TROY News Center

TROY – Troy University and the Cannes Film Festival have something in common: a music industry major from Mobile.

Paul Melancon, who graduates with a bachelor’s degree from the John M. Long School of Music today, has something most freshly minted music majors don’t see for many years: composing credits in a film being screened at Marche du Film during the international film festival in France.

“It’s almost unheard of to have a student intern gaining official composer credits in their internship,” he said. “It’s a rare thing and a very special thing.”

That process started a semester ago, in Robert W. Smith’s music industry senior practicum where the students had to develop a “pitch package” on themselves and market themselves in order to secure the semester-long internship needed for degree completion.

Jay Vincent, a television and film composer in Los Angeles, Calif., was the target of one of Melancon’s pitches and agreed to take him on in the un-paid internship. In addition to his composing, Vincent is an award-winning and internationally recognized conductor, performer, orchestrator, arranger and music producer – composing the 2012 Golden Globe Awards original music. His work on the top-rated television series “LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and his close collaboration with EA on “Dragon Age 2” on trailers for “DragonAge2” and “Mass Effect 3” have made him a staple in video game trailer music.

Vincent has also amassed many feature film credits, among his television and advertisement work.

It was his current scoring of “El Regreso de Elias Urquijo,” a Spanish film by award-winning director Roque Madrid, that landed Melancon, a 2006 Alma Bryant High School graduate, his credits on the world independent movie stage. The film is still in production, and, as such isn’t an official entry at Cannes.

“Initially, I was doing administrative work, until Jay saw my skills in technical and musical areas and he started giving me more responsibilities on the projects. That’s pretty unheard of in an internship in music,” Melancon said.

That writing ended up in scenes that were scored by Melancon. He had already earned Vincent’s trust in work with EA and in “LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles,” where one of his small pieces found its way into the Cartoon Network’s miniseries. He also worked on editing the original music composed by John Williams.

While “Elias” is still in production and won’t be submitted to Cannes for adjudication until next year, Melancon said the experience – and the ability to network with other professionals in Hollywood – will give him a boost in finding work after college.

“I have a foothold to return to L.A.,” he said, noting that’s his post-commencement plans after spending a few days with family and friends in Mobile.

“The Music Industry Program gave me the versatility I needed to be successful,” he said. “You have to be musically inclined, but you have the skill set to work with – the technology, and the business knowledge. You have the opportunity (in the program) to wear multiple hats and you’re able to do multiple jobs.”

Troy University graduate Paul Melancon, a music industry major from Mobile, earned official credits for music composition on an international independent feature film that will be screened later this month at the Cannes Film Festival in France. (TROY photo/Kevin Glackmeyer)

A pair of Troy University alumni will speak to early childhood/elementary music methods students on April 18.

Rob Lyda and Phil Wilson, both 2001 graduates of the John M. Long School of Music, will speak to a class in 201 Smith Hall beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Lyda earned a bachelor of music education from TROY and a master’s degree in music education from Auburn University in 2005 and currently serves as the sixth through eighth grade band and K-12 general music teacher at Notasula High School. In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Notasulga, Lyda is the junior high department chair, serves as the school accreditation and technology chair, and serves on the Macon County Schools academic calendar and technology committees.

Lyda has been the Teacher of the Year at Notasulga High School, the Rookie Teacher of the Year at Cottondale High School (Fla.) and was the 2011 Macon County Schools Teacher of the Year. In 2003, he was selected as an "Emerging Leader" of the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) and the Southern Division of The National Association for Music Education (NAfME). He has served as the membership and public relation chair of AMEA. He holds memberships in AMEA, NAfME, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Phi Kappa Phi, National Band Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Wilson, the 2010 Alabama Teacher of the Year, currently serves as the music teacher at Ogletree Elementary School in Auburn where he has taught for the past 10 years. Prior to coming to Auburn, Wilson taught at Thomasville (Ga.) High School where his duties included directing the chorus, assisting the band director, and directing literary activities.

Wilson graduated from TROY in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in music education and went on to receive his Master’s of Music Education from Auburn University in 2007. In 2010, he became a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Early and Middle Childhood Music. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Alabama Music Education Association, the Alabama Education Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity of America.

MONTGOMERY—Troy University's Symphony Band will present a tribute to legendary TROY bandmaster Dr. John M. Long with a pair of concerts in Troy and Montgomery celebrating the career and achievements of the University's director of band's emeritus.

The first “Tribute to Dr. Long” concert will be held on the Troy Campus on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. inside the Claudia Crosby Theatre. This will be a joint concert with the Pearl City High School Band from Honolulu, Hawaii, featuring guest conductors Mike Nakasone and Paula Crider, who are close friends of Dr. Long. The band will perform some of Dr. Long's favorite music, and close with the “1812 Overture” in his honor. Admission is free and open to the public.

The second concert will at the Montgomery Campus on Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m., inside the Davis Theatre for Performing Arts. Tickets are $10 and are on sale now. The program will include a selection of Dr. Long's favorite classic overtures, works by American composers, great marches and patriotic music, and a stirring rendition of John Philip Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever" conducted by Dr. Long himself.

Dr. Long, who served as director of bands at TROY from 1965-1996, is a past president of the American Bandmasters Association and is a member of the National Band Association's Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors and the Alabama Bandmasters Hall of Fame.

Under his direction, the University's "Sound of the South" marching band represented the state in four presidential inaugural parades and served as the official band for two presidential visits to Alabama. During his 31-year career at TROY, Dr. Long also served the University in various capacities, including chair of the music department, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and dean of the School of Fine Arts.

Two buildings on the Troy Campus bear his name - John Maloy Long Hall and the Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall of Honor, which houses the NBA's Hall of Fame.

Under the direction of conductor Dr. Mark Walker, The Symphony Band is Troy University's premier wind band, featuring the top 55 musicians in the John M. Long School of Music. This nationally recognized ensemble is open by audition only at the beginning of each semester and gives numerous concerts year-round. Additionally, the band records and tours extensively throughout the Southeast during the spring semester.

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Troy University’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble, frequency, will be performing twice in Pike County during the month of February, the first of which will take place Thursday night at Studio 116 in Brundidge.

Thursday’s concert will begin at 7 p.m. Studio 116 is located at 116 South Main Street.

“My colleagues, Chris Rich and Sara Dismukes, have invested their time and energies into creating a wonderfully vibrant and very cool artist space on Main Street in Brundidge, and we are looking forward to performing an eclectic set there,” said Diane Orlofsky, director of University Choirs and founder and Artistic Director of frequency.

The 14 voices of frequency, along with the instrumental combo, will perform jazz arrangements of familiar pieces such as Scarborough Fair and the Beatles’ Come Together, lesser-known jazz pieces such as the Pat Metheny piece, Travels, and Waters of March.  The performance also will include duets and solos featuring songs of folk and blues origins.

“I like to program something for everyone and this concert is no exception,” Orlofsky said.

Two weeks later, frequency will perform in another local studio setting. The ensemble will take the stage at The Studio, 300 E. Walnut St. in Troy, on Tuesday, Feb. 19. The performance will begin at 7 p.m.

“Both performance spaces offer an intimacy with the performing artists; the kind of performance venue that serves the goals of frequency well,” Orlofsky said. “The students enjoy this art form and spend long hours trying to perfect their blend and their vision of what the music should convey. Singing in frequency is a very collaborative music-making experience for these young musicians and they emerge much better listeners and vocalists as a result of their participation.”

Members of frequency are:

• Alyson Stroh
• Jordan Ratliff
• Stephanie Washburn
• Dillon Worley
• Blake Eubanks
• David Caddell
• Carlton Copeland
• Melanie Sims
• Amy Griffin
• Hannah Moore
• Ashley Horton
• Aaron Wine
• Daniel Murphy
• Cody Irwin
• Tyler Logan (keyboard and vocals)
• Wendy Cho (keyboard)
• Garrett Brown (guitar)
• Johari Harris (percussion)
• David Barnes (bass)
• Stephen Kreitemeyer (sound)

Troy University Vocal Jazz Ensemble. frequency, will perform two concerts in Pike County in February, including Thursday night's performance at Studio 116 in Brundidge.