Performer-Composer Collaboration Grant along with cellist Zachary Mowitz, who will commission a new work by Becenti for his ensemble Nodality Music. The grant, newly endowed by composer Thea Musgrave, distributes $10,000 annually to performers commissioning an emerging composer with the aim of supporting rich collaborations. Juantio’s piece will address the environmental injustices faced by his Diné (Navajo) community, with a special focus on land justice and clean-water access.
Hub New Music releases album
Hub New Music
, the ensemble-in-residence for Walden’s Faculty Commissioning Concert at YMP in 2021, released its sixth studio album, What If We’re Beautiful, on June 27. The ensemble’s longtime collaborator Daniel Thomas Davis’s piece shares a name with the album and features five movements, each framed as a musical gift bearing the initials of a member of the composer’s chosen family. The album, a “resounding celebration of queer joy,” is accompanied by a dance-film made by Four/Ten Media and Mark Morris Dance Group alums Aaron Loux and Brian Lawson.
Walden alumni featured in Oakland concert
The Glenview Classical Series will present a concert of New Music by Local Composers in Oakland, California, on Sunday, July 6, at 4 pm at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Two Walden alumni will have works performed: Emil Margolis, a YMP alumnus and former faculty member, and Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC) alumna Mary Fineman, featuring her first string quartet, January. All kids age 13 and under can attend for free!
Dasom Chung graduates and starts job in forensic musicology
Dasom Chung (at center in photo), a YMP alumna and former staff member, recently graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Professional Music Degree (magna cum laude) with minors in music technology and musical theater performance. At Berklee, she was involved in several Kpop-related projects and was a core member of Berklee’s very first Kpop idol group, Xchange. Dasom recently started a job as Head of Operations for Joe Bennett Music Services, a renowned forensic musicology team, where she works to analyze, research, and apply musical expertise to legal matters involving music. She also works as a lifeguard and stays involved in dancing, having recently performed at Fenway Park for a Boston Red Sox AAPI event, and is an active member of the Boston Kpop dance team MODU.
Congratulations, Dasom, and thanks for the udpates!
Walden artists perform at Oakland’s Garden of Memory
Several Walden-affiliated musicians performed on June 21 as part of Garden of Memory, a summer solstice concert featuring dozens of Bay Area experimental music performers and improvisers. The artists included CMR alumnus (and parent of a YMP alum) Joel St. Julien (pictured at right) and past Walden visiting artists Rachel Beetz and Pamela Z. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a walk-through fun house of musical and visual splendor,” the concert is held annually in the beautiful Chapel of the Chimes, a mausoleum and historic landmark in Oakland, California.
We Want To Hear From You!
If you have a recent or upcoming premiere or concert, publication, award, new job, or a celebratory life event, please share your news, which needn’t be music-related (although we love your music-related news to be sure!). Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.
Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.
Students at Walden's Young Musicians Program (YMP)
Highlights from the 2025 Memphis Composers Institute
Highlights from the 2025 Memphis Composers Institute
The Memphis Composers Institute, a new collaboration between the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, The Walden School, and the University of Memphis, came to fruition over the weekend of February 7–9 in Memphis, Tennessee. Following an open call for scores, works by three selected composers—Evan Erickson, Sina Karachiani, and Soomin Kim—were given premiere performances by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kyle Dickson, Madeleine Luce Moore Assistant Conductor Chair of the Memphis Symphony. The weekend also featured open rehearsals and panel discussions led by Walden faculty.
Walden alumnus and faculty member D. J. Sparr, who served as artistic coordinator for the initiative, composed a new viola concerto for the occasion, which was performed by his wife, viola virtuoso Kimberly Sparr, Associate Professor of Viola at Louisiana State University. Walden is proud to have offered this opportunity for emerging composers and thankful to D. J. for leading the project with enthusiasm and flair. Below, D. J. shares personal reflections on the experience of launching the Memphis Composers Institute.
Reflections from D. J. Sparr, Artistic Coordinator
How it all began
“737 comin’ out of the sky, Oh, won’t you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride?” — from “Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
These lyrics capture how I felt when I received an invitation to perform with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Conductor Robert Moody called me in September 2023 to support injured guitarist Vasti Jackson, who was scheduled to perform the world premiere of Chris Brubeck’s Confluence: Double Concerto for Classical Guitar, Blues Guitar & Orchestra the very next week! As it turned out, we performed the piece together—Vasti delivered his amazing blues solos, I covered key sections, and Thomas Flippin played classical guitar.
This performance, following my March visit to play my electric guitar concerto Violet Bond, created real momentum with the MSO. After the concert, I went out for barbecue with Peter Abell, the orchestra’s executive director, to discuss working together again. I wanted to write a new work for the orchestra, and I had another idea: what if we mentored emerging composers and put on a concert of entirely new music? That meal planted the seed for what would become the Memphis Composers Institute.
When considering how to launch a program for emerging composers, I immediately thought of The Walden School. This project aligned with Walden’s mission of inspiring artistic expression and personal growth through experiential music programs, and its values of mentorship, teamwork, and collaboration. I called Seth Brenzel, Walden’s executive director, about involving Walden. Seth immediately embraced the idea, diving into his famously energized brainstorming, imagining all the ways this alliance could benefit Walden alumni, faculty, staff, and emerging composers alike.
I played matchmaker in a subsequent Zoom meeting, connecting Seth and Peter, who hit it off famously. Peter suggested partnering with the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, and soon composition professor Mahir Cetiz joined with tremendous enthusiasm.
Roles were quickly established: the University would provide the venue, the Symphony the musicians, and Walden would conduct the composer search. It was agreed that we would select one Walden alumnus, one University of Memphis alumnus, and one “at-large” composer through an international search. A committee was assembled, including Caroline Mallonee, Sky Macklay, and Michael Kropf from The Walden School; Mahir Cetiz and Kamran Ince from the University of Memphis; and Assistant Conductor Kyle Dickson and composer/ French Hornist Robert Patterson from the MSO.
In addition to the selected works, I would compose a new viola concerto for Kimberly, a renowned violist.
The selection process and preparation
Our call went out on July 18, 2024—with no age limit, application fee, or attendance cost—and it drew over 100 applications. Together with Walden’s invaluable director of operations, Sammi Stone, we carefully coordinated and reviewed each application to ensure compliance with our guidelines. The response was strong, with submissions reflecting a talented pool of composers.
Our selection process was thorough and deliberate, considering the artistic merit and programmatic fit of each piece. Ultimately, the winners chosen were Soomin Kim (star / ghost / mouth / sea), Evan Erickson (Oobleck), and Walden Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) alumnus Sina Karachiani (Stranger of Kin). Additionally, two composers were honored with compelling works receiving honorable mentions: Walden Young Musicians Program (YMP) alumnus Liam Cummins (Joyas Voladoras) and Kian Ravaei (Majnun in the Wilderness).
The following months focused on the mentorship aspect of the Memphis Composers Institute, which was particularly exciting for me. I reviewed all scores and parts before sending them to the MSO. Ensuring that the selected composers had professional-quality scores and parts was imperative. One especially rewarding experience was a Zoom session with Sina, during which we addressed complex string divisi sections of his work. His dedication paid off—the orchestra had no questions during rehearsal.
All scores and parts, along with my new viola concerto, now titled Extended Play, were printed, delivered, and distributed to the musicians in January 2025. I want thank the amazing team at the MSO, especially librarian Mitchell Walker, who was a joy to work with.
The weekend arrives
Thursday, February 6, 2025, finally arrived. Violist Kimberly Sparr, my son Harris, and I drove up from Baton Rouge. Sadly, Evan Erickson was unable to join us in person due to personal circumstances. However, he was warmly represented by his peers—Sky and I even ran into Evan’s friends at Belltower Coffee making posters in his honor.
On Friday, several of us attended an MSO performance at a local public school, as part of the orchestra’s Orff Side-by-Side program. In partnership with Memphis-Shelby County Schools, this program brings the MSO to elementary schools for a public side-by-side concert featuring all students on percussion or in chorus, using the Orff method. This event was crucial to our weekend, embodying Walden’s core values of education, community engagement, and group singing!
Friday evening kicked off with a warm reception, followed by the first rehearsal, the thrilling moment when we finally heard our compositions performed by the MSO. It was a significant learning experience for all involved, including me, as we saw our work transition from page to stage, identifying what worked beautifully and what required minor adjustments. Sina and Soomin interacted seamlessly with Maestro Dickson and the orchestra. Kimberly Sparr crushed it on Extended Play. The evening concluded with an informal gathering at the hotel, thoughtfully organized by Seth, fostering a friendly atmosphere filled with camaraderie reminiscent of classic Walden evenings.
Saturday morning offered a “choose-your-own-adventure” experience. Many opted to visit the National Civil Rights Museum—a profoundly moving experience that connected our weekend’s artistic journey to Memphis’s rich historical roots. Harris and Kimberly visited the fantastic Memphis Children’s Museum.
The afternoon began with a luncheon hosted by Walden, which allowed participants to connect with musicians from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and committee members. Following lunch, engaging panel discussions commenced:
Panel 1: Bringing New Music to Life, moderated by Caroline Mallonee, Director of Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat, featured conductor Kyle Dickson along with composers Sina Karachiani, Soomin Kim, and myself. Caroline skillfully guided the conversation, allowing us to discuss our compositions and respond to audience questions.
Panel 2: Orchestras and New Music: What’s Next?, moderated by me, featured Mahir Cetiz, Kamran Ince, Caroline Mallonee, Sky Macklay, and Robert Patterson. This panel focused on the role of being teachers and mentors to emerging composers.
Following the panels, we headed downtown to one of Memphis’s renowned restaurants, which was fitting, as the entire project had begun over barbecue!
Saturday’s rehearsal had a bit more “edge” than the previous evening. Kyle dove deeply into details, meticulously preparing the orchestra for Sunday’s performance. Evan passed insightful notes from the previous night’s perusal recording to Mahir, who relayed them to Kyle. Sina eloquently described a specific whistle-tone flute technique to the principal flutist, who mastered it immediately. Soomin explained to violinists how an extended passage in solo strings drew inspiration from Korean folk songs of her youth. Kimberly and Kyle worked on navigating the virtuosic cadenzas of Extended Play.
A concert on Super Bowl Sunday? The Memphis Composers Institute made it happen—four works by living composers, performed at 2 pm at the University of Memphis. The program began beautifully with Soomin’s star / ghost / mouth / sea, described by a committee member as “immediately engaging,” and indeed it was hauntingly beautiful. Sina’s Stranger of Kin followed, with the orchestra elegantly capturing its intricate layers of memory. A panelist had aptly called it a “unique, beautiful musical representation of memory.” Evan’s Oobleck effectively captured a gooey, non-solid substance through creative microtonal techniques, executed impressively by the MSO. And, not to toot my own horn, but Kimberly Sparr, Kyle Dickson, and the MSO delivered an outstanding world premiere performance of Extended Play. Each composer introduced their piece. Evan sent a touching message to both the orchestra and his University of Memphis friends in attendance. Seeing Evan’s friends holding posters full of love and support they made at the coffee shop was deeply moving; I had to pause and dry my eyes before speaking. The Memphis Composers Institute brought people together in a truly meaningful and memorable way.
Following the concert, we engaged in a Q&A session, with the composers, Kimberly and Kyle, taking questions from the audience. The atmosphere was rewarding and uplifting, and many audience members stayed for this to connect further.
Eventually, we all parted ways to attend Super Bowl gatherings, catch flights home, or visit friends in the Memphis area.
I can’t say enough about this experience. Let’s (barbe)cue the reprise!
Walden Holiday Parties Recap
2025 Walden Holiday Parties
Throughout January, Walden community members gathered for holiday/new year parties in cities around the country, and online!
Walden holiday parties were held in Baltimore, San Francisco, Cambridge (Massachusetts), Bainbridge Island (Washington), and New York City. Alumni of the Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC), Walden’s predecessor program, also gathered for a holiday reunion over Zoom.
These events brought together Walden and JCC alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and board members for festive potluck gatherings. Delicious food and drinks were shared, music was played, new friendships and connections were made, and much merriment was had. Many thanks to our wonderful volunteer hosts: Sky Macklay and Sam Pluta in Baltimore, Ruth Rainero and Pieter de Haan in San Francisco, Josh Goodman and Anna Lumelsky in Cambridge, Danielle Schindler Cheung and Jason Cheung in Bainbridge Island, and Michael Schessel in New York City.
Thank you to all who gathered to celebrate the new year with Walden community!
This recap was originally published as part of the February 2025 InterNetzo.
The Walden School/PRISM Quartet Student Commissioning Award
A Walden School/PRISM Quartet Premiere
Congratulations to Young Musicians Program (YMP) alumnus Aaron Nichols, recipient of The Walden School/PRISM Quartet Student Commissioning Award, on the premiere of his commissioned work, Mesovortex!
Aaron’s piece was performed by PRISM Quartet in Philadelphia on November 17 and New York City on November 18. Walden hosted receptions after each concert, and we were so glad to see several Walden alumni and friends in attendance! Many thanks to Walden faculty member, academic dean, and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) alumnus Nate Trier for organizing the receptions. Thanks also to Walden board member Kate Valenta and to Mary Anne O’Meara, a past board member and Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC) alumna, for their assistance.
Walden is proud to partner with PRISM Quartet on this opportunity to support young composers in their creative development. We are especially grateful to Matthew Levy, founding member of PRISM Quartet and a former member of Walden’s Board of Directors, for his longstanding collaboration and leadership. The Walden School/PRISM Quartet Student Commissioning Award was launched in 2000, and since then 22 Young Musicians Program (YMP) students have received the award and had their compositions premiered on PRISM’s concert series.
This post was originally published as part of the November 2024 InterNetzo.
Lance Reddick Scholarship in the Keene Sentinel
The Keene Sentinel interviewed Executive Director Seth Brenzel about the newly announced Lance Reddick Scholarship.
“It’s expensive to run any kind of music education program,” Brenzel said. “We’ve always been committed to providing financial aid, and I’m just thrilled we’re going to be able to grow that number quite significantly and create even more access opportunities.”
Read the full article: Walden's Young Musician Program receives $450,000 to offer full scholarships
Lance Reddick Scholarship in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript covered the Lance Reddick Scholarship in a January 24, 2024 article.
"Lance was a wonderful supporter of Walden, and we are excited to see how Walden can be a springboard to future music creators who attend the Young Musicians Program as Lance Reddick Scholars,” stated Seth Brenzel, executive director of The Walden School. “We are so grateful to the generous donor who made this transformative gift to honor Lance's legacy."
Read the full article: Walden School announces Reddick Scholarship
Announcing the Lance Reddick Scholarship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Marisa Giller
314.630.4123, marisagiller@gmail.com
THE WALDEN SCHOOL ANNOUNCES LANCE REDDICK SCHOLARSHIP
Anonymous Donor Steps Forward to Honor Legacy of Esteemed Walden Alumnus and Actor, Lance Reddick, Creates Full Scholarship Program for Young Musicians
DUBLIN, N.H., (January 18, 2024) – Today, The Walden School, the celebrated summer music school and camp, announced it received a $450,000 anonymous donation in memory of esteemed alumnus and actor, Lance Reddick, who passed away suddenly in the spring of 2023.
The donation will fund 10 full scholarships per year for its 2024-2026 Young Musicians Program, enabling deserving young musicians the opportunity to experience Walden’s summer five-week program free of charge. Five of the 10 scholarships will be awarded specifically to students from the Baltimore area in honor of Mr. Reddick’s hometown and the birthplace of The Walden School.
Mr. Reddick attended The Walden School from 1976-1980, returning in 1983 as a Walden faculty member. While he was a lifelong creator and student of music, he was most well known for his television and film work, particularly for his role as Cedric Daniels in “The Wire.”
Walden’s Young Musicians Program is a five-week summer camp for students ages 9 to 18 that offers musical training in a supportive musical community. Students attend classes in composition, musicianship, music history, choral singing, computer musicianship, jazz, and more. Dances, swim trips, mountain hikes, and open mic nights balance out this rigorous musical training.
“Lance would be so honored by these scholarships being named for him, and this project would really touch his heart,” said Stephanie Reddick, Lance’s wife.
Mr. Reddick openly shared the importance of financial assistance in allowing him to participate in creative opportunities like Walden’s program that shaped the arc of his life. The scholarship in his name will provide each student with full tuition, room, and board, along with a travel stipend.
"Lance was a wonderful supporter of Walden, and we are excited to see how Walden can be a springboard to future music creators who attend the Young Musicians Program as Lance Reddick Scholars,” said Seth Brenzel, Executive Director of The Walden School. “We are so grateful to the generous donor who made this transformative gift to honor Lance's legacy."
Applications are due Friday, March 1. To apply, visit waldenschool.org/apply/. To learn more about the Lance Reddick Scholarship, visit waldenschool.org/lance-reddick-scholarship/.
About The Walden School
The Walden School inspires artistic expression and personal growth through experiential music programs. Founded in 1972, the acclaimed summer music school and festival offers programs that emphasize creativity through musicianship, improvisation, and composition. Programs include the Young Musicians Program for youth ages 9-18, and the Creative Musicians Retreat for adults. The Summer Concert Series showcases free, public performances by renowned artists and ensembles that work closely with students and perform their original music. To learn more visit www.waldenschool.org.
Reflections on the 2023 Walden/Junior Conservatory Camp Reunion
Reflections on the 2023 Walden/JCC Alumni Reunion
From Noah Mlotek, Director of Development and Alumni Relations
From Noah Mlotek, Director of Development and Alumni RelationsOver the weekend of August 4 to 6, 2023, The Walden School hosted a weekend of events to celebrate Walden’s 50th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of the Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC), Walden’s predecessor program. Dozens of Walden alumni and their families gathered in the Monadnock region to reconnect with friends, make new connections, and experience a bit of the Walden/JCC magic once again.
On Friday, alumni began arriving on the campus of the Dublin School, Walden’s summer home for the last 40 years. We enjoyed an outdoor reception and barbeque dinner, workshops by veteran Walden faculty and alumni Caroline Mallonee (“Composing with Scordatura”) and Ted Moore (“Introduction to Modular Synthesis Using VCV Rack”), and Evening Music led by YMP faculty members and alumni Francesca Hellerman and Theo Trevisan. The evening concluded with Goodnight Music and a reception in Gillespie Hall.
On Saturday, alumni had the option of hiking Mt. Monadnock or Gap Mountain, swimming in Dublin Pond, or exploring nearby Keene or Peterborough. More musical workshops were offered: Chorus, led by former YMP choral director Sarah Riskind, and Musicianship, led by Walden faculty member and CMR alumnus Lukáš Janata. Saturday evening brought a wonderfully festive 50th-anniversary dinner, with balloons and cake for Walden’s big birthday. We then enjoyed a breathtaking solo piano recital by Mackenzie Melemed, a YMP alumnus, who inaugurated the beautiful historic Steinway piano recently donated to Walden by Dublin resident and Walden supporter Tuck Crocker, who was profiled in the September edition of InterNetzo. After gathering in our final Goodnight Music circle of the reunion, alumni were treated to a special photo show filled with cherished memories from 70 years of Walden and JCC history.
On Sunday, we watched a video prepared by former JCC faculty member Ron Nelson with priceless photos and footage from the history of JCC, enlivened with commentary from Bob Weaver, the “dean” of the reunion, who first attended JCC in 1956. We also heard an update on the amazing successes of Walden at 50 from Executive Director Seth Brenzel. The reunion concluded with a Composers Forum moderated by veteran Walden faculty members Lukáš Janata and Tamar Bloch, featuring nine compositions by alumni of CMR and YMP, and incredible performances by our reunion guest artists: David Friend (piano), Thea Mesirow (cello), Laura Cocks (flutes) and Ellery Trafford (percussion) of TAK Ensemble, and Joshua Rubin (clarinets) of the International Contemporary Ensemble (clarinets). Four of these five visiting artists are past performers at Walden.
From Sanctus to Black Socks, from Earth Goddess to My Old Brown Earth, from Jumala siunaa to sol-sol-la-sol-ti-do, from “come let us sing” to “we won’t be singing till then,” it was a rich celebration of Walden and JCC and 50 and 70: a shared ethos, community, musical language, and spirit of open-mindedness that is as strong as ever. In words by the poet Wendell Berry that will be familiar to many alumni: “Again, again we come and go, changed, changing. . . . Only music keeps us here.”
Thank you to all the alumni and family members who made the trip from near and far for this special reunion. And a huge thank you to the hard-working reunion staff, led by Director of Operations Sammi Stone, and the workshop leaders who made it such a fun and memorable occasion.
. . . till then . . .
Noah Mlotek
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
This item was originally published in the November 2023 edition of InterNetzo, Walden's online newsletter.
In the Spotlight: Tamar Bloch on Walden/JCC reunions
In the Spotlight
Tamar Bloch on Walden/JCC reunions
Tamar Bloch was a student during the last four summers (1969–1972) of the Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC), the predecessor program to The Walden School. Tamar went on to teach at Walden for many summers between 1975 and 2004, and she has also attended Walden’s Teacher Training Institute (TTI). Tamar is a longtime champion of JCC and Walden’s distinctive pedagogy, and she is a beloved presence in the lives of generations of Walden students. She lives in Rhinebeck, New York, with her husband, musicologist Peter Laki.
Here, Tamar shares reflections on Walden and JCC while looking forward to the Walden/JCC reunion that will be held the weekend of August 4–6 in Dublin, New Hampshire. This reunion will celebrate Walden’s 50th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of the founding of JCC by Mrs. Grace Newsom Cushman. Join us this summer to reconnect with Tamar and other wonderful Walden and JCC alums!
On her experience at JCC and Walden
I was a student in the last four summers at JCC. Going to JCC and teaching at Walden laid the groundwork for a lot of things in my life. It really informed my approach to teaching and listening, and it opened my ears to new music. When I was 16 or 17 at JCC, we analyzed Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, which today might not seem so radical. But in the early 70s, that was radical. We were weirdos in high school; I was interested in Schoenberg. At JCC I found my people. That’s what Walden and JCC are about, finding your people and this way of teaching that opens you up.
On relationships formed at JCC and Walden
There’s also the social aspect; dealing with people who you might have differences with. And there’s a mentoring aspect to the relationship with students, which is a 24-hour relationship—except when you sleep! There’s a deep level of caring and respect. There are so many people who were my students, and then they were my colleagues, and now quite a few of them have become very successful professionally. It’s very heartwarming to see that.
I’m still in touch with many of the people I knew from JCC: Ellen Hoffman (my husband, Peter, and I just took a class with her via Zoom and it was just fabulous); my former roommates Robin Seto, in Hawaii, and Sheree Clement, in Jackson Heights, New York; Jeff Cohen, who’s in Paris; and Matt Hunter, who is a violist in the Berlin Philharmonic. And Marilyn Crispell lives 20 minutes from me, so we see each other. I think it’s extraordinary that that these friendships still continue through the decades. When I lived in Hungary, Walden was home for me when I would come back to teach in the summers. And I think a lot of people feel that way.
On Grace Newsom Cushman, the founder of JCC
To me, it’s just amazing that one woman started this all in the 1950s. She just loaded these kids on a bus from Baltimore and went up to Vermont. How crazy is that? No one did that. And the curriculum she wrote is just phenomenal. It’s open enough so that the curriculum stays fundamentally the same, but it can be changed. Which is incredibly hard to do. She really was quite revolutionary. I’ve always thought she could be the subject of a book or dissertation.
What Mrs. Cushman created at JCC is now an intentional community at Walden. The same gestalt lives on. The idea of having a beautiful place to live away from the hubbub of the city is part of it. You’re up here for a certain number of weeks out of the summer.
On Walden/JCC reunions
I’ve been to three or four reunions. At the last one I attended, there were some wonderful classes. I remember Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy did an impromptu workshop on Indian music and dance. The dances were great, and the Composers Forums—I actually moderated one or two. But it’s mainly the music making and camaraderie that are so special.
I also enjoyed meeting people from JCC that I’d never met because I was in the last bunch. It was great to talk with the previous generation of JCCers who had the same memories of Mrs. Cushman as I did. At the Zoom reunion a couple of years ago, I remember we talked about how none of us has ever thrown out anything which Mrs. C sent to us—a lot of which I’m finding now that I’m clearing out my apartment. So there’s a real connection. And I don’t know that that exists at all summer music programs.
Remembering those we’ve lost
At a reunion, it’s also important to honor the people who have died, like Lance Reddick, whom I was really looking forward to seeing. Lance was a student and colleague at Walden. I knew him when he was a teenager. There’s David Hogan, there’s Flora and Georgia Cushman, Lynn Taylor Hebden, Paul Nauert, and John and Marianne Weaver. And more recently we lost Peter Krag.
Humphrey Evans III was a student and on faculty at JCC, and he sadly died in 1982. He was my teacher and mentor and just an off-the-charts musician. I found an analysis we did together of the Eroica, and his handwritten manuscript was just gorgeous. Now there’s someone named David Victor Feldman who’s gathering Humphrey’s recordings and scores and documenting his life. I recently did an interview with him about Humphrey. It’s important to remember these extraordinary people.
Why you should come to the Walden/JCC reunion!
It’s a milestone reunion for Walden and for JCC. And it could also be the last time that some people might be able to make it there. Because you know, there’s not a reunion every year. So I think it’s very important to connect. And it’s always different in person than on Zoom; it’s multidimensional in person. I hope people from near and far will make the trip to celebrate this landmark and to share memories and experiences. I think it’s very important.
In the Spotlight: Rita Lewis and Ofurhe Igbinedion
In the Spotlight
Rita Lewis and Ofurhe Igbinedion
Ofurhe Igbinedion attended the Young Musicians Program (YMP) from 1999 through 2001. She recently completed a PhD in Geography at the University of California at Davis and works as a transportation planner for the Oakland Department of Transportation.
Her mother, Rita Lewis, has worked as a Registered Nurse for 30 years. She lives in Emeryville, California.
Veda Igbinedion, Ofurhe’s brother and Rita’s son, also attended YMP for one summer. He works as an attorney in the U.S. Army JAG Corps.
Rita and Ofurhe are longtime donors to Walden, and they both have set up recurring gifts through Walden’s online donation platform.
How did you and your family first get involved with Walden?
Ofurhe: My first year at the Young Musicians Program (YMP) was 1999. My brother, Veda, had gone the year before me. I remember being impressed when Veda came home from Walden with a piece of music that he wrote. I just thought it was like the coolest thing. I didn’t realize that was something you could do, you know?
I did piano and ballet, and I had been to Interlochen in my fourth-grade summer. And then I went to Walden the summer after that. I went to Walden for three summers. In high school I ended up going to boarding school in Vermont, not far from the Dublin School. So I feel like Walden kind of prepared me for boarding school.
Our summers were always filled with academic camps. Coming from a family with a single mom who was working, we had to do something in the summers. And I’m a nerd. I love school, but over the summers I got to choose which subjects I wanted to spend more time with. And I can’t spend enough time playing music.
Rita: I first learned about Walden by seeing a poster at the former Tupper & Reed music store in Berkeley. When my son, Veda, went, he was the youngest kid there at age ten. He had a wonderful time and came home with his first composition. His first week at Walden he went to the music store, and the first CD he bought was of Thelonious Monk in Paris, and I thought: I have the coolest kid! That’s what first established our family’s relationship with Walden.
I also want to mention that Walden has always been very generous with us and given financial aid. I was a single parent with two kids, and I feel very, very grateful and responsible to pay that forward to the extent I can. I just can’t say enough about how Walden has augmented my children’s musical education, especially in giving them choral singing experience. Veda was involved in choral singing from a very young age and went on to sing in a cappella groups in high school and at Williams College, which has a wonderful music program. And when Ofurhe was at the University of Chicago, which can be cold and grim at times, she was in the choir. I went to visit her there and saw the room that they practice in. It’s this beautiful old wood-paneled room with leaded glass ivy in the windows. And I just thought how wonderful it was that she could do this every day. I feel like that gift was very much established from her experience at Walden, not to mention the friendships that she made.
Ofurhe: That’s totally true. Pretty much all of my college social life was from Motet Choir. When I went to audition, being able to say that I had experience with movable-do solfege from Walden, I was able to breeze through the audition. I had to sight-read something, and when I made a mistake, the director told me I could actually go through it using solfege. And then I was able to sing through it, because I knew the intervals. All of my musicianship that has stuck with me is from what I learned at Walden.
What are some highlights of your time at Walden or of Walden’s impact on your life?
Ofurhe: One of the biggest things about Walden, aside from the musicianship, is the friendships. My two best friends there were Hamilton Sims and Marguerite Ladd. They were the best, and we were pretty inseparable when we were there. We took all our courses together and would spend all our time together. And between summers, we would e-mail and use AOL Instant Messenger. So just like Walden musicianship made me a good musician, I feel like my friendships from Walden made me a good friend. They taught me to navigate friendships across the country. That was really tricky and I think we got pretty good at it, and that’s something that has been really helpful for me.
Rita: With both my kids, Walden helped them have this comfort level with being away from home and cultivated their independence. Anyone I know with a kid who’s like musically inclined, I tell them to check this out. I’m always telling people Walden has been the greatest thing for our family. My kids went to boarding school. They went away to college, and they’re such good travelers. I just can’t say enough good things about Walden to people I encounter, and in fact just the other day I forwarded the info sessions that are coming up to several people. And I’m very fond of Seth and Malcolm. I’ve known them for a long time.
Ofurhe: I remember we helped them stuff envelopes for Walden fundraising appeals.
Why do you give to Walden, and why give a recurring gift?
Ofurhe: We got a lot of financial aid, and I want to be able to pay that forward. I did a lot of academic camps, I just finished a PhD at UC Davis, and so I’ve had a lot of school and I get a lot of alumni giving appeals, and I don’t always pay them much attention. But when Walden comes around, I feel like I need this institution to survive. It was really important to me, and I want other people to have that.
Rita: I just feel so warm and fuzzy about Walden, and I’m a little jealous that I never got to go there. I hope that we will go as a family sometime to experience Walden together. So I just have nothing but fond feelings, and I feel so fortunate that I happened to see that poster at Tupper & Reed, which isn’t even there anymore.