Happenings
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Recent news
Dean’s Downbeat
Innovation as a collaborative act
Greetings “from the road” where I’ve been engaged in two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) as well as a trio of October conferences: From hosting the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting right here on our campus and at the new Limelight hotel to the 61st Annual Conference of the International Council for Arts Deans (ICfAD) in Santa Fe, New Mexico to the College Music Society (CMS) National Conference in Spokane, Washington this week where I’ll be interacting with other deans and senior arts administrators engaged in public service and mentoring. Everywhere I go, I enjoy representing the unique achievements, aspirations and opportunities of our College of Music; along the way, I’ve been struck by the supportive camaraderie and timely shared learnings among my counterparts.
As noted by American theatre and opera director Anne Bogart, “We have been discouraged to think that innovation can be a collaborative act” and yet it’s exactly that—a collaborative act—that’s at the heart of institutions like ours. MORE
Browse previous editions of the Dean’s Downbeat,
a regular communiqué from Dean John Davis.
Noteworthy media mentions
Grammy-Winning Pianist Michelle Cann Makes Pasadena Debut with Mozart Concerto (Feb. 4, 2026, Pasadena Weekendr)
Two-time Grammy-winning pianist Michelle Cann will make her Pasadena Symphony debut on a program that also features “Beacon” by Jeffrey Nytch, a MacDowell Fellow and CU Boulder professor whose work premiered with the Boulder Philharmonic in 2023.
The Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra will present “The Beatles Songbook” (Feb. 2, 2026, BroadwayWorld)
An intimate concert that reimagines Beatles classics through jazz arrangements led by vocalist Marion Powers and pianist and composer Annie Booth, an assistant professor of jazz studies at our College of Music. The upcoming series of four local concerts will also feature Patrick McDevitt (bass) and our Jazz Studies Lecturer Alejandro Castaño (drums).
How to Prevent a Career-Ending Injury for Musicians (Jan. 22, 2026, KUVO Community)
Tune in for an informative conversation with Emily Gee who directs the College of Music's Musicians’ Wellness Program!
