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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

Songs, poetry reflect on life of music student

Service at Buskirk-Chumley memorializes Robert Samels

Robert Samels liked to put himself in his music. His opera "PILATVS," which he wrote about the life of Pontius Pilate, was described as "witty," "genius" and "enjoyable" -- all traits his friends attribute to him.\nEven in his notes in the margin, friends noticed how he poured himself into his work.\n"I was looking through the score," said senior Nicole Beemsterboer, a close friend of his, "and towards the end he had underlined the lyrics, stolen from Walt Whitman: 'Waste your days inventing ways to be remembered before you rot in the ground.' \n"I thought, 'What a fitting tribute.'"\nHundreds of friends gathered Wednesday night at the Buskirk Chumley Theater to provide another "fitting tribute" to Samels, a graduate student in the Jacobs School of Music who was killed in a plane crash May 20.\nMusic graduate students Zachary Novak, Garth Eppley, Georgina Joshi and Chris Carducci were also killed in the crash just south of the Monroe County Airport. \nThe ceremony featured poetry, songs and recollected stories from friends. Samels' creativity was also showcased with a performance of his original piece "Pie Jesu" by the Jacobs School of Music Singers and IU soprano Ann Corrigan.\nMost of the crowd dressed in black, with sniffles and laughter echoing about. The majority in attendance knew Samels, but those who didn't were quickly filled in on how amazing he was. Samels, a bass-baritone, had lead roles in many IU music productions including "Our Town," "A View from the Bridge" and "Don Pasquale." Friends remembered Samels as a composer, WFIU public radio host, racquetball player, music school AI and "über-multitasker."\nIntertwined with poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson, guest speakers told their memories of Samels. Reverend Mary Ann Macklin said they couldn't talk about him without also having music and poetry because Samels always had to have a lot going on at once.\nJan Harrington, chair of the choral conducting department, recalled Samels' audition for the school. The first things he noticed were his height, his long, crazy hair and, of course, his vocal talents.\n"We knew that Robert Samels would be remembered long after any haircut," he said.\nHarrington read letters from students in Samels' music theory class. Students said they only attended the 8 a.m. course to hear his "gorgeous, deep voice." Others enjoyed his sense of humor. Once he ended a lecture on sonority, a type of musical resonance, with a PowerPoint slide with a cartoon lumberjack and the words: "Sonority Log-man says, 'Have a good weekend.'"\nOne student said: "Most of my friends hardly knew him, but we'd talk about him all the time."\nCary Boyce spent time with Samels at WFIU radio and as a part of the Aguavá New Music Studio, in which Samels was a musical superstar.\n"He made us look and sound a lot better than we are," he said.\nJohn Glann, who played Jesus in the September 2005 production of Samels' opera, told the crowd about Samels' love of music such as Cake and Fiona Apple, and cartoons such as Space Ghost and SpongeBob. \n"Robert showed us that dorky was cool," he said.\nHe laughed about how Samels pasted all 200 of his students' pictures on note cards and tried to commit them to memory. He joked to his students: "If you see me in the hallway, say hello. I'm lonely."\nGlann also mentioned how Samels put himself in his music. In "PILATVS," Pontius Pilate was so focused on his career and nothing else, because he had to be, Glann read to the crowd.\n"In a really weird way, I made an opera about myself," Samels told Glann.\nSamels told Glann he didn't realize he did it until his mom pointed it out at Tutto Bene after the show. And then Samels started to cry.\nSince it was a crowd full of music majors, each time the crowd sang along for hymns, the Buskirk Chumley sounded larger than life. Senior Andrew Henry, a viola major who was in operas with Samels, said he was moved by the ceremony.\n"It was very appropriate," he said at the reception afterward. "Just hearing his requiem, he was such a person of talent. I don't think we know yet how much we'll miss him."\nWith all of the stories and laughter, Rev. Macklin reminded the crowd that it wasn't a time to be sad, but a time to rejoice in the full life Samels lived.\n"Remember that in telling stories about Robert, you renew his life every time"

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