Four longtime Frost School of Music faculty members and department heads, along with a crucial staff member, retired this spring. During their decades of teaching and leadership, they played a key role in shaping the school and the education of hundreds of students.
“It’s never easy when somebody we felt was the best person possible retires,” said Dean Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg, who is himself stepping down after 19 years leading the Frost School, at a recent farewell reception for the retirees. “Fortunately, we had you for a good stretch of time. Everybody joins me in thanking you for your leadership and your mentoring and your collegiality.”
These dedicated music educators share their thoughts on what their time here at the Frost School has meant to them.
David Ake, who was professor and chair of the musicology department, is an award-winning author, scholar, and leader in music and arts education, as well as an accomplished jazz pianist who has performed with renowned musicians such as Charlie Haden and Ravi Shankar. In 2024, Ake was awarded the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship, the Frost School’s highest honor.
As I step away after eleven years as a member of the faculty at the Frost School of Music, I’m struck by what a full-circle journey this has been. My career in higher education started here, in 1979, when I arrived as a jazz piano major. I lived all four of my undergraduate years in the “iconic” Stanford and Hecht Towers, including two as an R.A. They weren’t the prettiest buildings in Coral Gables. Still, their configuration helped nurture a strong sense of kinship and camaraderie among students from disparate backgrounds. I even did a brief stint as a DJ on WVUM and one season on the University’s College Bowl quiz team. That was such a foundational period for me, as I learned from and alongside folks with whom I communicate and collaborate to this day. My education wasn’t limited to the music school. A Russian literature course during my junior year instilled in me a love for reading and writing, without which my career as a musicologist would not have been possible.
After more than three decades away from Miami, I was invited back to campus in 2015, this time with my wife, Kendee Franklin (who also works at the University of Miami), and our son, David, to give the inaugural Robert Kelley Memorial Lecture in Musicology. One year later, I was honored to accept a position as professor in the Department of Musicology, where I also served as chair for 10 years.
Working with the Frost School's remarkably skilled and dedicated students has been a constant source of inspiration. And it has been an absolute privilege to contribute to the daily life of the Frost School of Music and the University of Miami alongside my colleagues, all of whom are not only exceptionally accomplished in their respective fields, but also good, kind, generous people. I’m excited to see what’s in store for my family and me, but I leave Miami with a boatload of memories and immense gratitude for the opportunity and community that the Frost School and UM have provided.
- David Ake
Don Coffman was professor of music education and chair of the Department of Music Education and Music Therapy. A well-known scholar with over 100 publications to his name, Coffman spent 40 years as a music educator. He was named the College Music Educator of the Year by the Florida Music Education Association in 2021, and he received the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship in 2022.
Looking back on my years at the Frost School of Music, I want to express gratitude—gratitude for remarkable colleagues, dedicated students, and an institution that values creativity, rigor, and community. The Frost School has been a place where ideas were encouraged, and collaborations flourished.
As I step into retirement, I do so with pride in what we’ve built together and with affection for the people who made my time here so meaningful. I will always carry the Frost School with me and look forward to watching its continued growth and success.
- Don Coffman
Charles ‘Chuck’ Mason was chair of the Department of Theory and Composition and a professor of composition. He is a renowned composer whose music has been performed around the world, and his many awards include the prestigious Rome Prize, one of the most important fellowships in the arts world.
I have deep ties to the Frost School of Music and the University of Miami. My wife, Dorothy Hindman, earned two degrees from the Frost School of Music; our son Jacob received his bachelor’s in classical piano here; and our son William earned his bachelor’s in creative writing from the University. When I was very young, my father worked at the Howard Hughes Institute of Research at the University of Miami, and I have always carried fond memories of that time. So, even while living in Indianapolis, I chose the University of Miami when it was time for music school. It was the perfect fit, especially after Dennis Kam was hired to chair the composition department; he introduced his students to a world of beautiful, fresh, colorful music.
Working at the Frost School has meant a great deal to me. I was proud to chair the theory and composition department and to work alongside outstanding faculty who are both deeply dedicated teachers and accomplished scholars and composers. It has been an honor.
I’ve also been fortunate to have my music performed by exceptional colleagues, including Gabriel Beavers, Margaret Donaghue, Naoko Takao, Jennifer Grim, Svet Stoyanov, Dale Underwood, Bettina Mussumeli, Laura Sherman, Scott Flavin, and Inesa Gegprifti. I’m equally grateful to the talented students from the studios of Jodi Levitz, Jennifer Grim, Tim Connor, and Dale Underwood, and to ensembles led by remarkable conductors—Ensemble Ibis under Shawn Crouch; the Frost Wind Ensemble under Gary Green, Rob Carnochan, and Craig McKenzie; and the Frost Symphony Orchestra under Gerard Schwartz. A special highlight was the full-length opera Entanglements, performed at the Lowe Art Museum under the direction of Alan Johnson by the exceptional students of the voice studios.
The greatest reward has been helping exceptionally talented students pursue their dreams—and catching their enthusiasm, optimism, and joy in making music.
- Chuck Mason
Carol Kaminsky was a faculty member and director of the dance program. She is an accomplished dance and movement therapist, a mindfulness teacher, and an expert in teaching dance to children.
Directing and teaching in the dance program at the Frost School of Music has been an opportunity of a lifetime that has become my passion. I have been fortunate to work alongside amazing dance faculty and collaborate with colleagues at Frost, growing friendships I will always treasure. What touches me most deeply is when a student tells me what a positive impact a class with me had on their life. I look forward to continuing to teach part-time and enjoying time with my family.
- Carol Kaminsky
Paul Anthony Bruno was the supervisor of keyboard instruments, responsible for tuning, maintenance, and ensuring that the pianos at the Frost School always sounded superb, making him crucial to the artistic expression of countless faculty, students, and guest artists, as well as the experience of their audiences. Because we were unable to obtain a statement from Bruno, we have included this tribute that Berg, a renowned pianist, made to Bruno at the farewell reception.
I don’t think I’ve ever known anybody more dedicated to his art and craft than Paul Bruno. Every note that was played on one of those instruments represented his art and craft, no matter who played it. He literally agonized over every decision to make sure it was the best one. If it were an instrument that I played, I got to witness and experience that firsthand. And not just on campus! If there was a Frost School event at a donor’s house, Paul was out there, and you couldn’t pay him extra for it, he wouldn’t accept it. Paul advised me on which pianos needed to stay, which needed to go, and which needed to be rebuilt. I learned more about the piano from him than I ever thought I would learn, because every detail means a great deal to him. Paul is irreplaceable, and I couldn’t be more grateful for everything he’s done. Because every concert with a piano in it was only as good as this man.
- Shelly Berg
