Ithaca College

As a 40th reunion gift to undergraduates and young alumni, five alumni from the School of Music's class of 1974, representing an extensive spectrum of experiences, will present a panel discussion October 10 to reflect upon how their careers and lives have evolved since graduating from IC. Through unique opportunities, shifts in professional and personal focus, and challenges and successes, the common thread across all of these stories is the continued relevance and value of their Ithaca College education.

Panel Discussion: "It's a Life Unfolding"
Friday, October 10, 2014
4:00–5:15 p.m.
Iger Lecture Hall, Room 2105
James J. Whalen Center for Music

Illustrating that a life unfolds and that a career is but one aspect of that life, presenters will describe how their School of Music education and experiences helped shape their respective paths. This presentation is part of Ithaca College's Alumni Weekend celebration.

Panelists will include:

• Barbara Froman '74, writer, author and composer
• Ralph Meyer Jr. '74, director of organizational effectiveness, Tremco
• Richard Nichol '74, senior rabbi of Congregation Ruach Israel;
• president, Messianic Jewish Theological Institute
• Marcia Bornhurst Parkes '74, founder and consultant, Creative Musicianship
• Deborah Wythe '74, head of digital collections, Brooklyn Museum

Refreshments will be served! Read below for the names and biographies of the five alumni presenters who will share their stories.

Biographies

Barbara Froman is a published writer, author and composer. Her novel, Shadows and Ghosts, won the Fairleigh Dickinson/Serving House Books First Book Award in Prose in 2011 and was published by Serving House Books. A resident of Chicago, Ms. Froman served as the director of Mundelein College’s creative writing program, taught literature and creative writing courses at National-Louis University, and acted as a consultant to National’s graduate program in written communication. Her studies in composition at both Ithaca College and Northwestern University led to dual pursuits in writing and composing. Ms. Froman will discuss the ways in which artistic disciplines are related, and how the study of one can cross into another.

Ralph Meyer is currently director of organizational effectiveness at Tremco, Inc., a subsidiary of RPM Inc., a $4+ billion holding company with more than 37 operating companies globally. His 30-plus years of business leadership experience includes a broad background in hospitality, service, manufacturing, operations, and high-tech organizations. Residing near Cleveland, Ohio, he founded and conducts the Western Reserve Community Band and Big Band, and performs with community jazz ensembles as well as the Audacity of Horns Saxophone Quartet. Mr. Meyer will comment on his life as a public high school music educator as well as what it takes to succeed and survive in business.

Richard Nichol, D. Min., is the senior rabbi of Congregation Ruach Israel in Needham, Massachusetts, and president of the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute based in San Diego, California. He holds a master of divinity degree from the Biblical Theological Seminary, a doctor of ministries degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in Jewish studies from Hebrew College. While a trombone major at Ithaca College, he was called to serve his faith, his family, and music, and he continues to perform. Dr. Nichol will discuss how unexpected life changes can result in positive outcomes, and that the key is our response.

Marcia Bornhurst Parkes, Ph.D., is the founder of Creative Musicianship, a consulting practice which fosters musicianship and promotes service-learning and engagement activity. She held administrative, teaching, and music director roles with music departments at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and The Rochester (NY) New Horizons Program at the Eastman School of Music. She has conducted and taught all ages — from kindergarten to age 97 — in colleges, public schools, and community programs. For the New York State Band Directors Association, she served as a founder, chair of the first Band Commission Project, and founder and manager of the Regional Workshop Program. Dr. Parkes will comment on how creativity, vision, self-concept, perseverance, and building community influence how a life might unfold.

Deborah Wythe, Ph.D., serves as the head of digital collections for the Brooklyn Museum and holds a Ph.D. in musicology from New York University. Recalling IC professor Edward Swenson’s inspiring work, she left teaching instrumental music for graduate work in music history at the University of Connecticut. While enrolled in the doctoral musicology program at NYU, she held several internships with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Austria for her dissertation research. Over the past 20 years she happily returned to piano study and performance. Believing there is no “right” path, Ms. Wythe will discuss how new experiences offer opportunities for reflection and growth, and how these provide direction toward building a career.

Visit the Events Calendar for more Alumni Weekend Events.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Erin Whipple in the Office of Alumni Relations at ewhipple@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-1492. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.