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Graduate student Grant Brayley practices his conducting under the watchful eye of visiting artist Brian Stone.
Photo by Rick Fatica
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By Sally Jeffery
Graduate student Grant Brayley wants as many perspectives on his work as he can get. And the College of Fine Arts' Visiting Artists Program recently provided him with the advice of a pro.
Under the watchful eye of visiting conductor Brian Stone, Brayley -- a 1995 School of Music graduate who now is pursuing a master's degree in conducting -- picked up some pointers on baton technique during an afternoon rehearsal. Ohio University Symphony Orchestra members patiently repeated parts of the piece while an intense, animated Stone darted among the instrumentalists, stopping Brayley frequently to offer suggestions.
"With a concert approaching, he gave up prime rehearsal time for me," Brayley says. "As a conducting major, you want as many ears as possible. You can't just walk down the street and find an orchestra to rehearse!"
Conductors and other professionals have been bringing their expertise to campus since the Visiting Artists Program began in the 1960s. Dancers, actors, choreographers, musicians, visual artists, directors and more have come from around the nation and the world to expose students to professional life beyond Athens' borders.
"Visiting
artists bring an added dimension to all six schools within the
college by enhancing the educational experience offered to our
students, both undergraduate and graduate," explains Raymond
Tymas-Jones, the college's dean. "The program links our students
with working artists, which creates real-life professional experiences."
Stone is assistant conductor of both the Frederick (Md.) Orchestra
and the Johns Hopkins University Orchestra and music director
of Johns Hopkins' chamber music program. He believes visiting
artists programs provide "an injection of professional reality"
into the educational setting while offering advantages for the
pros as well.
"This
experience has been invigorating and restorative for me,"
says Stone, who was sweating after his energetic workout with
Brayley. "The zest of a great student keeps my spirit alive."
School
of Dance Director Madeleine Scott says visitors help students
keep up with what's happening in their field. Some benefits --
such as networking -- extend beyond the professionals' stays at
the University.
"We can't offer students everything in the classroom,"
Scott says. "Visiting artists enhance and enrich their education.
Students will have connections after they graduate. They may audition
for professionals who have been here, do administrative work for them or perform in their dance companies."
Brayley, who returned to Ohio University for his master's after teaching music in several public schools, plans to list his experience with Stone on his resume. "He'll be a great resource for me," Brayley says. "You get a fresh, up-to-date perspective from a professional who is currently working in the field."
Sally Jeffery is a freelance writer living in Athens.
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