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MSU College of Music Faculty: Topic Specialties
(Updated 11/30/06)

| Bands | Composition | Jazz | Music Education | Music Theory | Music Therapy |

| Musicology | Strings | Vocal Arts | Woodwinds |

Bands
1. John Madden, Associate Professor of Music Education, Associate Director of Bands, and 

                       Director of Spartan Marching Band

Phone: (517) 355-7650

Email: madden@msu.edu

Topics:

• Spartan Marching Band
• Spartan Brass (basketball and hockey bands)
• Any athletic bands issue
• Symphonic Band

Composition
1. Jere Hutcheson, Professor of Composition

Phone: (517) 355-7664

Email: hutcheso@msu.edu
Topics:

• Contemporary music
• Contemporary composers
• Compositional procedures

2. Mark Sullivan, Associate Professor and Chair of the Composition Area, Director of

                       MSU Computer Music Studio

Phone: (517) 355-7653
Email: sullivan@msu.edu
Topics:

• Electronic/computer music
• Composition
• Contemporary music
• Music as it relates to other arts and society
  
  
  
  

Jazz
1. Rodney Whitaker, Associate Professor of Double Bass and Director of Jazz Studies

Phone: (517) 432-2194
Email: whitak22@msu.edu
Topics:

• Anything related to jazz or famous jazz performers

2. Sunny Wilkinson, Assistant Professor of Vocal Jazz

Phone: (517) 355-0216

Email: wilkin68@msu.edu

Topics:

• Jazz vocals, especially solo or group vocal jazz
  
  
  
  
  

Music Education
1. John Kratus, Professor of Music Education

Phone: (517) 432-1813

Email: kratus@msu.edu
Topics:

• Children's musical compositions and musical creativity
• Garage bands/informal music compared to formal ensembles, such as band, orchestra, and choir
• Music and mood

2. Cindy Taggart, Professor and Area Chair of Music Education

Phone: (517) 432-9678
Email: taggartc@msu.edu
Topics:

• Early childhood music
• Suzuki violin
• Elementary general music methods and materials
• Psychology of music

3. Judy Palac, Associate Professor of Music Education

Phone: (517) 355-7665
Email: palac@msu.edu
Topics:

• Music education
• Suzuki violin
• Musical wellness in adolescence
• String education
• Performing arts health
  
  
  
  
  

Music Theory
1. Bruce Taggart, Instructor of Music Theory

Phone: (517) 353-8988
Email: taggartb@msu.edu
Topics:

• Music perception
• Musical development
• Music theory pedagogy
  
  
  
  
  

Music Therapy

1. Frederick (Ted) Tims, Professor and Area Chiar of Music Therapy

Phone: (517) 353-9856
Email: tims@msu.edu
Topics:

• Music therapy
• Music therapy and disease, such as alzheimer's, cancer, aging. etc.
• Music psycho-neuroimmunology
• Music therapy wellness

2. Roger Smeltekop, Associate Professor of Music Therapy

Phone: (517) 355-6753
Email: smeltek3@msu.edu
Topics:

• Music therapy education
• Music therapy clinical practice
• Special education
• Music therapy professional organizations
• Music therapy board certification
  
  
  
  
  

Musicology
1. Michael Largey, Associate Professor and Area Chair of Musicology

Phone: (517) 353-9013
Email: largey@msu.edu
Topics:

• Haiti, especially music and culture
  
  
  
  
  

Strings
1. Suren Bagratuni, Professor of Cello and Co-Chair of the String Area

Phone: (517) 432-9793
Email: bagratun@msu.edu
Topics:

• Cello
• Chamber music
  
  
  
  
  

Vocal Arts

1. David Rayl, Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities and Associate Director for

                   Graduate Studies

Phone: (517) 355-7667
Email: rayld@msu.edu
Topics:

• Choral-orchestral music of Mozart and Haydn
• Community choral ensembles
• Choral conducting
• History and development of choral music

2. Mary Alice Stollak, Director, MSU Children’s Choir

Phone: 517-355-7661 x14
Email: stollakm@msu.edu
Topic:

• Children’s choirs
  
  
  
  
  

Woodwinds
1. Richard Illman, Associate Professor of Trumpet

Phone: (517) 355-7669
Email: illman@msu.edu
Topics:

• Yoga for Wind Players
• Music and Technology

2. Joseph Lulloff, Professor of Saxophone and Area Chair of Woodwinds

Phone: (517) 353-5002
Email: lulloff@msu.edu
Topics:

• Anything related to saxophone - classical or jazz
• Anything related to jazz
• Alumni issues in the music department
• Saxophone quartet with orchestra performances
• Developing marketing skills for the solo artist

3. John Martin, Director of Admissions, Student Services and Non-Academic Affairs

Phone: (517) 355-2140 Email: martinjo@msu.edu
Topics:

• Business of Music