Brothers,
I hope that everyone is safe and healthy as you start your Spring 2021 semester! I am excited to announce three colonies for this spring!
Livingstone College – Theta Chi Recolonization – Southeast District
Kalem Graham (Life Member, Zeta Psi & SED Governor) will serve as lead colony advisor, and Kadeem Sabari (Alumnus, Zeta Chi & SED Alumni Association Chair), Jessica Needham (Alumnus, Eta Sigma and former SED VPP), and Danielle Francis Marzen (Alumnus, Lambda Tau and former NCD President) will serve on the colony advising team.
The Livingstone College Band program is growing under the direction of Director of Bands, Mr. Anthony Jones. The band program offers a variety of ensembles for students and community members to participate in including Concert Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Basketball Band, and the Marching Blue Thunder Marching Band. The band has participated in the Palmetto Bowl Classic and the Heritage Bowl Classic over the last several years. Notably, Mr. Jones, Director of Bands, also serves as the Director of the 369th Experience, a band which in its original form, consisted of 65 African American and Puerto Rican gentlemen who charmed the hearts and minds of Americans and Europeans during WWI. The ensembles recreates the famous Harlem Hell Fighters regimental band’s spirited arrangements of ragtime, jazz and blues first introduced European audiences to the novel sounds of this American music with students chosen from Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. We are excited to welcome back Livingstone College to Kappa Kappa Psi! You may send notes of congratulations to Director of Bands, Prof. Anthony Jones (antjones@livingstone.edu) or to Colony President Tyvaun James (tyvaunjames@gmail.com).
Shepherd University – New Colonization – Northeast District
Sarah Fitzgerald (Life Member, Iota Delta and Northeast District Governor) will serve as lead colony advisor. Kelly Nellis (Life Member, Kappa Alpha and former National Vice President for Student Affairs), Lamoth Haynie (Life Member, Eta Gamma), Mike Napolitano (Life Member, Kappa Upsilon, National Vice President for Programs, and former NED Governor) have been appointed as the Colony Advising Team.
The Shepherd University Band Program is under the direction of Dr. Scott Hippensteel. The music program has several ensembles in the department, including Wind Ensemble, Marching “Ram Band”, Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Community Orchestra. The Ram Band is one of the highlights of Shepherd University. Known for their strong commitment to musical excellence and exciting shows, the Ram Band is in great demand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The Ram Band is an active recruiting ensemble that performs in exhibition at high
school marching band festivals in our four-state region (West Virginia, Virginia,Pennsylvania, and Maryland). The Ram Band also performs every year at the Collegiate Marching Band Festival in Allentown, PA. The Shepherd University Wind Ensemble is the premier wind group of Shepherd University and each year the auditions become more competitive. Over the last 20 years, the ensemble has performed in Carnegie Hall, Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal. We are excited to welcome Shepherd University to Kappa Kappa Psi! Notes of congratulations may be sent to Director of Bands and Chapter Sponsor, Dr. Scott Hippensteel (shippens@shepherd.edu) and Colony President, Ian Walton (ipwalton594@gmail.com).
University of North Texas – New Colonization – Southwest District
Andy Melvin (Life Member, Delta, Southwest District Governor, and former CFR) will serve as lead colony advisor, and Jason Filer (Alumnus, Alpha Zeta & former NCD President), Teddy Howell (Alumnus, Kappa Lambda), and Atia Aroonsakulwongse (Life Member, Theta Theta and former SED Secretary/Treasurer) will serve on the colony advising team.
Prof. Eugene Migliaro Corporon’s tenure as Director of Bands at UNT began in 1994. The UNT Wind Symphony under his direction, is internationally acknowledged as one of the premier ensembles of its kind. The North Texas Wind Symphony is selected from the most outstanding musicians attending the College of Music; the group has been highly acclaimed for “wonderful and artistically rendered performances which are elegant and polished,” and complimented for “terrific ensemble skills which embody a high degree of integrity and sensitivity.” From first performing at a College Band Directors National Association Regional Convention in 1996, the group has since attended multiple CBDNA conventions, TMEA, TBA, WASBE, American Bandmasters Association, PASIC, Bands of America Concert Festivals, and the Midwest Clinic. The University of Texas College of Music is the largest public university music program in the United States. UNT offers more than 70 different musical ensembles for students to participate in, which include the 400-member Green Brigade Marching Band, the three-time Grammy nominated Wind Symphony under the direction of Eugene Corporon, the Wind Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Andrew Trachsel, the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Daniel Cook, the Brass Band under the direction of David Childs, the Symphonic and Concert bands directed by Masters and Doctoral candidates, and the Brass Choir. The University of Texas is home to the nation’s first jazz degree program, and has more than a dozen vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles, including the seven-time Grammy nominated One O’Clock Lab Band, UNT Jazz Singers and 25 small groups each semester. We are thrilled to welcome The University of North Texas to Kappa Kappa Psi! Notes of congratulations may be sent to Director of Bands, Prof. Eugene Corporon (eugene.corporon@unt.edu), Chapter Sponsor, Dr. Daniel Cook (daniel.cook@unt.edu), or Colony President, Amrutha Murthy (AmruthaMurthy@my.unt.edu).
The Hampton University colony will also be continuing on this semester. By the end of this biennium, we will have installed 9 colonies of Kappa Kappa Psi – 5 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 3 Predominately White Institutions, and 1 minority serving institution.
Thank you to those Brothers who will be serving on the colony advising teams. Each team will assist the colony during the colonization process, and will then follow the colony through a full year of reporting to ensure a strong foundation of support and success.
We are excited to welcome these three colonies to Kappa Kappa Psi during this unprecedented time. Please join me in supporting and welcoming these colonists to the Brotherhood!
AEA,
Jessica Lee
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Life Member, Eta Alpha – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania