Author: robertstyron

From 2004 to 2018, Robert Styron served as director of vocal music at Denver School of the Arts. In this position he chaired the music department, the arts department, and the school budget and improvement planning committee, in addition to overseeing the school’s vocal music programs for 6th through 12th grade students. During his tenure at this premier Denver arts school, he won a number of awards and led the vocal program to win Colorado’s Most Outstanding Musical Award in 2018. Robert Styron was honored by the Bobby G Award on behalf of the school’s musical theater program.

Important Aspects of Snowboarding Etiquette

Based in Denver, Colorado, Robert Styron spent 14 years with Denver School of the Arts in the position of director of vocal music. Outside of his work and engagement with organizations such as the National Association for Music Education, Robert Styron enjoys leading an active lifestyle. His personal interests range from sailing to snowboarding.

People snowboarding for the first time should keep a number of tips in mind regarding proper snowboarding etiquette. First and foremost, snowboarders must learn and follow the Responsibility Code upheld by both the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and National Ski Patrol (NSP), as well as most mountains throughout North America. The code involves several aspects of both safety and etiquette, such as always checking for and yielding to uphill riders when merging onto a trail.

As is the case in many sports, other aspects of snowboarding etiquette are not official rules, but are expected of those who enjoy the sport. For instance, snowboarders should demonstrate common courtesy both in line for a lift and when riding a gondola. Cutting ahead or otherwise disrupting the flow of a long lift line is rude at best, and in some situations can lead to runaway equipment. Gondolas, meanwhile, are for public use, and are not private rooms, so they should be treated as such.

Finally, experienced snowboarders should respect ski schools and first-time snowboarders. Different people on the mountain may have different skill levels, but everyone has an equal right to enjoying their time on the trail. Above all else, boarders should stay safe and have fun.

Choral Awards from the American Choral Directors Association

A former director of vocal music at the Denver School of Arts, Robert Styron directed vocal music programs for grades six through twelve and organized numerous concerts and musical events. Robert Styron is active within professional organizations such as the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

The ACDA is a non-profit association of music conductors that promotes musical education, sponsors annual conferences, and publishes the Choral Journal. Additionally, the organization gives several awards to celebrate notable achievements in the field of choral arts. The Student Chapter Award, for example, honors an ACDA student chapter that supports the advancement of choral music, while the Graduate Student Conducting Award recognizes excellence among student conductors.

Through the Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission, the ACDA hires a known composer to create a piece that elevates standards for choral art. For more information about awards or to view a comprehensive list of ACDA awards and competitions, visit www.acda.org.

High-Energy Live Music from The Strays

A vocal music teacher with several decades of experience, Robert Styron most recently served as director of vocal music for the Denver School of the Arts. In the past, Robert Styron served as a conductor with the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir and as a keyboardist with The Strays, a popular New Orleans cover band.

A fun, energetic five-piece band, The Strays play a variety of covers ranging from classic rock to current Top 40 hits. The band’s family-friendly setlists have helped them become one of New Orleans’ most sought bands for weddings, parties, private events, and nightclubs. In addition to powerful vocals from lead singer Michael Aaron, the group features veterans of the rock music scene of the 1980s and early 1990s who are committed to providing the best live entertainment in southern Louisiana.

In the past, The Strays have played all-ages shows at the St. Rosalie Italian Festival and the Fishing for the Girls fishing tournament and breast cancer benefit, as well as 21+ shows at Vinnie’s Sports Bar and Grill and Hurricane’s.

The ACDA’s Choral Journal for Choral Professionals

A resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, Robert Styron is an experienced musician and music educator. Robert Styron served as the director of vocal music at the Denver School of Arts from 2004 to 2018 and has received many accolades throughout his career, including the 2018 Colorado State Most Outstanding Musical award. Mr. Styron is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

ACDA’s Choral Journal has served as a valuable resource for choral professionals since 1959, and is available in 44 countries and circulated among 20,000 subscribers. Each volume of the journal contains 11 issues that are published from August to June/July. The journal is also accessible through several online databases including JSTOR, ProQuest, and the EBSCO music index.

Each issue of the Choral Journal features a range of content including peer-reviewed scholarly articles, editorials, reviews of books and recorded choral works, and practical ideas and advice for choral conductors. A preview of each year’s national or divisional conferences is also provided in the January and February issues of the journal.

Major Functions, Skills, and Abilities of a Music Director

A music performer, educator, and administrator with over a decade of experience, Robert Styron has experience as a music teacher as well as a conference, concert, recital, and music retreat planner. Also, Robert Styron is an experienced music educator and a vocal music director.

A music director, also known as a director of music, is tasked with the entire process of a musical performance. The major functions of a music director include selecting the pieces of music to perform, assisting singers to fit into the selection, managing and/or hiring soloists, transcribing musical compositions, and providing a link between composers and producers.

A music director should be able to manage budgets, recitals, conferences, retreats, and banquets. Apart from directing, they should possess skills and abilities such as decision-making, active listening, and social perceptiveness, as well as creative abilities such as originality, the capacity to generate new ideas, and the ability to differentiate between sounds and pitches. Communication, especially communicating ideas clearly, is essential.

Scat Techniques as an Essential Part of Improvised Jazz

Robert Styron is an established Colorado vocal music educator who has taught middle and high school students in areas such as musicals, music theory, and a cappella performance. One major area of focus for Robert Styron at the Denver School of the Arts was teaching vocal jazz.

With jazz known for its improvisational elements, the most basic songs can be expanded to the point where they resemble a new work of art. A key facet of this is scat singing, a technique in which the lyric’s words are switched for rhythmic phrases that create new syncopations and vocal possibilities.

Also known as a voice instrumental, scatting is often composed of nonsense words and phrases that have no meaning beyond the sounds produced. Alternatively, scatting can be in a vocalese style that utilizes the song’s lyrics in new forms that build on, but do not closely resemble, the original melody line.

Because scats are pitched indefinitely, vocal inflection takes the place of a traditional melody in suggesting the underlying musical theme. Accents tend to be articulated strongly, often through altering the vowel and tying a primary accented note to a series of tied notes that follow in rhythmic succession. All while utilizing coordinated breath energy.

Tone is another important element of scatting, and it can be endlessly modified through techniques such as changing the shape of the mouth, altering vowel sounds, and effectively ppsinging with solid diaphragmatic-costal breath coordination. Some scat stylists, like Bobby McFerrin, go so far as to pound on the chest as a way of creating unexpected percussive and tonal modalities.