FACULTY TRIO TO PERFORM AT SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS

Group has performed several recitals in last three years.

Three Dana College faculty members will perform a special holiday recital for Dana’s annual Sights & Sounds of Christmas celebration, Dec. 8.

Professors Jeanmarie A. Nielsen and Michael Anderson and Dr. Claire Bushong will combine for two performances in Trinity Chapel on Dana’s campus in Blair, Neb., at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All the selections are holiday-themed and the overall performance combines tried-and-true pieces with some that will be less familiar to the audience.

“The challenge is to find arrangements that have musical integrity as well as audience appeal and familiarity,” Nielsen said.

The trio has been performing together for three years, and have performed numerous recitals on and off campus.

Members of the trio include:

Jeanmarie A. Nielsen has been a member of Dana’s music faculty since 1985, and teaches voice and other musical courses. A Nebraska native, Nielsen holds a degree in applied music from Dana and a graduate degree in vocal performance from the University of Nebraska. She has done additional graduate work at the University of Michigan and has taught at the University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska-Omaha, College of St. Mary and Midland Lutheran College. She performs in frequent recitals throughout the Midwest and is a member of the Omaha-based Clarion Chamber Chorale. During the summer months, Nielsen teaches voice at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, where she is a frequent soloist and recitalist.

Michael Anderson is an assistant professor of music at Dana, and teaches applied trumpet, musicianship, aural skills, rock history, jazz appreciation and directs Dana’s brass and jazz ensembles. Anderson also serves as curriculum coordinator of the Music Department and as director of the Liberal Arts Portfolio Program. He is a longtime member of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and the Omaha Brass Ensemble. Each summer Anderson serves on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. He was recently elected to a second four-year term on the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild, and is the chairman of the ITG Technology Committee and executive director of the ITG web site.

Dr. Claire Bushong teaches piano, organ, music theory and other music courses and is the coordinator of chapel music at Dana. At Midland Lutheran College, Bushong teaches piano and is staff accompanist. She is organist at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Millard and at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Omaha. Bushong is the Nebraska Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America coordinator of the Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM), serving small congregations and is serving on the faculty for the LPM course being offered in Holdrege this year. She holds degrees in piano performance from the University of Tulsa and Phillips University and has taught at Hastings College and Oral Roberts University.

Sights & Sounds of Christmas is a two-day, Scandinavian-themed festival packed with concerts, food, drama productions, exhibits, demonstrations, crafts and more. Designed to be family-friendly, all of the events are entertaining for all ages, with some especially designed with hands-on activities to fascinate and engage children. Visitors can gain entry to more than 20 different events — including the Faculty Trio — with the purchase of a Sights & Sounds button for just $5.

The buttons will be available at the door to every event during the festival, but reservations are encouraged for the famous Scandinavian Smorgasbord ($15.50 for adults, $9.50 for children under 12). This year Dana is offering eight limited settings of the Smorgasbord. The cuisine includes authentic Scandinavian cuisine, including frikadeller (meat balls), medisterpølse (sausage) and salmon, as well as 22 additional items carefully selected and prepared in consultation with the executive chef of The Danish Home in Chicago.

Reservations can be made by visiting the event’s web site, www.dana.edu/sightsandsounds, or by calling the Dana College Relations Office, (402) 426-7216. Seats for the Smorgasbord are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Times for the Smorgasbord are 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, and 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. Reservations will be accepted until noon on Saturday. A limited number of tickets may be available the day of the event.

Dana College is a private, liberal arts institution that currently enrolls approximately 600 students. The campus is located on 150 acres overlooking the Missouri River Valley in Blair, Neb. Dana grants bachelor’s degrees in more than 20 liberal arts, business, education and pre-professional programs, with an emphasis on personalized teaching from experienced and dedicated faculty. Dana is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and its athletic teams compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

More information on Dana College can be found on its web site, www.dana.edu.

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For more information contact:
Sarah Cavanah
Communications Coordinator
Dana College
(402) 426-7216
scavanah@fs1.dana.edu