Music Department

Ever since Charles Kim began composing music at age 11 or so, he has done what most composers do: struggle to get his original work heard by as many people as possible.Kim has given recitals at which he played his own music. He has composed soundtracks to his friends' independent films. He has posted his compositions on the Internet. "There are all the traditional ways of getting heard: You can set up your own performances, scrape together enough money from your other jobs that actually pay to get someone to perform your music, or just hope someone will play your music," he says.

NEARLY every Baltimorean has heard of such hometown favorites as Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday, but scarcely remembered today are the many classically trained African-American musicians who flourished from the post-Civil War years to the 1960s.During much of this century, Baltimore's black community was a hotbed of musical talent, producing many versatile musicians who performed jazz in clubs and social halls on Saturday nights, gospel in churches on Sunday mornings and classical or big band music at a variety of venues on Sunday afternoons.

Gerald E. Cole, former music department chairman, organist and professor of music at Western Maryland College for three decades, died Tuesday of cancer at Fairhaven retirement community in Sykesville. He was 81.The longtime Westminster resident joined the faculty of Western Maryland College in 1955 and was promoted to department chairman and full professor in 1971. He retired in 1984.A tall man who wore heavy-rimmed Buddy Holly-type black glasses and a meticulously trimmed mustache, Mr. Cole was known for his serious intellect and scholarly mien.

There aren't any neuroscientists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But someday a neuroscientist might be inducted for figuring out why there's a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the first place.Researchers are probing how the brain's circuitry helps people make and listen to music. Scientists have already found, for example, that in people who get musical training as children, certain parts of the brain grow bigger than normal. New research is helping scientists identify areas of the brain that can distinguish music that sings from music that clashes, and pick out errors in melody, harmony or rhythm.

Occasionally fun and culture coincide. This weekend is one of those times.The Baltimore School for the Arts presents its annual "fund-raising and friend-raising" gala, which showcases the students in this high school for the performing arts, Saturday and Sunday. The music department (chorus and orchestra) will perform a Bach cantata; the theater department, famous monologues.The dance department premieres two works: "Five Beatles Songs," choreographed by John Clifford; and "Thank You" by Broadway tapper Hinton Battle ("Chicago")

KINDERMUSIK OF Carroll County brought its distinctive blend of music and fun to the Eldersburg branch library last week.Several dozen youngsters participated in the lively program, which encourages musical interaction between parent and child, along with music appreciation.Music teacher Debbie Henning, owner of Kindermusik of Carroll County Inc., presented three half-hour programs for preschoolers. The children and their parents enjoyed learning songs and finger plays."Kindermusik is a musical education program for very young children," Henning said.

GLENELG HIGH School's drama department is outdoing itself this month with a holiday doubleheader.Teacher and drama coach Ron Oaks has announced the openings of two plays, beginning with "The Odd Couple" at 8 p.m. Nov. 22 and 23 and at 3 p.m. Nov. 24.Neil Simon's comedy stars Michael Schwartz as Oscar and Nevin Kumar as Felix.Their poker buddies include Chris Miles, Corey Murray, Ryan Kafer and Tristan Spence.The Pigeon sisters will be Jenna Bythrow and Lori Tvarkunas.During intermission, songs of 1965 with a New York flavor will be played.

Robert Hall Lewis, 69, classical composerRobert Hall Lewis, perhaps the premier classical composer living in Baltimore, died Friday of pneumonia at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center. He was 69.Dr. Lewis had long been admired for the complexity and #F TC intelligence of his work attributes that also make his compositions extremely difficult, even impenetrable, for some casual listeners."His compositions are lean and elegant, exhibiting a clarity of form and masterful orchestration," said Geoffrey Wright, a professor of music at the Peabody Institute and a former student of Dr. Lewis.

I am standing at one of the New Arrivals tables at Borders Book Store, on York Road in the heart of Towson, browsing through Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography of the Roosevelts but noticing a young lady leafing through Ann Beattie's new novel who keeps glancing up to check out a fellow faking interest in a computer book who's actually eyeing a couple of college girls who have wandered into the place and headed straight for the music department one flight down.In...

Gloria Sturgis StokesMusician, teacherGloria Sturgis Stokes, a retired teacher and music department head in the Baltimore public school system, died Friday at Bon Secours Hospital of complications from diabetes. She was 71.Mrs. Stokes, who played piano, violin and other instruments, started as a music education teacher in 1949 and retired in 1982 as head of the music department at the old Clifton Park Junior High School, where she had taught for about 10 years.The former Gloria Sturgis was born in West Point, Va., and reared in Baltimore, where she graduated from Dunbar High School.

Frederick Hyland King, a retired music teacher in Baltimore County and a longtime director of the award-winning Dundalk Chorus of the Chesapeake and Sweet Adelines' Dundalk chapter, died Monday of complications from diabetes at Gilchrist Hospice Care. He was 77. A lifelong devotee and practitioner of barbershop harmony - a cappella and four-part harmony - Mr. King was a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame, which described him in a biographical profile as a "barbershopper's barbershopper."

David Young is serious about music. A high school sophomore, Young starting playing clarinet in elementary school and added the bassoon to his repertoire about four years ago. He considered going to a private high school, but after examining the music departments decided to stick to his local public school, River Hill. "We chose public school for the music program," said David, speaking of his family's decision while sitting with his bassoon during a morning music class. "I'm really happy with it."

Fred Cohrs was a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy when Barry Talley took over as conductor of the glee club in 1971. At the age of 28, Talley was 40 years younger than his predecessor. Talley started teaching members vocal exercises that they had never tried and introduced a more difficult classical repertoire. Cohrs, who had two years as a music major at the University of Michigan before he came to the Naval Academy, recognized Talley's ability immediately. "I could tell just by the way he talked that we were on the verge of a new era," said Cohrs, 58, an office administrator for a Virginia consulting firm.

Elijah Wirth Occupation: Co-founder and conductor of the Westminster Symphony Orchestra, conductor of the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra, director of Carroll Community College's music department, tuba instructor at McDaniel College. He also plays bass guitar in two local rock bands and is a freelance tuba player. In the news: For the past year, Wirth has spearheaded the community college's collaboration with McDaniel's music department to create a community orchestra that draws talent from both colleges, local high schools and area residents.

On September 6, 2004, ALICE W. GOBELI (nee Williams); beloved wife of Johnnie R. Gobeli; loving mother of Katherine Dickerson, Mary White, Alan Gobeli and Kay Mc Ginnis; dear grandmother of Melody Schurgast, Amy and Beth White, Luke, Gus and Sam Gobeli, Sarah and Courtney Mc Ginnis. Friends may call at the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc., 1050 York Road (beltway exit 26A), on Thursday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M., where a Funeral Service will be held Friday at 11 A.M. Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

The Howard County Center of African American Culture will present its sixth Talent Showcase at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Instructional Lab Building at Howard Community College. "We have over 25 students who will be performing, ages 5-12. They are featuring dancing, singing, monologues, rapping, instrumental, as well as gymnastics. And it's a glorious thing to see these students performing at such a young age," said the center's executive director, Wylene S. Burch. The showcase, "Spotlighting the Talents of Howard County," is not competitive.

`Night at the Movies' concert set tonight at Liberty High The Liberty High School music department will present "A Night at the Movies" concert at 7 p.m. today in the school auditorium, 5855 Bartholow Road, Eldersburg. Instrumental and vocal music students will perform songs from popular movies for the annual pops concert. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens, and $3 for age 5 and younger. Tickets must be purchased prior to the concert and includes snacks and a sundae bar. Proceeds benefit the music department and the Kaleigh Rinaldi fund.

Morris Chester Queen, a retired organist and music director at Sharp Street Memorial Church who during his more than five-decade career there missed only one Sunday service, died of cardiac arrest Aug. 3 at Sinai Hospital. He was 81. Mr. Queen, who was born and raised in Northwest Baltimore, developed his lifelong interest in music before he left the baby carriage. "When he was a baby and in order to keep him quiet, his parents rolled his carriage over to the piano and let him bang on it," said his wife of 39 years, Ovella Dorsey, who retired from William H. Lemmel Junior High School as a guidance counselor in 1982.

Trygve M. Rydberg, former chairman of the music department at Essex Community College, died of a heart ailment Thursday at Keswick Multi-Care Center. The Towson resident was 84. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he earned undergraduate and master's degrees in education from Columbia University in New York and did postgraduate work at the Johns Hopkins and Towson universities, and Peabody Conservatory. During World War II, as a lieutenant in the Army Air Forces, he was a navigator on many missions over Germany.

McDaniel College music department's November concert schedule will offer an array of sounds and styles to welcome the holidays. The student Brass Ensemble will play at 7 p.m. tomorrow in (Little) Baker Chapel. The group of 12 McDaniel students and four nonstudents directed by Don Horneff will perform Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, Mussorgsky's Promenade, Lennon and McCartney's Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Holcombe's Celebration for Christmas Brass, and the Canadian Brass' Saint Hallelujah.