Department of Music

  • Panion’s work for The World Games 2022 lands 19 wins in 44th annual Telly Awards

    Music from The World Games 2022, including the theme song “Hope of Alabama” and other orchestral works written, arranged and produced by UAB University Professor of Music Henry Panion III, Ph.D., was recognized for excellence in video and television.

    Read more...
  • UAB piano student Mary Elisa Wagner wins at AMTA State Concerto auditions

    The Alabama Music Teachers Association named Wagner the winner in the prestigious College Concerto category, and she will now perform at the AMTA state conference.

    Read more...
  • In April, explore UAB’s academic arts performances

    For “April is for the Arts,” the UAB College of Arts and Sciences highlights the extraordinary talent from across the college’s fine art academic units for a month of events.

    Read more...
  • UAB Department of Music presents PRISM concert March 27

    The all-department concert will feature faculty and student performances, including solo and ensemble, choral, symphonic, piano, voice, percussion, chamber music, gospel, and more.

    Read more...
  • Cameron Rodgers-Johnson wins statewide recognition, blending passion for music and social justice advocacy

    Rodgers-Johnson attains success in his music journey through his drive, passion for social justice issues and faculty mentorship.

    Read more...
  • UAB Music students win at state singing competition

    Music majors Austin Green and Reagan Martin and physics major Jackson Hanle won top prizes in the Alabama State Auditions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

    Read more...
  • UAB 2023 Summer Camps are here

    As summer approaches, registration for many UAB summer camps is now available.

    Read more...
  • UAB Piano Series presents Rachel Breen on March 26

    Breen’s performances have been described as “truly show-stopping” by Gramophone UK. She will perform works by Bach, Medtner, Schoenberg and Mozart.

    Read more...
  • March 9, join UAB’s Chamber Music @ AEIVA, inspired by “Black is Beautiful”

    UAB graduate and award-winning composer Eric Mobley and Gospel Choir Director Reginald Jackson, Ph.D., will perform works in response to Kwame Brathwaite’s photography exhibition at UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts.

    Read more...
  • Henry Panion III chosen for Alabama Music Hall of Fame induction

    Panion, a UAB University Professor of music, will join other music luminaries including Nat “King” Cole, Hank Williams, Lionel Richie, Emmylou Harris and others.

    Read more...
  • Free MUSE Conference for musicians is March 9-10

    The MUSE Conference, created by jazz guitarist Eric Essix and UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, features music industry professionals who will provide musicians with the tools to succeed.

    Read more...
  • Jan. 22, UAB Piano Series presents Clayton Stephenson

    In 2022, American pianist Clayton Stephenson became the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

    Read more...
  • Ensemble concerts, solo recitals offered in 2023 by UAB Department of Music

    On the schedule are pianists Clayton Stephenson and Rachel Breen, guest artists, plus a variety of faculty recitals featuring art songs, chamber works and more.

    Read more...
  • 2022 in review: In case you missed these stories

    From innovative teaching approaches to research accomplishments, opportunities for artistic expression and more, there’s no shortage of stories to tell about what’s happening at UAB. Review some of the year’s best below, and visit uab.edu/reporter and uab.edu/news to read hundreds more.
     

    Read more...
  • Rejoice in bright, beautiful sounds of the season at Christmas at the Alys on Nov. 29

    Students from local high school choirs will join UAB choirs in this festive annual performance filled with traditional holiday favorites and standard choral classics.

    Read more...
  • Henry Panion III inducted into National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Silver Circle

    A producer, composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and educator, Panion was invited to join the elite honor society for dedicating at least 25 years to television excellence.

    Read more...
  • Music complements medicine for student with opera training, nursing degree

    Nurse Laura Melton studied classical music repertoire at UAB while earning her degree and performed in Italy this summer after missing out on the trip due to the pandemic.

    Read more...
  • Price thrives on collaboration

    While growing up in Central Alabama, William Price, D.M.A., relished opportunities to collaborate with his fellow students and friends on musical projects.

    While growing up in Central Alabama, William Price, D.M.A., relished opportunities to collaborate with his fellow students and friends on musical projects. From writing percussion parts for the marching band at Jemison High School to playing drums in local bands, Price was constantly making music with other people.

    “It was always a good feeling to be able to contribute to the overall songwriting or composing process,” said Price, now Professor in the UAB Department of Music.

    As a teenager, Price was an avid music listener too, often enjoying genre-defying artists that challenged the ways in which he thought about and wrote music. One artist that profoundly influenced him was Frank Zappa.

    “I started analyzing his music. How does it work? What are the cultural influences within his music?” said Price. “He’s influenced by a lot of different music: rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, early doo wop, and classical—that spoke to me as well.”

    As Price examined these “stylistic dichotomies,” he began to discover other artists who also transcended labels, including the post-modern composer John Zorn and, later in life, Tom Waits.

    Eventually, Price brought his musical talents and scholarly interests to the University of North Alabama where he studied music education. After completing his bachelor’s degree at UNA, Price enrolled in Louisiana State University and pursued his Master of Music in Music Composition. He continued his studies at LSU and eventually earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Composition in 2004.

    After LSU, Price moved back to Alabama and continued composing while also serving as an adjunct instructor at the University of Montevallo. Around this time, he joined the Birmingham Art Music Alliance where he met Mike Angell, former Associate Professor of Music Technology at UAB. Price was familiar with UAB because his father, uncle, and wife all studied at the institution, and, during his conversation with Angell, he learned that a new position was about to open in the Department of Music.

    “[Angell] said, ‘Well, our theory professor is retiring and we’re going to open it up to a visiting professor search, and you should apply for it,’” said Price. “I applied for the job… and it worked out well and they offered me the position. I was a visiting assistant professor for a year. Then, they opened it up to a full-time tenure-earning position. 17 years later, I’ve still been in the position. UAB is a good place to be.”

    During his nearly two-decade career at UAB, Price has taught a range of courses (including music theory, music composition, and orchestration) and actively conducted research. In addition, Price has composed music for several of his colleagues in the Department of Music. His most recent collaborative project is with James Zingara, D.M.A., Associate Professor in the department and a world-class trumpet player.

    “Jim has been a great collaborator,” said Price. “He said, ‘Hey, would you mind writing something for piccolo trumpet and electronics?’”

    Electroacoustic music compositions are often built with a computer and later performed in a concert hall. Price liked the idea of combining live instruments with samples and other pre-recorded elements, so he agreed to compose the piece which is now titled “Hit and Run.” When composing the piece, Price notes that he found inspiration from many different sources, including ambulance sirens.

    “I started incorporating things that sounded a little bit like an ambulance,” said Price. “As the trumpet goes up and then back down, the general contour of the trumpet line alludes to a siren—not a literal representation of the ambulance but something similar to it.”

    Although Price is still tweaking the balance of the live version of “Hit and Run,” he has enjoyed watching Zingara perform the piece recently. Specifically, Zingara shared the composition at the 2021 National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference in Denton, Texas; this year’s Pensacola ComposerFest at Pensacola State College; and at a recent faculty recital in the Hulsey Recital Hall at UAB.

    As Price looks ahead, he sees plenty of opportunities to collaborate with more musicians at UAB and across the country. It is the same spark that brought him to music in the first place. He is currently editing a new piece for solo clarinet with Denise Gainey, D.M.A., Professor of Music and Associate Chair in the Department of Music, and composing a new work for the UAB Chamber Trio.

    “I’ve grown more as a composer and as an artist when I’ve collaborated with other musicians,” said Price. “In the end, I’ve learned more from collaborating with my colleagues at UAB and outside of UAB than anything.”

    Explore the following the videos to hear some of Price’s compositions:

    [widgetkit id="84" name="Price thrives on collaboration - VIDEOS"]

    Read more...
  • Explore UAB’s off-grid Sustainable Community, Oct. 1

    During the event, visitors can take tours of the Solar House and Solar Community, plus shop a vintage market, purchase plants from local shops and more.

    Read more...
  • Join AEIVA for free community events celebrating Thornton Dial exhibition

    From a lunch and learn to a screening of APT’s “Monograph” with newly discovered footage of Dial, “Chamber Music @ AEIVA” and a spoken word evening, join AEIVA for free events this fall.

    Read more...