Eric Lapin | Clemson University (original) (raw)

Editorships by Eric Lapin

Arts Management Quarterly, Apr 30, 2019

Crisis is a term that can be heard everywhere at the moment, on the level of whole societies as w... more Crisis is a term that can be heard everywhere at the moment, on the level of whole societies as well as on the level of the arts sector in special. This concerns the social shift to right-wing politics and its inherent threat to (artistic) freedom, the destruction of cultural heritage because of armed conflicts or climate change, the effects of the world financial crisis which result in budget cuts for the art and cultural sector, or concrete problems within a particular art institution, such as, for example, cases of harassment or discrimination. In this context, a certain helplessness can be felt both on the part of policy and of art institutions and professionals. However, studies have shown one fact that applies to the art sector as well as to many other areas of society and to human perception per se: we overestimate and overemphasize situations of crisis and, at the same time, do not perceive middle- and long-time positive developments enough. Of course, this does not mean that currently there are no problems or hurdles that arts professionals have to deal with. But there are also several ideas and examples of how these can be tackled. On the following pages we present approaches and experiences from arts professionals from different regions of the world on how to deal with the various kinds of crises in and around the field of arts management. With this mixture of academical, practical and also very personal contributions and interviews, we would like to encourage you to not only consider changes negatively, but to face challenges courageously.

Content:

- Reading Tips by Zenaida Desaubris, page 5
- The best we can. Re-establishing priorities for arts professionals in times of crisis - by Maria Vlachou, page 6
- When Democracy is at Risk. Reflections Upon the Role of Arts Institutions and its Leaders in Brazil and Germany - by Beth Ponte, page 11
- From Collectivism to Connectivism. The Romanian Arts Sector since the Fall of Communism - by Corina Suteu, page 18
- A question of to be or not to be. Interview with Pawel‚ Machcewicz - by Kristin Oswald, page 27
- Crises as actors of change. Highlights from the Greek cultural sector - by Olga Kolokytha, page 37
- Embracing Crises As Normal. A New Approach For Arts Managers - by Leah Hamilton, page 43
- When creative becomes coercive. The crisis of bullying in the cultural sector - by Anne-Marie Quigg, page 49
- Relocated, but not displaced. Bats in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts - by Eric J. Lapin, Ashley Cooper, Bryce Payne, and Reagan Thompson, page 57

Papers by Eric Lapin

Jazz Education in Research and Practice, 2020

Abstract:This article was written to call attention to the challenges faced when teaching jazz hi... more Abstract:This article was written to call attention to the challenges faced when teaching jazz history and concepts to people with little to no jazz background. The introduction brings into focus the interactive methods that are used to teach introductory courses in the various academic disciplines found in contemporary educational plans. It goes on to outline the problem of introductory music history and appreciation courses lacking the same kind of interactive learning systems and introduces the idea of a similar interactive exercise for these courses. The body of the article goes on to describe how a successful interactive musical exercise for the layperson might look, including details for priming, setting up, executing, and evaluating the outcomes of the exercise in a way that is comfortable and effective for the students, especially those who might not have a musical, or jazz, background. It concludes with discussion for why such an exercise would be beneficial, including expected learning outcomes and technical appreciation.

Music has been an integral component of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. As highe... more Music has been an integral component of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. As higher education developed in American institutions a traditional degree program began to emerge. Students in American higher education music programs focused on either performance or music education. However, a review of the literature has shown that these traditional programs are rife with limitations, and in many cases are not properly preparing students. As a result, Performing Arts style undergraduate degree programs are gaining popularity. These Performing Arts programs seek to offer a more comprehensive music and arts experience that more adequately prepares graduates for careers in fields other than performance or teaching. Much of the literature concerning these new types of programs is focused on either theatre or technology. To begin to fill this gap in the literature, this study focused on one primary research question: How do senior, undergraduate students in the Clemson University Performing Arts music major describe their lived experiences in the program? As a phenomenological study, this study utilized the methodological structure of van Manen (1990). Chosen through purposive sampling, five senior music students from the Performing Arts music program at Clemson University served as the research participants. While the primary data source was in-depth interviews, observation and document analysis were also used. The interview data was analyzed using both a holistic and line-by-line approach. Through this process the themes of Expectations, College Choice, "It"s Kind of Like Pros and Cons," Opportunities, and Results emerged as iii essential themes. A data display was used to illustrate the relationship between these themes. While many limitations, issues, and difficulties remained, this study found that this Performing Arts music program had largely succeeded. The senior participants felt prepared for a life in the arts in terms of skills, connections, and marketability. Lastly, this study offered recommendations for practice and future research that could serve to help preserve the essential role of music as a discipline in higher education. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all of my family and friends that have supported me along the way. Firstly, my parents have always served as two of my biggest supporters. By reading to me as a child, attending concerts, and always offering an encouraging word, you both made this work possible. Mom, I will never forget that I was not born under your heart, but in it. Dad, while I can"t make up for causing you to miss the 1982 Orange Bowl, I figure that a Clemson degree is a start! I love you both very much. In addition, my sisters, Amy and Kara have always served to both challenge and inspire me as siblings and as friends. The dedication to work and family that you each possess serves as a point of pride. Your examples, ideas, dedication, and encouragement helped to make this work a reality. Lastly, this work could not have been possible without my wife, Leigh. You challenge me with your desire for me to reach my full potential, you inspire me with your creativity and dedication to learning, and you support me in all aspects of our life. This degree is as much yours as it is mine. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of other individuals, without whom this project would not have been possible. First, I extremely grateful for all of the help and guidance I received from Dr. Marion, my committee chair. Your ideas, questions, and encouragement helped to organize my thoughts and make this project a reality. In addition, I"d like to thank Dr. Gonzales, Dr. Goodstein, and Dr. Satterfield for serving on my committee. Your instruction, suggestions, personal guidance, and support were instrumental in seeing this work through to completion. Your examples will serve as an inspiration to me throughout my career. I would also like to thank all of my colleagues and friends in the Department of Performing Arts. I am especially indebted to Dr. Goodstein for giving me my first opportunity in higher education. Along with David Hartmann and Mickey Harder, you have each served as inspirations, mentors, and friends. I can only hope to continue your amazing work in music and higher education. I would also like to thank my office mate, Carol Collins. Your energy and creativity continue to amaze and inspire me. Thank you for being a sounding board, office roommate, and friend. Lastly, a special thanks to all of my friends and family that helped to make this research a reality. Thank you to Deloris and Buddy Elsey for your help, encouragement, and use of the kitchen table where so much of this project was written! And thank you to all of my friends that have challenged me, inspired me, and encouraged me. vi

Arts Management Quarterly, Apr 30, 2019

Crisis is a term that can be heard everywhere at the moment, on the level of whole societies as w... more Crisis is a term that can be heard everywhere at the moment, on the level of whole societies as well as on the level of the arts sector in special. This concerns the social shift to right-wing politics and its inherent threat to (artistic) freedom, the destruction of cultural heritage because of armed conflicts or climate change, the effects of the world financial crisis which result in budget cuts for the art and cultural sector, or concrete problems within a particular art institution, such as, for example, cases of harassment or discrimination. In this context, a certain helplessness can be felt both on the part of policy and of art institutions and professionals. However, studies have shown one fact that applies to the art sector as well as to many other areas of society and to human perception per se: we overestimate and overemphasize situations of crisis and, at the same time, do not perceive middle- and long-time positive developments enough. Of course, this does not mean that currently there are no problems or hurdles that arts professionals have to deal with. But there are also several ideas and examples of how these can be tackled. On the following pages we present approaches and experiences from arts professionals from different regions of the world on how to deal with the various kinds of crises in and around the field of arts management. With this mixture of academical, practical and also very personal contributions and interviews, we would like to encourage you to not only consider changes negatively, but to face challenges courageously.

Content:

- Reading Tips by Zenaida Desaubris, page 5
- The best we can. Re-establishing priorities for arts professionals in times of crisis - by Maria Vlachou, page 6
- When Democracy is at Risk. Reflections Upon the Role of Arts Institutions and its Leaders in Brazil and Germany - by Beth Ponte, page 11
- From Collectivism to Connectivism. The Romanian Arts Sector since the Fall of Communism - by Corina Suteu, page 18
- A question of to be or not to be. Interview with Pawel‚ Machcewicz - by Kristin Oswald, page 27
- Crises as actors of change. Highlights from the Greek cultural sector - by Olga Kolokytha, page 37
- Embracing Crises As Normal. A New Approach For Arts Managers - by Leah Hamilton, page 43
- When creative becomes coercive. The crisis of bullying in the cultural sector - by Anne-Marie Quigg, page 49
- Relocated, but not displaced. Bats in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts - by Eric J. Lapin, Ashley Cooper, Bryce Payne, and Reagan Thompson, page 57

Jazz Education in Research and Practice, 2020

Abstract:This article was written to call attention to the challenges faced when teaching jazz hi... more Abstract:This article was written to call attention to the challenges faced when teaching jazz history and concepts to people with little to no jazz background. The introduction brings into focus the interactive methods that are used to teach introductory courses in the various academic disciplines found in contemporary educational plans. It goes on to outline the problem of introductory music history and appreciation courses lacking the same kind of interactive learning systems and introduces the idea of a similar interactive exercise for these courses. The body of the article goes on to describe how a successful interactive musical exercise for the layperson might look, including details for priming, setting up, executing, and evaluating the outcomes of the exercise in a way that is comfortable and effective for the students, especially those who might not have a musical, or jazz, background. It concludes with discussion for why such an exercise would be beneficial, including expected learning outcomes and technical appreciation.

Music has been an integral component of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. As highe... more Music has been an integral component of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. As higher education developed in American institutions a traditional degree program began to emerge. Students in American higher education music programs focused on either performance or music education. However, a review of the literature has shown that these traditional programs are rife with limitations, and in many cases are not properly preparing students. As a result, Performing Arts style undergraduate degree programs are gaining popularity. These Performing Arts programs seek to offer a more comprehensive music and arts experience that more adequately prepares graduates for careers in fields other than performance or teaching. Much of the literature concerning these new types of programs is focused on either theatre or technology. To begin to fill this gap in the literature, this study focused on one primary research question: How do senior, undergraduate students in the Clemson University Performing Arts music major describe their lived experiences in the program? As a phenomenological study, this study utilized the methodological structure of van Manen (1990). Chosen through purposive sampling, five senior music students from the Performing Arts music program at Clemson University served as the research participants. While the primary data source was in-depth interviews, observation and document analysis were also used. The interview data was analyzed using both a holistic and line-by-line approach. Through this process the themes of Expectations, College Choice, "It"s Kind of Like Pros and Cons," Opportunities, and Results emerged as iii essential themes. A data display was used to illustrate the relationship between these themes. While many limitations, issues, and difficulties remained, this study found that this Performing Arts music program had largely succeeded. The senior participants felt prepared for a life in the arts in terms of skills, connections, and marketability. Lastly, this study offered recommendations for practice and future research that could serve to help preserve the essential role of music as a discipline in higher education. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all of my family and friends that have supported me along the way. Firstly, my parents have always served as two of my biggest supporters. By reading to me as a child, attending concerts, and always offering an encouraging word, you both made this work possible. Mom, I will never forget that I was not born under your heart, but in it. Dad, while I can"t make up for causing you to miss the 1982 Orange Bowl, I figure that a Clemson degree is a start! I love you both very much. In addition, my sisters, Amy and Kara have always served to both challenge and inspire me as siblings and as friends. The dedication to work and family that you each possess serves as a point of pride. Your examples, ideas, dedication, and encouragement helped to make this work a reality. Lastly, this work could not have been possible without my wife, Leigh. You challenge me with your desire for me to reach my full potential, you inspire me with your creativity and dedication to learning, and you support me in all aspects of our life. This degree is as much yours as it is mine. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of other individuals, without whom this project would not have been possible. First, I extremely grateful for all of the help and guidance I received from Dr. Marion, my committee chair. Your ideas, questions, and encouragement helped to organize my thoughts and make this project a reality. In addition, I"d like to thank Dr. Gonzales, Dr. Goodstein, and Dr. Satterfield for serving on my committee. Your instruction, suggestions, personal guidance, and support were instrumental in seeing this work through to completion. Your examples will serve as an inspiration to me throughout my career. I would also like to thank all of my colleagues and friends in the Department of Performing Arts. I am especially indebted to Dr. Goodstein for giving me my first opportunity in higher education. Along with David Hartmann and Mickey Harder, you have each served as inspirations, mentors, and friends. I can only hope to continue your amazing work in music and higher education. I would also like to thank my office mate, Carol Collins. Your energy and creativity continue to amaze and inspire me. Thank you for being a sounding board, office roommate, and friend. Lastly, a special thanks to all of my friends and family that helped to make this research a reality. Thank you to Deloris and Buddy Elsey for your help, encouragement, and use of the kitchen table where so much of this project was written! And thank you to all of my friends that have challenged me, inspired me, and encouraged me. vi