Music department jazzes it up in Tulsa

Photo by: Henoc Kivuye

Led by Associate Professor of Music Kyle Pullen, the Oklahoma Christian University Chorale performed at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Conference to cement their position as one of the best choirs in the state.

Alongside the Chorale, Professor of Music Heath Jones was recognized as Oklahoma’s Outstanding University Jazz Educator of 2014.

The conference took place at the Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Tulsa.

“Last year was his [Pullen’s] first year, so this is quite an award, and quite an honor for him – especially that he is here to have a choir that made it to the honors concert,” Chair and Professor of Music Kathy Thompson said. “We are really proud of that.”

Getting to this point was a challenge in and of itself. Two English songs, one Italian, one German, one Czech and one Russian piece made up the performance.

“We spent a good month getting recordings just as we wanted them … as perfect as they could possibly be,” sophomore Sean Steele said. “There was a lot of work.”

Thompson acknowledged how difficult the process was for the students, since their performance was at the beginning of the school year.

“The students were only back in school for a week and a half before they went,” Thompson said. “So they had to have their music really well learned enough in the first semester and review it … before they went. So that is quite a challenge to get something prepared that early in the semester; they had to hit the ground running.”

Nevertheless, Oklahoma Christian’s Chorale accompanied two other chosen choirs in the performance. Even under the pressure that comes with being from a small private school, the Chorale earned the honor to perform as the featured act of the evening.

“Being such a small school, and a Christian school, you can get that, ‘Oh we’re not as important and … competitive as other schools,’” junior Lauren Smith said. “We were actually chosen as the main choir to sing that night above OU and that was exciting … having a big state school being your … competition and kind of beating them, it’s exciting.”

Many of the students involved with Chorale praised Pullen for the passion that he has and shows when he is working with the students in the music department.

“When you’re singing against these public schools…our music department isn’t big,” Steele said. “But it shows that with the right leadership and the right work ethic, a small private college can sing as well as or better than some of these big name colleges you hear about.”

The competition wasn’t the only adjustment; getting the chance to perform in a unique venue was a highlight for some students.

“It was amazing singing in a cathedral because it makes you feel like you’re 10 times the musician that you actually are,” Smith said. For the students who participated, preparing was not an easy task.

“We had all put so much work into it and so much time and effort,” sophomore Hayley Waldo said. “There’s just so much work that goes into it beforehand that when you finally perform on that one day that you’ve been preparing for all year, it was magical; you’re never going to sing with the exact same people again in the exact same way.”

Additionally the Oklahoma Jazz Educators – a chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators – chose Jones as the recipient of the 2014 Outstanding University Jazz Educator award.

“It’s a real honor to get it from your peers; I think that’s the best part,” Jones said.

This is not the first time Jones was given this honor.

“I received it the first time in 2009 and then… in 2014,” Jones said.

Jones has performed with The Temptations, The Four Tops, Leslie Gore, Jim Neighbors, Natalie Cole and other road show artists. Jones also performs with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Lyric Theatre and the Pollard Theatre. He serves as a Cannonball Saxophone Artist and has given master classes, lectures and recitals in China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

“I feel more of a reassurance that I am fulfilling my passion [with this award],” Jones said, “It’s like getting an A in a class.”