Staff Artfest continues with more events added to lineup

Two events have been added to the lineup for the Fifth Annual Summer Staff Artfest. Kevin Snow, a staff member in the ASU Bookstore, will perform on the Fabulous Fritts organ, in Organ Hall, on Aug. 3, and Marshall Terrill will discuss his biography of actor Steve McQueen on Aug. 4 in Piper Writers House.

Snow studied music theory and composition at ASU, where he also was a student of classical piano and baroque harpsichord. He is a piano soloist, church organist, electronic music recording artist and composer and arranger. Snow is a University Carillonneur.

Terrill, a member of the Public Affairs staff at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, is a veteran film, sports and music writer and the author of more than a dozen books. He also has written biographies of Elvis Presley basketball legend "Pistol" Pete Maravich, and three of his books are in development to be made into movies.

Next up is a concert on July 20, by University Carillonneur William Swayze on ASU’s Symphonic Carillon, which was a gift to ASU from Associated Students of ASU in 1966. To see the carillon, go to the lower level of Old Main. To hear the concert, sit around the Memorial Union.

Swayze studied organ and carillon with Dr. Frederick L. Marriott, who was a student of noted organist Marcel Dupre. He is a composer and arranger and now is the senior staff accompanist for the Herberger College of Design and the Arts School of Dance.

The program on July 21, will shift to Piper Writers House, where Barbara Huff, a research associate in psychology, will bring her dog Marie to show off their Rally-O program. Marie also will model a wardrobe of ensembles for such destinations as Catalina Island, the ballet, and the rodeo. Rally obedience, or Rally-O, as it’s popularly called, combines the characteristics of sports car racing, dog agility, and traditional obedience into a new fun sport. Huff designed and created much of Marie’s wardrobe.

On July 26, fused-glass artist Sharon Elliott will show her work at Piper Writers House. Elliott, a Systems Analyst for the University Technology Office, makes a variety of objects of glass, including bowls, ornaments and jewelry.

William Swayze will present a concert on grand piano and the Fritts Organ on July 27, titled “Specific Creativity!” He will perform the same music on both instruments, demonstrating how it changes from one instrument to the other.

The action shifts back to Organ Hall on Aug. 2, with a concert by vocalist Michele Lefevre, a program coordinator for BEST Learning Forever, a professional development program in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College; soprano Kristen LaRue, outreach program coordinator, sr., Department of English, accompanied by Marcia Henley, a staff member in the Access for Disability Accommodations unit at ADA Hayden Library, and ASU Archivist Rob Spindler, who sings and plays the guitar.

Lefevre, an ASU graduate, will perform “songs of summer,” including The Last Rose of Summer, arranged of traditional Irish folk song by Benjamin Britten; Summertime, from Porgy & Bess, music by George Gershwin, lyrics by DuBose Heyward; and Beau Soir, music by Claude Debussy, original poem by Paul Bourget. Lefevre currently performs with the McConnell Singers.

Spindler (A.K.A. Les Izmore) began singing publicly in choral groups at the age of 10. He’s a self taught multi-instrumentalist with abilities in guitar, bass, piano, drums and trumpet. He released the CD entitled “CSNY + 2” at his Five Saguaros Studio in Tempe.

LaRue completed her bachelor of music education degree at Montana State University and her master of music history and literature degree at ASU A self-professed musical theatre nut, Kristen has performed with several theatre troupes in the western U.S. over the past 15 years (credits include roles in Oklahoma!, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Oliver!, Anything Goes, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the operetta, The Old Maid and the Thief, among others). Kristen is also passionate about choral music, having sung most recently with the Carolyn Eynon Singers and ASU’s Early Music Chamber Choir.

Henley came to ASU in 1989 as a music major, and in 1991 began student employment in the Stacks unit at Hayden Library. She received her bachelor's degree in instrumental music education, but decided not to pursue a career in music, and instead continued on at the library. Currently, she also enjoys raising her two children and playing keyboard occasionally in her church worship band.

All events held from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. For more information, visit http://artfest.asu.edu or contact Judith Smith, jps@asu.edu.