Jacobs School of Music welcomes 11 accomplished new faculty of diverse trades

One of the best is getting even better. The Jacobs School of Music, which already has 160 notable faculty members and a reputation as one of the best music schools in the world, welcomed 11 new faculty members to its ranks this fall. Faculty members include two-time Grammy award winner and IU alumna Sylvia McNair as well as virtuoso violinist Alexander Kerr, among others. "They have more offers than they have the time to accept," , said Jacobs School of Music Dean Gwyn Richards. "They have lots of opportunities and no reason to leave where they are." Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the Jacobs school, said the faculty members who are not necessarily in the performing arts are just as notable additions to the school, like assistant professor of music theory Kyle Adams and associate professor of music education Brenda Brenner. "People tend to know about performing musicians but not about leaders in music education or theory," said Barker. Many of the faculty members also come from the profession itself, a way for students to be close to the profession, yet remain in Bloomington, he said. "They will definitely add to what is already I think the greatest faculty in music anywhere," said Richards. Kerr comes to IU from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam where he served as concertmaster. As the department's youngest violin professor at age 35, Kerr said the opportunity he wanted came sooner than he expected. "I wanted to be affiliated with a learning institution," said Kerr. "If I was going to do that, I always saw myself doing that at IU." Kerr said after leaving his job as concertmaster in Amsterdam there was a moment of finality, but once he arrived in Bloomington he knew he'd made the right decision. "It's exceeded my expectations," Kerr said of his new job thus far. "The kids are wonderful -- very talented, very driven. Working with my colleagues has been very nice. I've been nothing but welcomed from everybody." Richards emphasized the quality of the students in the school. "There is something special about our students and how they conduct themselves," Richards agreed. "They stand out. I hear it a lot, and of late we've seen it a lot." Of all the music schools the new additions could have chosen, all 11 have chosen Bloomington to expand their careers, Richards said. "Bloomington in the world of music is an internationally acclaimed oasis," Barker said. "There's a history of musicians who travel the world widely using Bloomington as their home base." Richards said the reputation of the school has always been able to attract esteemed faculty. "It's the single greatest gathering of music faculty in the world," said Richards. "I really believe that. These new additions are adding luster to an already great faculty." New Faculty Members Include:
- Kyle Adams, is an assistant professor of music theory. Adams has bachelor's and master's degrees in piano performance from the Manners College of Music. He also holds a Ph.D. in music theory from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
- Brenda Brenner, is an associate professor of music education. Brenner has served as assistant director of the IU String Academy since 1993. She was also assistant professor of music for violin from 1993 until 2006, when she was named associate professor.
- Alexander Kerr, is a professor of violin. Kerr has performed in solo and orchestral concerts all over Europe, Asia and North America. He became concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the age of 26.
- Carol Vaness, is a professor of voice performance. Vaness appeared in the New York City Opera from 1979 to 1983. She has performed at the Met Opera, Paris Opera and Royal Opera, among others.
- Michael Vernon, is a professor of ballet. Vernon has performed with the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera Ballet, and the London Festival Ballet, as well as studied at the Nesta Brooking School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet School in London.
- Yael Weiss, is an associate professor of collaborative piano. Weiss was a member of the keyboard faculty in the Department of Music at the University of California, Santa Barbara prior to coming to IU. She has toured worldwide as part of the piano trio Sequenza, which she founded.
- Travis Gregg, is an academic specialist and the coordinator of audio production. Gregg is the head engineer and owner of the private recording company HAT productions. He served as sound technician the U.S. Marine Band "The President's Own" from 2001 to 2006.
- Sylvia McNair, is a senior lecturer in voice performance. McNair won a 1993 Grammy for a recording of Handel's Semele and a 1996 Grammy for The Echoing Air: The Music of Henry Purcell. She is an IU alumna and has performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
- Paul Popiel, is a lecturer specializing in bands. Popiel is associate director of the Marching Hundred, as well as assistant director of the Department of Bands. Before coming to IU he was the associate director of bands and director of the Cowboy Marching Band at Oklahoma State University.
- Scharmal Schrock, is a senior lecturer in voice performance. Schrock has been professor of voice and coordinator of the vocal area at Southeastern Louisiana University. She is also an IU alumna.
- Michael Stucker, is a lecturer in audio. Stucker, also an IU alum, teaches electronic arts courses for the Recording Arts degree program. He has been a technical engineer for Echo Park Studios, as well as John Mellencamp's private recording studio for more than 12 years.

Source: Jacobs School of Music Publicity Web site, http://info.music.indiana.edu/.