Dear alumni and friends,
This spring, I was enjoying a Des Moines Symphony performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” at the Civic Center when I had a sudden realization. Aside from the guest artist pianist, nearly every soloist was a current or former faculty member of Iowa State University’s Department of Music and Theatre. We were the stars of the show!
It was a microcosm of our department: faculty and staff who are not only outstanding educators but are also engaged in the highest levels of performance, scholarship, and outreach. From concerts abroad to partnerships with area schools to scholarship presentations at major conferences, our department is a hub of excellence whose impact extends out into our state, across the country, and around the world.
This excellence is also what creates an exceptional learning environment filled with high impact learning opportunities.
For example, we’re proud to be one of the most represented departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Start Something LAS Academy for student innovators and entrepreneurs. In addition, many of our students are involved in real-world learning experiences such as internships, student teaching, undergraduate research, and study abroad. And what better place on campus to develop leadership and teamwork skills? Our students are designing mainstage theatre productions, conducting the concert band on the Stephens stage, producing original films, performing solos with the Symphony Orchestra, and so much more.
This diverse and dizzying array of undergraduate student experiences is part of what makes the Iowa State Department of Music and Theatre so special. We are a true destination of opportunity.
I’m also thrilled that our department is playing a key leadership role in creating even more transformative opportunities through Iowa State’s “Degrees of the Future” initiative. We are excited to be partnering with the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication to help develop a future major and minor in digital storytelling.
With such a strong foundation of opportunity and mentorship, we’ll continue to prepare students to make a difference in the world – and continue to delight Ames and surrounding communities with dynamic stories and sounds. Thank you for your generous support of the arts that enrich the lives of so many at Iowa State and beyond!
With joy and gratitude,
Brad Dell