Musicians Among Us: Part 1
It’s common knowledge that Emerson attracts not only creative students and faculty, but staff as well. Learn more about just a few of our musically talented colleagues:
Jason Beals (Marketing) plays the mandolin family (mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and mandobass) in the L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble, based in Rhode Island. The group performs throughout New England 5 to 10 times per year. Last November, L’Esperance held a world premiere of his composition “The Gibbous Suite” in Watertown, MA. He is also the leader of a new quintet called Ecco, whose repertoire spans classical to black metal. He plays guitar for Càirdean, a Gaelic singing ensemble, at a monthly gig as well.
Beals has been performing music for 27 years and is almost entirely self-taught. He considers music to be a “visceral experience.”
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John DeGregorio (IT–Media Services) has performed in more than 10 bands over 27 years, many of which could be loosely described as gothic or post-punk. He plays keyboard, guitar, electric bass, and flute. He’s also engineered, produced, and mastered a number of CD releases of both his own work and other people’s. He has created remixes for both friends’ bands and well-known international acts (as part of remix contests) and does an occasional audio mastering request for CDs or online-only releases.
He started playing music at the age of seven and has an undergraduate degree in professional music. DeGregorio said that being a musician has made for a natural transition to the field of audio/visual work. He noted, “Many musicians confront and even master audio technology out of necessity, driven by creativity. It’s fair to say a large number of people in the AV industry are musicians or former musicians.”
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Mark Hobbs (WERS) plays guitar and harmonica with the band Pablo Palooza, which often includes his coworker George Knight on bass. Pablo Palooza is a cover band/bar band that plays a variety of genres, including funk, Motown, rock, and blues. Hobbs also gets involved with other band projects from time to time. He practices about five nights a week and Pablo Palooza performs once or twice per month.
He has been singing and playing various instruments since he was a child. In high school, he taught himself guitar and has since stayed with that instrument. He has an undergraduate degree in professional music. One thing he enjoys about playing music is the way it allows him to create, connect with, and evoke different emotions. He likes to use a part of his brain that he doesn’t always use, and “it’s a nice way to entertain yourself.”
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Maureen Hurley (Campus Life) sings with the St. Mary of the Assumption Choir in Dedham, MA. She is a soprano 1, “meaning I hit the really high notes that make most people cover their ears.” The choir sings a large repertoire of Latin music, traditional hymns, and more modern arrangements. The choir practices twice a week and sings every Sunday.
Hurley’s mother said that she came out of the womb with a song on her lips. Hurley was exposed to many genres and instruments as a child. She studied voice for non-majors at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. She finds singing to be as good for the mind, body, and soul as yoga, but it hurts less. She said, “Taking in a huge, deep breath and then letting a note go at full voice is cathartic and provides a deep relief from tension and stress.”
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Tricia Kennedy (HR) sings with the Spectrum Singers, a chorus that performs music from the Renaissance to the present day. The group rehearses weekly and performs three concerts per year.
Kennedy has been singing since she was a child and has an undergraduate degree in music. In addition to enjoying the camaraderie of her fellow musicians, she likes performing music because it enables her to be completely immersed in the experience and she finds it is a great stress reliever. She also noted that the experience of performing publicly can help make one more comfortable with public speaking in a work setting.
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Steven Martin (Campus Life) is a trained classical singer who performs in musicals and cabaret shows a few times per year. He started singing in church at five years old and he has a bachelor’s degree in voice performance and a master’s degree in opera performance.
He enjoys singing because it allows him to connect with others, whether the audience or other musicians, in such a meaningful and unique way. He sees a musician as a storyteller, which helps him think differently when communicating with others.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the musician profiles!
Nancy Howell (Marketing)