The annual Frost School All-Student Forum is always a mix of celebration and emotion, as hundreds of students gather to applaud their peers, revel in the end of classes, and mark the achievements and memories of another year at the Frost School of Music.
This year’s assembly was also marked by a farewell to retiring dean Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg, who took the stage at Maurice Gusman Concert Hall on April 24 and stood beaming, hand to heart, as students and faculty rose, whooping and cheering, to fill the auditorium with thunderous applause.
“I should just retire,” Berg said to laughter. “That’s the best ovation I ever got.”
“What thousands of students like you will do to change the world is impossible to measure,” he continued. “What I will miss is the ever-renewing spirit of your brilliance. It will be irreplaceable in my life.”
The ceremony recognized outstanding seniors from every department, two exceptional graduate students, and several other groups.
The Forum opened with an engaging performance by student newgrass quintet The Wire Jays, whose rich harmonies, playful attitude, sharp musicianship, and the charisma of singer Vivienne Frederick elicited cheers and applause.
The Outstanding Graduate Student Award was given to Jorge Machain, pursuing a doctorate in jazz composition, while Victor Bento, pursuing a doctorate in vocal performance and pedagogy, was named the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Associate dean of undergraduate studies Corin Overland, who emceed, congratulated several student groups: the Frost Ambassadors (Athena Pacanins, Arya Do, Sam Leviatin, Elias Katz, Brianna Braun, Sophia Vincent, Krish Patel, Mabel Safe, Loren Littlejohn, Dawson Fuss, and Coco Brown) and the Frost Undergraduate Student Council Representatives (Athena Alessandro Fanan, Ben Novotny, Nicole Ferretti, Savannah Howard, Jennifer Phan, Kenny Joseph, Emma Terlizzi, Sam Leviatin, Sydney Reid, Harrison Mcnulty, and Jacques Yarris.)
Overland also praised members of the Stamps String Quartet (violinist Erika Liu, violist Dylan Hutcheson, and cellist Natalie Van Winkle), graduating after four intense years of playing together; and keyboard performance students Aidan Whalmann, and Savannah Howard, who garnered hugs from classical instrumentalists and faculty members Ross Harbaugh, Scott Flavin, and Jody Levitz.
The most honored student was flutist Benjamin Novotny, who was not only named the Outstanding Senior for the Instrumental Performance department, but also the Overall Outstanding Senior. Novotny was also named the Undergraduate Presser Scholar, which includes a cash award from The Presser Foundation to a graduating senior, chosen by faculty, who has achieved an exceptional level of musical and academic excellence and demonstrated community leadership and service. He was congratulated by a glowing Jennifer Grim, a fellow flutist and the chair of the Instrumental Performance Department.
Noah Booz, the dynamic drum major for the Frost Band of the Hour during the Miami Hurricanes’ historic College Football Playoff run, was named the Outstanding Senior for the Music Education program. The Music Industry program’s Outstanding Senior, Adyna Silverberg, gave thanks via video from New York City, where she was attending the GRAMMYU conference.
Drummer Brenten Handfield, who has spent time playing with professor Etienne Charles’ Creole Soul ensemble, was named the Outstanding Senior for Jazz Performance – Instrumental. Singer and songwriter Athena Pacanins was the Outstanding Senior for the Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship program, while Winston Thayer, a co-founder of Rock Symphonic and producer on multiple student projects, was named the Outstanding Senior for Media Production and Scoring.
The Outstanding Senior for the Music Engineering Technology program was Sarah Nascimento, while Emma Terlizzi was named Outstanding Senior for Music Therapy. Pianist An Hien Do was chosen from the Keyboard Performance department, and singer Grace Mineo for the Vocal Performance program. Jacques Yarris, who got laughs for his “Thank God it’s Chicken Finger Friday” t-shirt, was named Outstanding Senior for the Music Theory and Composition program. And Megan Matt Moore was the Outstanding Senior for the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree, which combines music studies with a minor or second major in an academic area.
The ceremony ended, as always, with Mineo (as the outstanding vocalist) leading the room in a heartfelt, swaying singalong of the “Alma Mater.” Except that Berg, instead of Overland, accompanied her. And his final words of farewell echoed in the song’s emotion. “I love you all. I wouldn’t trade one day of the past 47 years if it meant not being with you doing what we all love.”
