Music Faculty and Students Attended Professional Development Day

Two Westminster College music faculty presented and 14 students attended the Pennsylvania Music Education Association District 5 Spring Professional Development Day March 27 at Grove City College.

Dr. Anne Hagan Bentz, associate professor of music, presented "Bringing Opera into the Classroom" during "The Magic of Opera" session.

Bentz, who joined the Westminster faculty in 2001, heads the voice division in the Department of Music and is director of Opera Westminster. She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware, doctorate from the University of Maryland, and an artist's diploma from the Hochschule fur Musik in Hannover, West Germany.

Dr. Daniel Perttu, assistant professor of music theory and composition, presented "Selecting a Music Theory Textbook: A Guide for Teachers Who Teach Music Theory or Use Music Theory in Band, Orchestra, or Chorus."

Perttu, who joined the Westminster faculty in 2008, is the music theory program coordinator. He earned an undergraduate degree from Williams College, two masters from Kent State University, and doctorate from Ohio State University. His compositions have been performed regionally, nationally, and internationally in arts festivals, concerts, conferences, and solo recitals. His peer-reviewed articles have been published in three journals. He was recently commissioned by the Johnstone Fund for New Music at the Columbus Foundation and is working on a commission for chorus and orchestra from the Shenango Valley Chorale in Sharon.

Twenty-four public school teachers and 16 college students, including 14 from Westminster, attended a variety of presentations given by 12 speakers.

Contact Perttu at (724) 946-7024 or e-mail perttude@westminster.edu for additional information.

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