music

Building a new era of choral music at �鶹��

msk23@calvin.edu — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:01:39 +0000

Building a new era of choral music at �鶹�� msk23@calvin.edu Mon, 02/24/2025 - 12:01

“I’ve always held Calvin in very high regard for what it is historically and its capacity to become in the future, distinctively as a Christian liberal arts university with a first-rate music program,” said Mark Stover.

This was Stover’s impression from a distance as he served on the faculty at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and then for the past six years at the University of Michigan where he served as associate director of choirs, conductor of the University Choir, and director of the Men’s Glee Club.

“My mentor, who is one of the closest people in my life, is Dr. Anton Armstrong, who is a conductor of the St. Olaf Choir,” said Stover. “He was at Calvin from 1980 to 1990. The ten years he spent at Calvin were absolutely formative to his life and his career.”

So, in spring 2024 when Dr. Pearl Shangkuan announced her retirement, Stover didn’t hesitate to apply for the open position.

“I wanted to have an opportunity to bring my passion, my love for people, my faith, and my love of music to build the new era of the choral area in the music department at Calvin,” said Stover.

And that’s what Stover is doing.

“The students here are remarkable, and they love to sing,” said Stover. “I have been rigorous in my invitation to welcome students into the choral ensembles.”

Mark Stover directs the Campus Choir, which now has 86 students representing numerous disciplines at �鶹��.

And just a few months in, Stover is seeing unexpected and unprecedented interest. Last year at this time nine students were singing in the Campus Choir. This year, the choir now fields 86 students.

“We have well over 200 students singing in some sort of choral ensemble at Calvin right now,” said Stover. “It’s a singing community, we love to sing, we love to experience worship through singing and to build community through song and through music making. I’ve experienced the exciting fruit of that over the course of my first year here, and that gets me excited about what we get to build.”

Stover intentionally uses the word “we” referencing not only the excellent students, but also his “A+ outstanding team of choral colleagues,” which includes Carrie Hoeksema (Women’s Chorale), Nate Glasper (Gospel Choir), and Sean Ivory (Oratorio Chorus and Alumni Choir).

“The choral family at Calvin is a thriving community with only capacity to grow from here,” said Stover. “It’s very exciting.”

From left to right: Nate Glasper, Carrie Hoeksema, Mark Stover, and Sean Ivory.

And it’s a family that includes students from many different majors.

“Most ensembles are made up of non-music majors. This is a department that serves the entire university in a robust way,” said Stover. “This is a place where anybody who is a student can find a place to belong and thrive in their artistic expression. We have so many people that their experience in an ensemble becomes a defining time of their time here even though they aren’t music majors.”

While the number of students and majors they come from clearly demonstrate student interest in music, the recent investments in the music department emphasize the institutional commitment. Perhaps the most significant signal is in bringing back the music education program this fall, which already has 11 music education majors.

“I wouldn’t have looked at the job if they hadn’t recently brought the music education program back,” said Stover. “Music education, I believe, is our future as a department. I think it’s one of the most important things. To be a viable, thriving music department in the 21st century in the liberal arts context, you need great music education.”

And while Stover believes that to be true, he also sees Calvin’s approach to music education having added strength because of its depth.

“We are all created in God’s image and as being image bearers of the Creator, we have creative impulses in us. For me, it’s as a musician, as an artist, as a creator that gets to call people together in community to experience the wonder of music making, which I think is in itself kind of a sacred act,” said Stover. “I find that the rehearsal process is a process of spiritual formation. Whether I’m in sacred or secular contexts, I’ve always felt that way. There’s something transcendent about working collectively on a piece of music that’s formative about who we become as people. But, when we get to focus that specifically on the person of Jesus, it’s a remarkable encounter of a formational process of discipleship and of serving one another through the beauty of music and power of music.”

Now, six months into his new role, Stover knows he and his colleagues are building a strong choral program that will provide a solid foundation for students. And he’s not shy in sharing his excitement with prospective students.

“Calvin is going to nurture you in your body, mind, spirit, and voice. Your whole personhood is going to grow and be stretched and be challenged and nurtured in ways that is only possible in a place that provides what this community can offer. There’s an intentionality behind the way we do our work here,” said Stover. “The question is ‘what kind of person do you feel called to become and how can we be a resource to that calling in your life and walk alongside you and give you a place to really belong and bloom and grow in this undergraduate journey.’ This can be one of the most special seasons of life when you are in the right place, and Calvin is certainly that place for so many people and we hope it will be for so many more people to come.”

Mon, 02/24/2025 - 12:00

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Calvin Remembers Howard Slenk

msk23@calvin.edu — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:28:55 +0000

Calvin Remembers Howard Slenk msk23@calvin.edu Wed, 01/15/2025 - 09:28

For more than a quarter century, Howard Slenk played an instrumental part in Calvin’s music department. On January 2, 2025, Slenk passed away. He was 93 years old.

Slenk’s love for music was stoked during his time as an undergraduate student at Calvin in the early 1950s. In fact, during the 1953-54 academic year, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music, after which he served in the United States Army in Germany.

Upon returning to the United States, Slenk completed a master’s degree and PhD in musicology from Ohio State University and, in 1965, he founded the music department at Trinity Christian College.

A few years later, he returned to his alma mater where he taught full-time for nearly three decades.

“Professor Howard Slenk was an accomplished musicologist, choral conductor, organist, church musician, and author,” said John Witvliet, the director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. “He expanded the horizons of the music department by recruiting excellent faculty colleagues, pioneering international tours for music ensembles, and pulling off some remarkably complex musical performances with student and community-based ensembles.”

Spreading enthusiasm and humor

“He was a live wire: he combined great enthusiasm for his areas of interest with a strong sense of what needed to be done, with a running vein of humor along the way,” said Karin Maag, a former colleague of Slenk’s.

Maag first met Slenk in the late 1990s when she was working with him on a project to hold a festival of Psalms and to put out a CD of Genevan Psalm singing.

“He was the narrator for our Psalms festival, and came in costume and character as a sixteenth century church member – he threw himself with complete enthusiasm in the part,” said Maag.

Loved his craft and his students

Why he was so passionate about this work was two-fold. First, he loved his craft.

“Music is so important to us because of all the arts it is most like our lives,” said Slenk upon his retirement in 1995. “It moves in time, like we do, moment to moment. It speaks, like we do. It has a heartbeat, like we do. I believe that’s why it moves us the way it does, even without text. When there is a text, when you sing with an instrument in your body, and share it with people around you, it is the summit of human experience.”

And the other reason he directed every available choir, even beyond his formal retirement, and taught organ and music theory with such passion, is because he loved sharing this love of music with others.

“Working with students in the choirs and performing with them the music we have come to love so much has been the high point of my career here,” said Slenk upon retirement.

“Howard was a good friend and it was an honor to accompany him and Capella on their last spring tour. I will miss him,” said Pete Tigchelaar, a former colleague of Slenk's.

Slenk is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marilyn, who also taught at �鶹��, his children Catherine (Gale) Tien, Joel (Judith) Slenk, Jerome (Tammy) Slenk, Christiana (Todd) Barry, 13 grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

Wed, 01/15/2025 - 12:00

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�鶹�� Launches New Marching Band Program Led by Veteran Director

msk23@calvin.edu — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:52:47 +0000

�鶹�� Launches New Marching Band Program Led by Veteran Director msk23@calvin.edu Tue, 08/27/2024 - 13:52

�鶹�� is proud to announce the launch of its first-ever marching band program under the leadership of seasoned band director Dr. Steve Sudduth. With 25 years of experience building and directing marching bands, Sudduth brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for connecting music programs with their communities.

Steve Sudduth began his career in 1999 and has successfully established and led marching bands at various institutions, including Dickinson State University in North Dakota. His extensive experience includes starting bands from the ground up, making him well suited to lead Calvin’s new initiative.

Creating Connections

“Marching bands hold a special place in the heart of a community,” said Sudduth. “They create a strong connection between the university and the public, offering a window into the vibrancy of a school’s music program. A successful marching band can uplift the identity of an institution and become a cherished tradition.”

Dr. Tiffany Engle, associate professor; co-chair, visual and performing arts; director of instrumental studies, expressed excitement about the new addition to the university's music offerings. “This marching band represents an exciting expansion of our music program. It will elevate the student experience and create lasting connections within Calvin. We believe that the band will quickly become a source of pride for our students, faculty, and alumni under Steve's direction.”

Building on a Tradition of Excellence

Sudduth emphasizes that the creation of this marching band is not just about music; it’s about building a lasting legacy. “For many years, Calvin has excelled in formal music programs, but the philosophy of a marching band has yet to be fully implemented. Our goal is to incorporate this new program into the very fabric of the university’s music tradition,” he explained.

The new marching band at Calvin will serve as a dynamic and visible representation of the university, contributing to the campus atmosphere like a successful athletic team. Sudduth is confident that the program will grow in size and impact, potentially reaching 60 to 80 members within three years.

When asked why he chose to join �鶹��, Sudduth highlighted the university’s reputation and the opportunity to reconnect with his family, who are settled in the Grand Rapids area. “Calvin is a respected institution, and this job allows me to contribute to a new tradition while staying close to home,” he said.

Gaining Momentum

Sudduth plans to build the program gradually, starting small but aiming for excellence. He also stressed the importance of incorporating faith into the marching band experience. “Music is a gift from God,” he said. “Our performances will reflect the belief of that power in music and provide that to the university in our performances.”

The excitement surrounding the new marching band is already palpable. “I’m most looking forward to seeing the joy and enthusiasm on the faces of our students as they participate in something new and meaningful,” Sudduth shared.

�鶹�� invites students, alums, and the community to support this exciting new chapter in the university’s history. Contact Sudduth for more information.

Tue, 08/27/2024 - 12:00

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Anonymous — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 01:50:45 +0000

Music Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/12/2024 - 21:50

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Studying music opens doors.

When you study music at Calvin, opportunities open.

Perform a gospel song in front of a packed auditorium. Collaborate with film students to compose a documentary soundtrack in a high-tech lab. Develop skills to become an innovative and engaging teacher. Travel the world with a music ensemble, forging lifelong bonds with passionate musicians. And take the lead in organizing events and planning conversations throughout Calvin’s artistic community.

You can do all that and more in one of the most flexible, versatile programs on campus. Your talent will be ignited by new challenges and creative influences. Your confidence will grow. You’ll discover insights into your Creator. And you can bring it all into your life after graduation, whether you conduct a world-famous orchestra or sing in your community’s choir.

Code

MUSC

School

School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Department Phone

616-526-6253

Department email

music@calvin.edu

Facebook Page

calvincollegemusic

Twitter Page

Identifier

f5c74062-2290-4930-bbfa-c9f82fcee711