Rhythms

Marching Band’s Canine Member

Volume 44, Fall 2025

Published by the UNI School of Music for its alumni and friends

Caroline Francis, executive editor

Melinda Boyd, director

Tammy Hook, Sara Hunter and Kelsey Williams, contributing editors

Funds for this publication are provided by the UNI School of Music and the UNI Foundation.

Design assistance and project direction for this publication was provided by Michaela Kendall and the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences Promotions team. Photography provided by students, faculty, and the Office of University Relations.

The School of Music resides within the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, Mary Black, Dean.

The University of Northern Iowa is an equal opportunity educator and employer with a comprehensive plan for affirmative action.

From the Director

melinda boyd headshot 2024-25 was another incredibly busy year for the School of Music, full of challenges, opportunities for change and memorable music making! Festivals and recruiting activities brought more than 3,000 prospective students to campus, all the large ensembles performed multiple times in the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, while guest artists, faculty and student recitals ensured that audiences had plenty of events to choose from. All around us, the world seems to be shifting, but we remain steadfast in our mission: to provide world-class educational and musical experiences for our students and our community, and to foster an environment that is supportive and welcoming for all.

In fall 2024, the Panther Marching Band made national news headlines when they took to the field at the UNI Dome. Not only did the band look fantastic in their new uniforms, but they also had a unique new member in their midst. Winnie, a golden retriever service dog, joined the band so that her human, Gabi Riessen, could participate fully in PMB activities. Winnie has her own uniform (including a hat) and, most important, hearing protection. Gabi’s story is one of resilience and persistence, and the power of music to provide a collective sense of belonging.

‌At the end of the spring 2025 semester, we bid a fond farewell to three retiring faculty members: Dr. Randy Grabowski, Professor of Trumpet (39 years), Dr. Robin Guy, Professor of Collaborative Piano (35 years), and Dr. Jonathan Schwabe, Professor of Music Theory and Composition (33 years). Together, their remarkable careers represent more than a hundred combined years of amazing artistry and commitment to student success. We wish them well on the next phase of their life journeys. With change comes new opportunities. In September 2024, we welcomed a new piano technician to our staff. Caleb Bendull brings a wealth of experience in tuning, repair, and inventory management. Dr. Scott Hagarty joins us in August 2025, as Assistant Professor of Trumpet. Dr. Hagarty is a graduate of UNI and a former student of Dr. Randy Grabowski.

With UNI’s sesquicentennial just around the corner, the School of Music will launch its next Amplify initiative, entitled “Our History,” at the Scholarship Benefit Concert in September. A select group of students has been scouring the Rod Library Special Collections, gathering stories and images that document 150 years of music making on this campus. Founded in 1876 as the Iowa State Normal School, music activities were first housed in the department of art. From the remarkable history of the Cecilians (started in 1888) and the Ladies Band (1907-1930) to a timeline of UNI band directors since 1890, and everything in between, we have a lot to celebrate

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Melinda Boyd
Director and Professor

On the Road Again

Music Ensemble Tours

‌The UNI Panther Marching Band marched its way to England on New Year’s Day to take part in the London New Year’s Day Parade. 130 Panthers marched through London’s West End District performing Pitbull’s song “Fireball” in front of thousands of people in person and on television.

“They had a great time,” said Justin Mertz, UNI band director. “They were really good and we’re very lucky here at UNI. We have a very good band. We have a big band ... and our students perform extremely well. It’s not hard for

‌them to sort of look around and take in the atmosphere around them and understand the kind of eyes that are on them in person and on the cameras.”

The band prepared for the performance throughout the fall semester, and tour planning took place over the course of the past two years. In November 2023, parade chairman and founder Bob Bone and Duncan Sandy’s, senior patron and the former lord mayor of Westminster, personally delivered the message to the band that they would play for the London festivities.

‌“We’re just trying to give our students the highest level of opportunities we can and represent UNI everywhere and wherever those things are,” said Mertz. In the future, he hopes to take the band to Asia for an international performance and to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Watch and listen to the PMB’s performance

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‌In early March, the UNI Varsity Glee Club set out on a journey to Norman, OK, to sing at the National Seminar for the Intercollegiate Music Council (IMC) Tenor-Bass Choral Consortium at the University of Oklahoma. Glee Club members performed several works over the course of the three-day event and were also able to visit local eateries and sights in the area.

Watch and listen to the Glee Club’s performance

As many students were packing up their dorm rooms and heading into summer vacation, members of Concert Chorale were packing their bags and stretching their legs for an incredible journey to serve as the invited chorus in residence for the Feast of St. Rita in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, led by conductor John Wiles. “The Feast of St. Rita was an extraordinary experience,” one member noted. St. Rita is the patron saint of people in impossible circumstances, and the church in Santiago held ten masses on her feast day, May 22. The church was packed for all masses, with over 14,000 in attendance throughout the day, and the UNI choir sang at all ten. The archbishop of Santiago presided over the final mass, which included a special ceremony at the end where he offered the UNI singers their own pilgrim shells which he blessed and gave to them. In addition to the May 22 performances, the choir members performed at several churches along the pilgrimage path they walked - Portuguese Way, or Camino Portugués, with several days reaching over 30,000 steps and 14 miles of travel from May 24-29.

The campus was getting quiet in mid-March as students headed home for spring break, but members of the Concert Chorale were packing up and hitting the road for their national tour. Stops on the tour included Williamsburg, IA, Knoxville, TN, Blacksburg, VA, Raleigh, NC, Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, PA. Choir members performed and participated in clinics at each stop and even had the opportunity to enjoy some down time on the road, with several stops at sight-seeing spots, and a visit to Dollywood in Tennessee.

Watch and listen to the Concert Chorale

Support dog takes the ranks among Panther Marching Band

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When you see the Panther Marching Band, you may notice an unfamiliar face — or snout, rather — on the field. Decked out in PMB gear in the frontline is a golden retriever, Winnie. In spite of the loud musical ensemble around her, Winnie stays calm and collected, as her human, sophomore Gabi Riessen, carries out her duties in the percussion section.

Riessen has had Winnie, her service dog, for about 18 months. A transfer majoring in elementary education from Denison, Iowa, Riessen began her college journey with Winnie at a school out of state. As a self-proclaimed “fine arts kid,” she wanted to participate in band and theater in college but was met with obstacles at her first school because she uses a service dog. After her freshman year, Riessen chose to transfer to UNI where two of her friends attended school. Their experience gave Riessen hope that she would get the full college experience she craved at UNI.

“One of my best friends, Ren — she’s on the color guard team, and she told me about how much she loved it and how amazing Director Justin Mertz is,” said Riessen. “So, she gave me his email, and I reached out to him to see if being in the band with my dog could even be a possibility, and we met and talked about it. I think he’s more excited to have a dog in the band than I am.”

Even though Mertz quickly agreed to let Riessen participate, there was some uncertainty about what she would and wouldn’t be able to do with Winnie.

‌“When I came in, we weren’t sure if I was going to march or if I was just going to be in the frontline,” she said. “Mertz said, ‘Let’s try it,’ and we did. Usually, Winnie isn’t spatially aware of things. But when we would march forward and backward, she picked it up no problem. Honestly, I think she’s a better marcher than me. She’s just really good at adapting to any situation I put her in.”

To protect her hearing, Winnie wears headphones while Riessen and her fellow PMB players perform. With time, Riessen believes Winnie has not only adapted to being an unofficial member of Panther Marching Band but has also come to crave the extra attention.

“There’s so many people watching her, and she eats it up,” said Riessen. “She loves the attention. Every time I would walk by, the whole student section would ask, ‘Can I pet your dog?’ She just likes feeling helpful and useful.”

"Honestly, I think she’s a better marcher than me. She’s just really good at adapting to any situation I put her in."

Riessen developed POTS about two years ago. When she heard about a litter of golden retriever puppies being born in her hometown, she jumped at the chance to get a pet that would become her service dog. Riessen went to visit the litter of puppies set on coming home with a boy dog. At the time, there were two puppies left: Winnie and her brother.

“When I met with their owner, he said the girl puppy is very shy and doesn’t like many people, but Winnie immediately went over to me and sat in between my legs and wouldn’t leave,” she said. “The guy immediately grabbed the papers for her even before I fully decided because he knew she chose me. I, of course, chose her because we had this connection from the beginning, and even though I was set on a boy, she was my soul dog.”

Riessen then sought the assistance of a trainer in Omaha. After working with Winnie for a few sessions, the trainer released Winnie to Riessen to finish training.

For Riessen, Winnie is so much more than a pet. She provides her with a sense of normalcy that she questioned she would be able to have in college.

“Winnie has made it where I can be like a normal person again,” said Riessen. “I can do band, because she’ll let me know if I’m okay, and I can go to my classes. Before her, we didn’t know if college was going to be an option.”

Riessen is grateful for the support not only that Winnie provides, but also the support she has received from the UNI community as a whole.

“I’m not gonna lie, I cried after the first couple days of being here, because I’ve never felt so welcomed before,” she said. “Obviously, I don’t have a visible disability. So, some people look at me and wonder why I need a dog. At UNI, I walk around and everyone gets excited to see a dog. It just makes me feel good. I belong here.”

Editor’s note: thank you to Anna Flanders for her contribution of this article.

Community Outreach

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Our community outreach programs continued to explore new and innovative ways of bringing music to their students this year.

‌Community Music School

The UNI Children’s Choir (UNICC) was thrilled to be invited to be a featured performance group at the Midwest Children’s Choir Festival, hosted by the Ames Youth Choir in Ames, IA, on March 28. The Midwest Children’s Choir Festival was established in 2000 to provide young singers in Iowa an opportunity to hear and perform with nationally and internationally acclaimed choirs and performers. As a featured performance group, UNICC was one of three choirs to perform during the concert’s first half. For the concert’s second half, our choir members joined a festival choir of over 200 singers of mostly 5th- to 7th-grade students from 15 schools, to perform five pieces at Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University.

The overall preparation for and performance at the festival was a fantastic opportunity for our young singers. Choir members worked hard to learn all of their pieces. With tremendous support, they were able to raise funds to cover the costs associated with attending the festival. In preparation for their festival performance, the UNICC gave a special performance for the residents at Pinnacle Specialty Care in Cedar Falls, IA.

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Spectrum Project

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Spectrum Project, a unique and inclusive arts program housed within the UNI School of Music. Since its founding in 2015, the Spectrum Project has provided over 200 children with disabilities from across the Cedar Valley the opportunity to engage in music, movement, drama, and art alongside college students from UNI, Allen College, and Hawkeye Community College.

The 2025 season concluded with the production A Decade of Magic on April 6 at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The performance highlighted the many ways the Spectrum Project has made an impact, featuring seven performers who have been part of the program since its inaugural year.

The audience was filled with families, friends, and community members who came out to celebrate and support our incredible performers. To cap off the season, the 4th annual Spectrum JamFest was held on May 17 at River Place Plaza in downtown Cedar Falls. Featuring over 40 youth and school bands, the outdoor concert raised over $5,000 to support future performers. Headlining the event was Mandy Harvey, who also gave guest performances at local schools, inspiring students and audiences alike with her story and music.

Suzuki School

The Suzuki School welcomed a new violin/viola instructor and added 14 new students this year in violin, cello, and guitar and four new students to the Northern Iowa Junior and Youth Orchestras. Suzuki students performed at Artapalooza in September, at Prairie Stone in December, and before two Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony concerts in March, while Violin Instructor Bethany Washington, Director Suzanne Bullard, and Suzuki Coordinator Cathy Craig performed for the Prairie Rose Montessori School in May.

The orchestras had an outstanding year ending with tours in April to perform at Cedar Falls High School, St. Patrick School, Denver Community School, AGWSR Middle School, Grande JiVante in Ackley, and South Winneshiek Middle School in Ossian. The Youth Orchestra also joined the School of Music’s Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra to perform at their final concert in May.

The Suzuki School will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. Interested alumni (both former students and staff members) are welcome to participate in the 50th year events.

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Editor’s note: thank you to Heather Hamilton, Kevin Droe and Cathy Craig for their contributions to this article.

Be Our Guest

A look back at our visiting artists‌

This was a fantastic year in the School of Music, filled with exceptional guest artists and clinicians visiting and sharing their talent and experience with School of Music students and faculty. Through hands-on masterclasses, thrilling performances, and interactive discussions, these inspiring guests and masters of music offered students a world of opportunity to find out why choosing music is truly a rewarding path.

Guest artist funds for 2024-25 were supported in part or in full by the Esther Bley Rinker Endowed Fund, Carol Froning Deppe Fund, Jonathan Thull Family and Friends Voice Endowment, Florence Christianson Endowed Fund, Dorothea and Robert Dean Endowed Visiting Artist Fund, Charles and Marleta Matheson Endowed Artist Fund, Dr. Berdena J. Nelson Beach Ph.D. Visiting Artist in Residency Endowment, Geraldine Bradley QuasiEndowed Music Fund, Floyd School of Music Enrichment Fund Joyce Gault Piano Concert Series, Spotlight Series patrons, the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, and the UNI School of Music. The School of Music continues to extend its gratitude for these contributions

2024-2025 Guest Artists

Fall 2024

Mark Stevens, piano
Nick May, saxophone
Evergreen & Oak Trio
Extra Añejo
Allison Adams, saxophone
Parrish Trio

Spring 2025

Alexander W. Ravitz, bass clarinet
Scott Flavin, violin
Sean Kleve, marimba & harpsichord
Crystal Rebone, double bass
Miguel Etchegoncelay, conductor
James Thompson, conductor
Nora Tycast, conductor
John Clayton, composer, arranger, bass
Libby Larsen, composer
Alan Dunbar, baritone
‌Elizabeth Robinson, flute

Scott Sutherland, tuba
Karel Keldermans, carillon
Randall Faust, horn
Gregory Williams, viola
Cassius Goens III, drums
Katie Ernst, bass

The LGBTubenQuintet

Brisa de Paula, bassoon
Rob Scheps, saxophone
Teale Burford, conductor
Mariachi Reyes del Oeste
Justin Cook, trombone
Kimberly Cole-Luevano, clarinet
Jessica Danz, horn
Makayla Rassmussen, bassoon
Karel Keldermans, carillon
Kristina Caswell MacMullen, conductor
Lucas Borges, trombone
Tom Curry, tuba

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Alan Dunbar, baritone

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Libby Larsen, composer

The School of Music launched the Amplify: Alumni project in 2024-25. The Amplify: Alumni initiative aimed to highlight the many achievements – past, present and future – of UNI School of Music alumni. The amazing impact of the performers, educators, innovators and artists who attended the UNI School of Music can be felt around the globe, and we wanted to celebrate their accomplishments. Over the year we shared some of the stories, professional contributions and exciting projects of UNI alumni.

Though the series wrapped up in May, our alumni continue to do amazing things and create a lasting impact and legacy in their fields of work and lives. You’ll certainly see us continuing to share those success stories in our Rhythms newsletter and on our social media channels in the future. Look back through the year of highlights at music.uni.edu/amplify-alumni.

The School of Music has chosen to amplify other important aspects of our program in an ongoing series in the years to come. The focus for 2025-26 will be Amplify: Our History, and will focus on our rich traditions and past innovations, while tying into the celebration of UNI’s sesquicentennial commemorating 150 years of transformation and impact.

Save the Date!

Please join us for a sesquicentennial celebration, including several special events hosted by the UNI School of Music.

‌September 26, 2025

44th annual Scholarship Benefit Concert: “Our History”

September 28- October 4, 2025

UNI Homecoming Week

‌February 19-20, 2026

75th Anniversary Tallcorn Jazz Festival and Sinfonian Dimension in Jazz Concerts

‌March 2026

50th Anniversary of the Suzuki School at UNI

Visit 150.uni.edu to keep up on events and information related to our 150th anniversary at UNI.

Mariachi in Iowa

Cultural Representation and Community in Music Ensembles

‌The Mariachi genre is a style of music that originated in Western Mexico. A standard ensemble normally includes guitar, violins, trumpets, guitarrón, and vihuelas. Musicians can be seen wearing trajes de charro, associated with the Mexican cowboy, which is associated with the Western region.

In 2011, Ruben Newell noticed that there was a disparity between the students at Denison High School and the participants in the band. He traveled to Las Vegas to learn about the performance of Mariachi music and brought back what he knew to the first Mariachi group in Iowa, 12 eighthgrade students.

The program grew and grew with overwhelming community support and now houses four groups. Denison hosts the largest Mariachi band festival in the state, this year with four other high schools busing students in to learn from a hired clinician and perform to a sold-out audience for almost two hours. Newell states that he knew that the creation of the ‌program would “touch a note (pun intended), but

[he] was not ready for the impact that it would have.”

Student interest in Mariachi has prevailed over the years in Denison. Speaking to three Denison High School alumni, all three remarked how impactful their Mariachi experience had been to their lives, impacting their career choices and their perception of cultural representation in small-town Iowa.

The School of Music was proud to host Newell and Mariachi Reyes del Oeste from Denison on campus at UNI in late March 2025. The group offered a free concert performance at Russell Hall and participated in a Q&A session with UNI students and the community. Members of UNI’s Mariachi Panteras were also in attendance and are excited to continue building a relationship with the Denison group.

Editor’s Note: thank you to Geneva Bell, biology major, UNI class of 2025, for her contribution to this article.

Jazz Division Updates

The Jazz Division welcomed over 50 students to campus for Combo Camp 2024, an education and recruiting event held annually since 2001. This was followed in February by our other major recruiting event, the Tallcorn Jazz Festival, which set a record for participation with 72 bands.

In September, Jazz Band One collaborated with the Iowa City High School jazz band, under the direction of UNI alum Aaron Ottmar, on the Scholarship Benefit Concert. In November, all three jazz bands traveled to West High School in Waterloo for an outreach concert. Jazz Band One collaborated with the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra later in the month for a program of works by faculty members Jonathan Schwabe and Michael Conrad and UNI alum Jon Snell. Snell and fellow UNI graduate Dakota Andersen were featured as performers on the program. In December, Jazz Band Two collaborated with the UNI choirs for the annual Holiday Concert. A student combo traveled to Des Moines in March to perform at Southeast Polk and Valley High Schools, and The Cave (owned by UNI alum Nic Leo). Jazz Band One performed as the featured band at the Iowa Jazz Championships in Ames in front of over 1,000 students in April.

The Jazz Division welcomed several other guests to campus this year: Tallcorn artist John Clayton (bass, composer – February), Rob Scheps (saxophone – March), Bethany Elle (voice – April), Gabe Scheid (UNI alum, saxophone – April), and Wave Cage (featuring UNI alumni Ryan Garmoe, Chris Jensen, and Nolan Schroeder-- April), who presented in both the Jazz Composition class and an informal concert in the Jazz Studio.

Jazz Band One had two opportunities to record this year. In March, the band traveled to Catamount Studio to collaborate with vocalist Bethany Elle on four selections. In May, the band tracked a new full-length release, documenting nine compositions and arrangements by four different student writers.

Several students earned recognition this year. Junior trumpeter and composer Sean Kiefer was recognized for excellence several times this year. In the summer, he was selected as a member of the Telluride Jazz All-Stars. He was the Fullerton-Curtiss Award Winner at the 2025 UNI Emerging Artist Competition, and the Undergraduate winner of the 2024 Iowa Composers Forum prize. He also won 2nd Place in the ASMAC Bill Conti Big Band Arranging Competition, 3rd Place in the ASMAC Van Alexander Arranging Competition, and 3rd Place in the Tom Williams Jazz Division at the 2025 National Trumpet Competition. Sophomore trumpeter Eric Torneten was awarded 2nd place in the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition. In May, senior Levi Temple released his second album of original compositions for jazz sextet, How We Got Here. The album features an all-UNI cast of players including alumni Tyler Utter (saxophone), Oisin Leopold (keyboards), and Jackson Schou (drums) along with Sean Kiefer (trumpet) and Vincent Valadez (bass).

Editor’s note: thank you to Chris Merz for his contribution of this article.

44th annual Scholarship Benefit Concert

Our History

Please join us for the University of Northern Iowa School of Music’s 44th Annual Scholarship Benefit Concert!
Friday, September 26, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
live in the Gallagher Bluedorn

We’re thrilled to welcome you back to the mainstage at the Gallagher Bluedorn for the 44th Annual Scholarship Benefit Concert: Our History! We’re planning an evening of exceptional performances by UNI faculty and students, featuring a wide range of works, composers and performers aimed at highlighting the unique history and story of the School of Music, while continuing to build on that legacy into the future.

The concert will include performances by the UNI Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band One, Cecilians, Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, UNI Opera, as well as featured soloists and more. Repertoire will include selections from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Arturo Marquez’s Conga del Fuego Nuevo, and more.

Please join us for this exciting event and help to support student scholarships at UNI’s School of Music!

Thank you to the “Special Donors” from the 2024 Scholarship Benefit Concert

Becoming a Special Donor

The Scholarship Benefit Concerts have been raising scholarship funds for exceptionally talented music students and students in need since 1982. In addition to the income from tickets sales for the concerts, we have developed a network of community, small business, corporate, and university-related donors. The extent of this support has been most gratifying to the students and faculty at UNI’s School of Music.

To allow us to continue the support we have provided in the past, please consider becoming a special donor*.

Donor categories are as follows:

Impresario Circle
$5,000 or more

President’s Circle
$2,500-$4,999

Dean’s Circle
$2,000-$2,499

Director’s Circle
$1,500-$1,999

Underwriters
$1,000-$1,499

Guarantors
$500-$999

Patrons
$300-$499

Benefactors
$150-$299

To become a special donor, contact the School of Music office #115 Russell Hall by calling (319) 273-2024 or visit music.uni.edu/sbc. The final date for adding names to the special donor section of the acknowledgement pages of the benefit concert virtual program is Friday, September 12, 2025.

* All contributions and ticket costs for the Scholarship Benefit Concert are tax deductible.

Impresario Circle
$5,000 or more

Randy Hogancamp & Jane Whitehead

President’s Circle
$2,500-$4,999

Elly Stettler Leslie

Director’s Circle
$1,500-$1,999

James L. Wright
Huajun Zhang

Underwriters
$1,000-$1,499

Dorothy Glascock
Dianne L. Phelps
Dr. Paul & Carole Rider
In appreciation of Dr. Bob Washut & Thomas Barry

Guarantors
$500-$999

Greg & Joan Ebeling
Bonnie & Mark Farland
Patricia L. Geadelmann
José Herrera Kwei & Ray Huang
Cecile Johnson
Marleta Matheson
Dan & Harriett McMahill
LaVerne Puetz
Terry & Janice Yarns

Patrons
$300-$499

R.B. Campbell
Angeleita Floyd & Scott Cawelti
Barb Hamilton
Albert & Cathy Humke
Martha Kroese
David & Cindi Mason
Jan & Steve Moore
Myron Mueller
Ron & Jane Ross

Benefactors
$150-$299

Joan & Andrew Ackerman
Kevin Bales & Nan Serck
Jackie & Larry Betts
Steve & Gerry Chamberlin
John & Carolyn Christman
Cathy Craig
Levi & Julie Dressler
Mark & Janelle Epperson
Harlan Gillespie
Scott & Nancy Graen
Noreen Hermansen
Dennis & Joan Ingwersen
Leon & Linda Kuehner
Rev. Michael McAndrew
James McCutcheon
Michael J. McEniry
John & Theresa McIlon
David & Claudia Meyer
Scott Murphy & Jacqueline Halbloom
Susan Rider
Lauri & Adam Riss
Mary Schlicher
Mike & Rita Waggoner
Matt & Tonya Wagner
Kelly Wells Sittig & Erek Sittig
Victor & Sandra Wong

Student Awards

The UNI School of Music proudly recognizes last year’s competition winners and acknowledges the many honors and awards that our students have earned.

‌In fall 2024, the School of Music hosted the Instrumental Concerto Competition contest. Five finalists competed in a live performance held at the Gallagher Bluedorn on Nov. 5. Tess Lorraine was selected as the winner of the competition, with Camille Balleza and Megan Bennett receiving honorable mentions.

Tess Lorraine is a third-year percussionist at UNI. She has performed with the UNI Symphonic band, UNI Wind Ensemble and the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, as well as municipal bands in the area. She is currently working to finish her Music Education Degree.

Lauren Geerlings was named the 2025 Presser Scholar Award winner in February. The Presser Foundation supports undergraduate students across the country committed to advancing music through their studies. The prestigious Presser Scholar Award is granted to an outstanding music major in their junior year. Selected by the music faculty, the Award recipient shows a high level of academic and musical accomplishment and embodies the qualities of leadership and citizenship. The Presser Scholar is one who has grown individually and who has contributed earnestly to the success of the School of Music. The Award is an honor and the recipient will be known as a Presser Scholar during their senior year. Geerlings is a senior at UNI studying violin and oboe performance under the direction of Nash Ryder and Heather Peyton. She is currently involved in numerous ensembles and student organizations. To learn more about Lauren, see student spotlight on page 18.

In April, the Emerging Artist Competition was held live in the Gallagher Bluedorn. Abby Wendland, flute, was awarded the top honor of the Charles and Marleta Matheson Award. Abby is a junior instrumental music education major at the University of Northern Iowa. Throughout her tenure at UNI, she has served in the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and the Panther Marching Band. Abby is a Presidential Scholar and is dedicated to leadership. Most recently, she has served as President of UNI Ballroom/Swing, Vice President Ritual of Sigma Alpha Iota - Alpha Upsilon, and is a drum major for the Panther Marching Band.

Sean Kiefer, trumpet, won the CurtissFullerton Award. Kiefer is an awardwinning jazz trumpeter and composer/ arranger currently studying jazz at the University of Northern Iowa, under Dr. Michael Conrad and Chris Merz. He has performed at the local, state, and national levels, including a residency with the all-stars at the Telluride Jazz Festival and a semifinalist appearance at the 2025 National Trumpet Competition. He has also had his compositions/ arrangements praised by organizations including Downbeat Magazine, ASMAC and ISJAC.

McCaffrey Brandt, double bass, claimed the Myron and Ruth Russell Award and the People’s Choice Award. Brandt is a junior at UNI studying Music Education and Double Bass under Dr. Will Yager. While at UNI, he has performed with the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, Bel Canto Cedar Valley, Wartburg Community Symphony, Fort Dodge Area Symphony, and others. He has also participated and finished as a semi-finalist in the 2023 and 2024 UNI Concerto Competition.

Several School of Music students were recognized at the Student Leadership Awards in 2025. Cecilians member Emily Reeser, an elementary education major from Cedar Falls, was this year’s winner of the Beverly Funk Barnes Student Excellence Award. This award recognizes students who continually create new value through dedication, passion and creativity for the benefit of UNI. Reeser has gone out of her way to make students feel like they belong in the UNI family and impacted the greater Cedar Valley community. Music major Micaiah Krutsinger received the Outstanding Student Leader Award, an award given to graduating seniors who have demonstrated dedication and leadership through their involvement in one or more campus activities. Panther Marching Band member Lydia Welch received the Outstanding Officer in a Student Organization Award. This award recognizes a student organization officer who provides exemplary service, commitment, and strong leadership to their student organization and UNI.

Music major Megan Bennett finished third in the Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition (Solo) held at the International Trumpet Conference in Salt Lake City, May 2025.

Music major Sean Kiefer advanced to the finals (Jazz Division) and finished third at the National Trumpet Competition held at Texas Christian University in March 2025.

School of Music earns high Honors

Scholars Program students and those who have earned a place on the dean’s list or as a Presidential Scholar this year are as follows:

Honors & Scholars Program Students

Adrian Benson, Chloe BernsSchweingruber, Carissa Blumka, Ale Cabello, Laura Carrico, Emily Clouser, Jack Deahl, Kristen Engelhardt, Sam Heerts, Jacob Herring, Hope Jones, Riana Kraft, Ethan Labby, Kyle Langston, Finn Riley, Dora Roorda, Spencer Schnetzer, Abby Voshell, Abby Wendland and Bethany Winget.

Presidential Scholars

Chloe Berns-Schweingruber, Laura Carrico, Kristen Engelhardt, Sam Heerts, Dora Roorda, Abby Wendland and Bethany Winget.

The School of Music would also like to congratulate the School of Music students who appeared on the fall 2024 and spring 2025 dean’s list. To be included on the list, a student must have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, while taking at least 12 hours of graded work during the semester.

Congratulations to all of our award-winning and honor-earning students!