Faculty Brass Quintet and Percussion Ensemble Perform at Acclaimed National Convention

August 14, 2012

The Georgia Southern Faculty Brass Quintet and Percussion ensemble was celebrated at its Aug. 3 performance at the 2012 Sigma Alpha Iota National Convention in Atlanta, receiving standing ovations after each of its three performances.

The ensemble, comprising professors Matthew Fallin, Ph.D.; Stephanie Furry, Ph.D.; Richard Mason, Ph.D.; Alice Schmid and Bill Schmid, Ph.D. of the Department of Music at Georgia Southern University and student David Purser, was selected to perform at the convention after participating in a national convention.

The ensemble performed three times during the convention: a musicale comprising compositions and arrangements written for the group by Bill Schmid and “Tempus Perfectus 2012,” written by retired music department faculty member Michael Braz, Ph.D. During the convention, the Faculty Brass Quintet and Percussion ensemble also served as principal performers with the SAI Wind Ensemble, conducted by Braz.

“We were the only participants to receive two full pages of coverage in the convention’s program,” said Mason. “This was a huge presence for Georgia Southern in front of knowledgeable music delegates from all 50 states, as well as a few international delegates.”

“The ensemble was heralded throughout the week as having performed one of the most diverse and exciting programs the conventions have experienced in years,” Mason said.

Sigma Alpha Iota, an international fraternity for women in music, holds it national convention every three years.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 117 degree programs serving more than 20,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. In 2011, the University was named the fourth most popular university in the country by U.S. News & World Report and is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars.  Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.