Community Engagement: SMTD’s Impact Near and Far
View from the Pond
Q&A with Antonio C. Cuyler | Celebrating the Class of 2023 | The U-M Jazz Ensemble Goes on Tour | SMTD Welcomed International Society of Bassists Convention | SMTD and the Inauguration of President Ono | Theme Semester Fall 2023: “Arts & Resistance” | The 2023 DEI Awards
Sharing the Joy of the Performing Arts through Community Programs
SMTD’s Engagement & Outreach team has developed a number of thriving community partnership programs with the goal of providing broad access to arts education and participation and building a college-going culture for young artists underrepresented in arts higher education.
Performing Arts That Soothe the Soul: SMTD and the Prison Creative Arts Program
Students in the “Theatre and Incarceration” class, taught by Ashley Lucas and Mary Heinen McPherson, facilitate theatre workshops with incarcerated adults and then perform with them, resulting in extraordinary experiences for all.
Cultivating the Leaders of Tomorrow: The EXCEL Lab as a Gateway to Community Impact
Through its awards program, the EXCEL Lab – SMTD’s home base for performing arts entrepreneurship, leadership, and career services – has nurtured hundreds of initiatives, including those featured here, that prioritize social impact and community engagement.
A Transformative Residency in Ghana: An Interview with John Pasquale and Richard Frey
In May 2023, Professors Pasquale and Frey embarked on a one-week residency at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, the first part of a multi-year initiative. In this interview, they reflect on the experience and its transformative impact on their lives.
SMTD Community Updates
Giving Update
SMTD acknowledges and gives thanks for recent major gifts and pledges in the areas of student support, program support, capital needs, and planned gifts. Kali Hightower (BFA ’24, dance; BBA ’24, Ross) offers a message of thanks for scholarship support at Michigan.
In Memoriam
Nancy Briggs (1930–2023) | Janet Cassebaum (1934–2022) | Edward J. Downing (1935–2023) | Margo Halsted (1938–2023) Laura Hoffman (1959–2023) | Gretchen Jackson (1944–2022) | Marilyn Krimm (1929–2023) | Bob McGrath (1932–2022) | Alan W. Nagel (1991–2023) | SMTD Graduates of the 1940s-2000s
About Michigan Muse
The University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre & Dance Administrative Officers
David Gier, Dean and Paul Boylan Collegiate Professor of Music
Christi-Anne Castro, Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Mark Clague, Associate Dean for Partnerships
Jason Corey, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies
Kate Fitzpatrick, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Dr. Amber Benton, Chief Officer for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Ericka Bigelow, Chief Advancement Officer
Eli Salembier, Director of Finance & Operations
DeeDee Ulintz, Director of Academic & Student Affairs
Jordan B. Acker, Michael J. Behm, Mark J. Bernstein, Paul W. Brown, Sarah Hubbard, Denise Ilitch, Ron Weiser, Katherine E. White, Santa J. Ono, ex officio
A Non-discriminatory, Affirmative Action Employer.
Beth Miller, Director of Marketing & Communications
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Judy Galens, Editor
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Brandon Monzon, Assistant Editor
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Rachel Salazar, Graphic Designer
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Tracy Payovich, Digital Content Specialist
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Chris Boyes, Photographer
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About the front cover image
Jackson Kanawha Perry (BFA ’25, musical theatre) with a young student at the April 2023 end-of-session recital for the Our Own Thing piano program. Photo credit: Chris Boyes
About the back cover image
The Michigan Marching Band performs on the steps of Hill Auditorium in celebration of the inauguration of Santa J. Ono as the fifteenth president of U-M, March 7, 2023. Photo credit: Isabel Jasperse, MMB