Alumni Spotlights
Alumni Spotlight: Music grads tune into the key of success
Success in any endeavor requires a great deal of hard work and commitment. Perhaps the most important ingredient is the belief, the faith that we can accomplish our dreams.
The following profiles are excerpts of articles that originally appeared in the spring 2010 edition of Appalachian Today magazine. Each provides a glimpse into the experiences of four Hayes School of Music graduates on the road to success in their respective field in the music industry. From video games to the Grammy’s, hit singles to YouTube and musical punditry, these individuals have tuned into the key of success.
When Duncan Boatright '12 plays music, he’s not moved so much by the artistry of sound, but rather the mechanics behind each chord.
“I’ve always had an interest in computers and math, and music theory is like that – it’s the mechanical side of music. It makes it cooler in my mind to see a chord and analyze it, to understand how it works rather than to just play the notes,” said Boatright, a music performance major from Charlotte. He graduated from the Hayes...
By David Menconi
Jason Graves ’96 is a master at scoring video games, literally.
A composition graduate, Graves has composed musical scores for more than 80 computer games over the past eight years, including “Star Trek” and “Arthur and the Invisibles.” His score for 2008’s “Dead Space” won nine awards last year, including two from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
“I like the big thematic themes,” Graves said....
By Jane Nicholson
Jon Mabe ’93 jokes that he’s a 16-year overnight success. He co-wrote the hit single “The Climb,” recorded by Miley Cyrus in 2009.
The song has sold more than two million copies in the United States, has been a success in Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Ireland, and was featured during the recent Winter Olympics.
“Writing this song has been life changing,” said Mabe, a graduate of music and sound electronics (now music industry...
By Jane Nicholson
Athletes, artists and musicians know what it’s like to be “in the zone,” to experience that moment when things click in perfect rhythm and harmony.
Matt Vance ’91 and his fellow musicians in Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge, had that feeling when they recorded “Slings and Arrows,” a track on the jazz CD “The Comet’s Tale: Performing the Compositions of Michael Brecker.” The Florida-based big band’s song was nominated...
By Kate Cahow
It may not be Hollywood—or CNN for that matter—but Auto-Tune the News has provided Michael Gregory ’07 with a hot platform and plenty of fans for his comedic and musical talents.
The brainchild of Gregory, ATTN is an amalgamation of news clips, catchy tunes, political commentary and comedic writing, all compiled by the music industry studies graduate in the intimate space beneath his bed loft—or what he calls “the studio.”
“Auto-Tune...
Contact
Hayes School of Music
Broyhill Music Center
813 Rivers Street
Boone, NC 28608
813 Rivers Street
Boone, NC 28608
Room 111
T: 828-262-3020
F: 828-262-6446
music@appstate.edu
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