Follow Along

We have our last performances of the semester next week! If you`re looking for a fun way to relax before finals start, come check out our music and dance performances! 💃🪈

🎟️ Jazz Orchestra and Cates Avenue Jazz have their spring combo concert! They will be playing an amazing mix of jazz standards and modern classics 🎷 (Free tickets for NC State students)

🎟️ Wind Ensemble has its second concert of the spring semester! Performing challenging wind ensemble and traditional concert band repertoire, you don`t want to miss this show! (Free tickets for NC State students)

🎟️ Symphonic Band is performing a night of "Fantasy and Wonder!" The band will transport us to the worlds of Harry Potter, How to Train Your Dragon, Wicked and more! (Free tickets for NC State students)

🎟️ Spring Dance Sharing will feature a variety of dance works hosted by the Dance Repertory and Performance Spring `25 Cohort. The performance will feature works by Assistant Teaching Professor Brianna Forbes, Guest Artists Bernadine Fields, Hannah Harris, Myaja Watson, Southern Durham High’s Dance Company and student choreographer Jordan Kaplan! (Free for everyone! Claim your ticket through the link in our bio)

For NC State students wanting to claim their free tickets, head to: http://go.ncsu.edu/freeticket

Next week, we have another amazing set of performances, from two nights of dance, to choir a cappella and an orchestra performance! Come join us for these great shows! 🤍

🎟️ First up is Terrain Dance Project, which will include new work by guest artists Kathryn Logan and Katherine Moore which will premiere at this performance. Terrain co-director Autumn Mist Belk will also premiere her newest work The Science of Joy, dedicated to the memory of NC State arts patron and former FANS board member Dan Cook. Happening at “Reds and Whites” on @ncstatecentennial campus!

🎟️ The State Chorale has their spring concert: Northern Lights and Southern Skies. Featuring works by both Nordic and Latin American composers, the concert brings together great choral music from all across the world! (Free tickets for NC State students)

🎟️ Wolfgang A Cappella has their spring concert: Y2K!

🎟️ Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra will be presenting ‘Hymns of Hope and Healing’, which, through music, dance, and visual art, takes us on a journey through adversity, emerging triumphant through the power of the human spirit and creativity (Free tickets for NC State students)

For NC State students wanting to claim their free tickets, head to: http://go.ncsu.edu/freeticket

Our schedule is packed for next week, with Dance, A Cappella, Choir, and Jazz! Check out these wonderful performances! (Bonus: NC State students can get free tickets for many of them, keep reading to learn more!) 💃 🎼🎤🎺

🎟️ State Dance Company is up first, this concert will include works by danah bella, Allison Beaty, Alexandra Burchette, Savanah Buck, Tracey Durbin, Tara Z. Mullins, and Kassandra Taylor Newberry. (Free tickets for NC State students)

🎟️ The Chamber Singers and Instrumentalists concert, located at 2723 Clark Ave here in Raleigh is free for everyone!

🎟️ Jazz Lab Band and Studio band will be performing classic standards, cutting-edge modern arrangements, and innovative new music. (Free tickets for NC State students)

🎟️ Finally, this week, Ladies in Red will have their spring concert!

For NC State students wanting to claim their free tickets, head to: http://go.ncsu.edu/freeticket

Day of Giving is ONE day away!! Whether you are planning to give or spread the word, you can join in #givingpack with us on Day of Giving (March 26)! Swipe to learn more! 👉🐺❤️

We have great performances from both Music and Dance next week, be sure to check them out! 🎤💃

Our campaign has concluded! Thank you so much for helping to keep Dance and Music accessible for all students! Your gifts will provide opportunities for our students to reach new heights and develop their skills even further 🎺💃

Our campaign for the Dance Enhancement Fund and Music Enhancement Fund ends Wednesday! Thank you to all of those who have already given a gift or shared the links to our enhancement funds! 💃🎷

We have so many talented students in our Dance and Music programs, and this campaign will help ensure their talents can reach new heights! With your support, we can enrich music and dance opportunities for all students! Visit the links in our bio to learn more!
#supportthearts #ncstatemusic100 #dancesupport #empowerartists #futureprofessionals #communityimpact #ncstatedance

There`s one week left in our campaign for the Music Enhancement Fund and Dance Enhancement Fund! Your support can provide new opportunities for our dance or music students. From supporting them as they travel to conferences, attend music festivals, or participate in performance tours, to allowing us to offer more workshops for them to learn and grow their skills, or allowing us to bring in more guest artists for our students to collaborate with!

It can also help keep the arts accessible by allowing us to provide students with free tickets to these performances and workshops, ensuring more students can experience the joy and inspiration of live performances. Check out the link in our bio to learn more! 🎻 🩰
#supportthearts #ncstatemusic100 #dancesupport #empowerartists #futureprofessionals #communityimpact #ncstatedance

To get you into the holiday spirit this week, Wind Ensemble is bringing you our final concert of the fall semester ❄️🧣

We have the fun occurrence of having siblings in our department this year! Sisters Elaine and Allyson Wolochuck are involved in Jazz Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, and State Chorale and Ladies in Red, respectively. Coming from over seven hours away, the sisters have both grown up with a love for music that has only continued to flourish in their time here at NC State.

To read more about the sisters’ stories as they gear up for their performances, you can visit the link in our bio.

Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Combo Concert
🗓️ ︱ November 23
⏰ ︱ 7:30 p.m.
📍 ︱ Stewart Theatre
🔗 ︱ go.ncsu.edu/musicconcerts

Ladies in Red x Grains of Time Concert
🗓️ ︱ November 24
⏰ ︱ 7:30 p.m.
📍 ︱ Stewart Theatre
🔗 ︱ go.ncsu.edu/musicconcerts

Wind Ensemble Holiday Concert
🗓️ ︱ December 2
⏰ ︱ 7:30 p.m.
📍 ︱ Stewart Theatre
🔗 ︱ go.ncsu.edu/musicconcerts

We`re celebrating a successful Day of Giving so far! Now, it`s time to share why you love dance at NC State in the #GivingPack Passion Match Challenge! Swipe to learn more, and head to the Day of Giving highlight @ncstateartstech to get started!

Let`s show the strength of NC State Dance together! ❤️

Free NC State student tickets are available now for State Dance Company`s spring concert!

Two weeks from now, the company will present its concert which includes works by danah bella, Allison Beaty, Alexandra Burchette, student choreographer Savanah Buck, Tracey Durbin, Tara Z. Mullins, and Kassandra Taylor Newberry. The performance will showcase styles including modern, contemporary, modern jazz, and dance theatre. 💃

NC State Students:
To get your free ticket, visit: go.ncsu.edu/freeticket

Tickets for the general public can be purchased at: https://go.ncsu.edu/Concerts

Calling all student Choreographers! The deadline for the Arts NC State Creative Artist Award is next week!

Submit your concept or choreography for the opportunity to produce your piece in a variety of ways, such as in a departmental performance, as a screendance, or as a site-specific piece. The most recent recipients of the award, Layla El-Khoury and Kara Pawlowski, each presented their work in the 2024 Fall Dance Concert.

Check out the link in our bio for more details! The deadline for student submissions is Saturday, March 15, at 11:59 p.m.

For our Master Class series two weeks from now, we will have Brianna Forbes, who will be teaching beginner House Dance movements and techniques, which include fast footwork, intricate floorwork, and grooves, creating meaningful movement and adding to storytelling. This class, which is free to NC State students, staff, and faculty, will also teach participants a brief and beautiful history of House Dance and Afro-House Music.

Two weeks from now we have a Master Class with Frankie Lee III, who has danced as a commercial & concert Hip-hop dancer and taught Hip-hop for schools and studies in multiple states! This class will be teaching isolations, musicality, performance qualities, and movement textures all while emphasizing individuality!

For our Master Class next week, we have LaTissa Davis, who will be teaching Fusion belly dance, which merges traditional North African and Middle Eastern belly dance with a wide array of styles. This class, which is free to NC State students, staff, and faculty, will combine belly dance with movements of hip-hop, teaching participants the fundamentals of hip-hop dance and belly dance technique, as well as exploring the similarities in movement vocabulary and creative expression.

Our campaign for the Dance Enhancement Fund ends tonight! Thank you to all of those who have already given a gift! If you would like to support our campaign visit the link in our bio ❤️

#supportthearts #dancesupport #empowerartists #futureprofessionals #communityimpact #ncstatedance

Next week for our Master Class series, we have Bernadine Fields, who will be exploring the dynamic and ever-evolving world of commercial dance! This class, which is free to NC State students, staff, and faculty, will teach a variety of styles including hip-hop, jazz funk, and contemporary, with a focus on performance technique, musicality, and stage presence.

Master Classes are just one example of the many high-impact experiences we aim to provide our students with. You can help us continue to deliver these experiences by giving a gift to our crowdfunding campaign! To learn more, visit the link in our bio 🕺

Next week for our Master Class series we have Willie Hinton, who will be teaching a mixture of Jazz, Ballet, and Modern Techniques! This class, which is free to NC State students, staff, and faculty, is designed to help dancers think outside the box while maintaining a strong foundation of technique. It will also teach the fundamentals of Horton and Graham techniques.

Help our dance students reach new heights!

We strive to give our dancers access to high-impact experiences, such as travel to conferences, special workshops or master classes, guest artists and interdisciplinary research projects

You can help us reach our goal! A gift to the Dance Enhancement Fund can help provide more of these life-changing opportunities for the next generation of dancers! Check out all the ways you can support our dance students by visiting the link in our bio 💃
#dancesupport #empowerartists #futureprofessionals #communityimpact #ncstatedance

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, the Master Class Series is back!!! You can swipe and read below for more info! 👉🎶😆

Learn from legendary breaker Gabriel Jaochico, Bboy Wicket, from the hit dance movie “You Got Served”!!! Wicket will teach a combination of Party Dances such as The Reebok, The Biz Markie, to Breaking moves such as Top Rock, Footwork, Drops and Freezes.

This class is open to all current NC State students, staff and faculty. Advanced registration is FREE and highly recommended. (Link available in our profile)

The class series is officially back this week! 🤩

Our Master Class Series offers free dance classes to all current NC State student, faculty and staff! Swipe to see all the classes we have planned for this semester and visit the link in our bio to learn more and register!

One challenge down, one more to go! ❤️🐺🎶
We`ve already met our goal for the Music Enhancement Fund Gift Challenge! Now it`s time to share why you love music at NC State in the #GivingPack Passion Match Challenge! Swipe to learn more, and head to the Day of Giving highlight @ncstateartstech to get started!

Let`s show the strength of NC State Music together! 🎵

Today, the DPAT Through the Decades series, in celebration of 100 years of music at NC State, comes to an end as we highlight the 2020s. In this decade, the music program joined with the dance and arts entrepreneurship programs, with the addition of a new major in Music Technology, to form the NC State Department of Performing Arts and Technology. Stuart Benkert was named head of the newly formed department in 2024.

We have an amazing set of performances for you next week! Learn more ⬇️

🎤 Chordination and Acapology, co-ed a cappella student organizations, are both having their spring concerts

🎻 Later in the week, the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra will feature the world premiere of Dr. Nathan Leaf`s “The Way from Birmingham,” which focuses on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, in collaboration with the State Chorale. This performance will also include works by Beethoven, Haydn, Niloufar Nourbakhsh and more, with NC State English Professor Jason Miller joining the orchestra to speak about King’s work and its continuing relevance. This program is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission #raleighartspartners

Be sure to check out these great concerts! Get your tickets at the following link: https://go.ncsu.edu/Concerts

In the 2010s, the Music program introduced new classes like, Introduction to the Music Industry and Songwriting using Digital Audio Workstations. In May of 2014, the State Chorale performed as the guest choir at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Also in the 2010s, the alumni magazine, Wolf Tones, was launched. Daniel Monek served as department head starting in 2016.

In the 2000s, the Power Sound of the South started performing the “Walk of Champions,” leading the football players from their buses into the stadium and playing the fight song. They also released their first compact disc! The 2000s marked the beginning of the Pep Band traveling to perform at every Wolfpack away game. Also in the decade, the New Horizons a capella group held 30 performances across the state and participated in the National Collegiate Music Conference! 🎶

Calling all student musicians! The deadline for the Arts NC State Creative Artist Award is next week!

Submit your original work (visit the link in our bio for all of the guidelines and criteria for your entry). The winners will have their piece performed and/or workshopped by a Department of Performing Arts and Technology music ensemble. Pictured above is Tyler Johnson, who received the 2023-2024 Creative Artist Award in music, for his piano duet, “Insomnia.”

Check out the link in our bio for more details! The deadline for student submissions is Saturday, March 15, at 11:59 p.m.

In the 1990s, Music Director Dr. Ronald J. Toering proposed a history book be written about the Music Program, and turned to Curtis R. Craver Jr., who worked for 45 years as an adjunct professor in the program, with the aim of publishing it in the 1999-2000 school year to celebrate NC State Music`s 75th anniversary. That book, “The History of Music at North Carolina State University” is available through University Libraries. Also in the 90s, Dr. Toering established the Music Minor, with the help of Craver, as well as the Music Alumni Newsletter. Dr. Rodney Waschka II, who was an assistant professor in the Division of Multidisciplinary Studies, created the Computer Music Studio and began offering a new course: Music Composition with Computers. When Dr. Toering left in 1994, Dr. Robert B. Petters took over as Music Director. Dr. Petters would often bring the Fanfare Band to local malls to gain exposure as well as provide the challenge of an off-campus audience for student performers. Additionally, in 1996, Dr. Washcka started the Arts Now Series, which continues today, bringing composers, performers, and other artists from around the world to campus.

For more information on “The History of Music at North Carolina State University,” you can visit: https://catalog.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/NCSU1465502

In 1983, the North American British Brass Band Association, which had formed the previous year, thanked Music Director J. Perry Watson for his influence in the British brass band movement and held its first competition at NC State. Also in the ‘80s, Ladies In Red, the all-women a capella group, was formed to give the women’s chorus the same musical education as the men had through Grains of Time. When Watson left, in 1989, Dr. Ronald J. Toering took over as Music Director.

Check out our roundup for next week`s events! We have some incredible performances for you, from Wind Ensemble to Jazz Orchestra and Lab Band, and Grains of Time 🎷

In the 1970s, Price Music Center, named after Percy W. Price, the Music program`s first director, was built to replace the space that was lost in the old Pullen Hall fire. J. Perry Watson, who served as Music director throughout the decade, added piano classes to the music curriculum, with these classes being taught for credit by Meredith College faculty. The guitar program also got started in the `70s. Additionally, in the `70s, the first woman was hired to the Music Program: Dr. Phyllis Vogel. Dr. Vogel taught the first music theory courses in the program, conducted the chamber singers, and also taught composition, women in music, applied piano lessons, and more.

In the 1960s, J. Perry Watson became Music Director after serving as a full-time music faculty member and conductor under Robert A. Barnes. In February of 1965, a student set fire to old Pullen Hall, and the music program lost over 300 instruments totaling over $54,000 in damages to instruments alone, as well as around $15,000 worth of sheet music. Thankfully, many of the instruments were insured, and Watson was determined for the music program to bounce back, making plans to start rehearsals again just a few months later in May, and bounce back we did!

In 1956 former Raleigh Public Schools Band Director, Robert A. Barnes, worked as an assistant to Major C.D. Kutschinksi, marking the first time the music program had more than one full-time worker. When Kutschinski retired in 1957, Barnes took over as music director and made it his mission to increase involvement. When Barnes started, there were 23 members in the band and the Men’s Glee Club was defunct. Six years later, when he left State College, there were almost 300 students in the music program–175 in the three bands and 70 in the Men’s Glee Club. Barnes also worked to improve facilities for students, finding rehearsal, office, and equipment storage space in old Pullen Hall.

Additionally, in 1959, along with Gerald Erdahl, former director of the student union, Barnes founded the “Friends of the College” concert series, which was the largest season subscription concert series in the world, with 16,000 annual members, and ran until 1994, showcasing national and international orchestras, opera companies, and more.

For sports fans: Barnes is also the reason we say “Go state!” during the fight song at games! 🏈🏀