Academic Positions
Rollins College (2011 - Present)
Adjunct Professor of Voice
- Developed a thriving voice studio of performance majors and musical theater minors
- Taught courses in applied voice
- Performed on Music Faculty Showcases
University of South Florida (2008 – 2010)
Instructor of Music, Resident Performing Artist
- Developed a thriving voice studio of performance and music education majors
- Taught courses in applied voice and recital preparation
- Designed courses in vocal literature and vocal pedagogy
- Coordinated area and studio concerts and recitals
- Oversaw preperation for student solo recitals
- Served on Graduate comprehensive examination committees
- Performed on University Fine Arts Series Concerts
Student accomplishments
- Won and placed at regional NATS student adjudications
- Won regional scholarship competitions
- Performed leading and supporting roles in University Opera productions
- Participated in studio concert to benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, Singing for the Dogs
Polk Community College (2006 – 2008)
Instructor of
Music
- Taught courses in applied voice, violin, and recital preparation
- Designed the new course, Diction for Singers
- Presented a lecture recital at the annual Woman’s History Month Celebration
Student accomplishments
- Through competitive audition, performed at Regional ACDA convention
- Won and placed at regional NATS student adjudications
- Participated in the National Federation of Music Clubs Parade of American Music Concert, Tuesday Music Club of Lakeland
- Students completed their AA degrees and were accepted into accredited Baccalaureate programs
Wesleyan College (2001 – 2005)
Assistant
Professor of Music
- Taught courses in applied voice and violin, music theory, music history, song literature, vocal pedagogy, and diction
- Developed and implemented courses in Opera/Musical Theater stage craft and created the Chamber Orchestra
- Designed Internship and Independent study courses in vocal pedagogy and orchestral conducting
- Co-Directed the 2003 Leadership Institute: Artist as Entrepreneur – Entrepreneurship as Art; Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Chaired and served on numerous college-wide committees including the Lamar Lecture Series, Programs and Exhibitions, Admissions, and Jr./Sr. Study Abroad
- Oversaw preperation for student solo recitals
- Served as advisor for Senior Interdisciplinary Theses
Student accomplishments
- Won and placed at local and regional NATS Student adjudications
- Won local and regional performance competitions
- Performed leading and supporting roles in College Opera and Theater productions
- Successfully competed at South Eastern Theater Conferences auditions
- Served as section leaders in local church and community choirs
- Graduated with BA and Self-Designed interdisciplinary undergradute degrees
- Were accepted into accredited graduate programs across the United States
- Currently work as
music educators and performers throughout the United States
Pellissippi State Technical Community College (1999 – 2001)
Instructor of Music
- Taught courses in applied voice, applied piano, music appreciation and conducted the PSTCC concert chorale
Roane State Community College (1999 – 2001)
Instructor of
Music
- Taught courses in applied voice, applied piano, music appreciation
Workshops, Lecture Recitals and Conferences
From Commission to Premeire - Collaborating to Bring New Music to Life
A lecture featuring music by William Vollinger, John Valerio and Judy Ross
Florida State Music Teachers Association Annual Convention, November 2011
Daytona Beach, Florida
The Power of Song - Championing New Music
Collaborating in the 21st Century with Dr. Timothy Brown
The Phenomenonn of Singing International Symposium VIII
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Guest Presenter, July 2011
The Artistic Collaborative Process: Reaching Out to Your Communities Around the World
A lecture including the performance of William Vollinger's newly commissioned work, I'm So Sorry I'm Late.
Bethune-Cookmand University 21st Annual Arts & Humanities Advisory Council, March 2011
Daytona Beach, Florida
Expand Your Club's Influence: Commission Compositions and Artists
Guidelines for commissioning works from local and regional composers as well as a blue-print for hosting a composition compitition.
Florida Federation of Music Clubs Fall Session, September 2010
Lakeland, Florida
The Art of Collaborating – Supporting Your Local Composer
A discussion focusing on the collaborative process with demonstrations of contemporary vocal techniques
The College Music Society, Southern Chapter Regional Conference, February 2010
Loyola University, New Orleans
Support Your Local Composer
An introduction to the “ins and outs” of performing traditional and non-traditional contemporary music
Sigma Alpha Iota National Convention, July 2009
Chicago, Illinois
Creativity and Commitment
The Lives and Music of Two Extraordinary Women Composers: Dr. Violet Balestreri Archer and Dorothy J. Ross
with pianist Dr. Howard Kim
Polk Community College Women’s History Month Celebration, March 2007
Winter Haven, Florida
Side Door Opera - A Night at the Opera
Inaugural Concert of the new Concert Series with pianist Dr. Howard Kim
The Palladium Theater, October 2006
St. Petersburg, Florida
Be A Champion of Modern Music
A lecture recital featuring the music of H. Owen Reed, Walter S. Hartley, Violet Balestreri Archer, John Valerio and Judy Strubhar Ross with pianist Dr. Howard Kim
Sigma Alpha Iota National Convention, July 2006
Orlando, Florida
Opera, Beyond the Score: A Lecture Recital
A guide to bringing operatic repertoire from the Baroque, Classic, Romantic and Modern periods to life with pianist Sandra Smith
MidSummer Macon Summer Music Festival, June 2005
Macon, Georgia
Research Abstracts
Violet Archer - Canadian National Treasure
Violet Balestreri Archer was one of Canada’s most important and distinguished composers of the twentieth-century, serving as a driving force in shaping music in Canada during the second half of the century. However, her influence on contemporary musical styles was not limited to Canada; from her years of teaching in the United States to her concert tours in Europe, Archer’s influence continues to be seen and felt throughout the western musical world. Her importance is actually three-fold: as a composer, educator, and staunch supporter for the preservation of authentic Canadian music. She was a national treasure, and in the words of David Parsons, composer and former Ontario Regional Director of the Canadian Music Centre, she can be considered to be one of the "Founding Mothers" of contemporary Canadian music. Dr. Archer passed away on February 22, 2000, leaving a legacy of music that we are only now discovering in the United States.
For more information on music in Canada, visit the Canadian Music Centre Website
For more information on Dr. Archer visit her CMC Homepage
To learn more about Liana Valente's Scholarly Research, contact Liana via e-mail at: Liana@omegatower.com
A Look at Selected Contemporary Settings
of Emily Dickinson Poetry by
Aaron Copland, Vincent Persichetti and John Duke
The poems of Emily Dickinson have long been the inspiration for some of American’s most important contemporary composers. A large part of the appeal of Dickinson’s poetry lies in her ability to craft vivid images and convey deeply personal emotions and insights using a very limited number of words. By unexpectedly changing poetic meters and utilizing unusual textual structures, her poetry has acted as a perfect medium for contemporary composers to express their own ideas and philosophies concerning life, death, and all aspects of the human condition. Coupled with the words of a craft-master such as Dickinson, the most sublime glimpses into the human spirit are possible through the music of such composers as Aaron Copland, Vincent Persichetti, and John Duke.
A great deal has been written about Aaron Copland’s The Twelve Songs of Emily Dickinson. His settings stand as a monument of twentieth century American art songs. Vincent Persichetti published his Emily Dickinson Songs, op. 77, just eight years after Copland. Probably the least known setting is Six Poems by Emily Dickinson by John Duke. Surprisingly, very little has been written about John Duke or his music. However, his Dickinson settings can rightfully stand beside the better known Copland and Persichetti songs, giving to audiences yet another glimpse into the poetry of one of our most elusive writers.
The purpose of this paper is to introduce singers to the beauty of these settings of the New England Mystic’s elegant poetry by analyzing one song from each of the three song cycles by these three monumental American composers. Musical examples are included to aid in understanding the musical and poetic analysis. It is hoped that this brief introduction will peak the interests of singers and teachers alike to these contemporary art songs.
Publications
"FAMA Grant Recipient Performs"
Music Clubs Magazine. Winter 2012, Volume 91, No. 2
"People-to-People: Helping Children Through Music"
Pan Pipes. Volume 103, No. 3/Spring 2011
A Publication of Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc.
"People-to-People Reaches Around the World"
Pan Pipes. Volume 102, No. 4/Summer 2010
A Publication of Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc.
Honor Cord, the online E-zine published by Phi Kappa Phi. June, February 2008; October 2007
"Traveling Along the Tenure Track" A three-part series
"What Can We Learn From the Student Athlete?" (Excerpt)
Forum, the Phi Kappa Phi Journal. Fall 2004
STUDIO GPR, hosted by Terrance McKnight
A production of Georgia Public Broadcasting
Recorded in the Atlanta Georgia Public Radio Studios
Air dates: Thursday, March 27 and Sunday, March 30, 2003
Interview and performance with pianist Dr. Christy Lee
"Violet Archer: 'O Canada,' Her Canada"
Pan Pipes. Volume 93, Number 2/Winter 2001
A Publication of Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc.
"Making a Difference, Thirty Minutes at a Time" (Excerpt)
National Forum, the Phi Kappa Phi Journal. Fall 2001