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CSU family lost such a beautiful soul... I am lucky to have met someone so kind and amazing. Rest in perfect peace, Braggette.
Joy Diaz (Fall 2017)
Kymberli Green (Spring, 2017)
Braggette Johnson touched so many of us in the CSU Theatre Department with her creative
Rest in Peace, Braggette
Braggette was one of the most gentle, kindest, loving and unselfish people I know... It’s been about two years since I hugged her last and we have only had a few exchanges on the book since then. She was an amazing teacher of liturgical dance and taught Zion and I a thing or two.
heart and beautiful soul. I’m sending my love to her family and friends. Braggette had an unforgettable light and a genuine compassion for others.
Maya Houston (Fall, 2013)
Our department was greatly saddened to receive news of the passing of VPA alumna, Braggette Johnson, who poured her passion into classes in music, theatre and communication.
Braggette, It is an understatement to say that you are one of the most genuine and beautiful beings to step into Clayton State, and I’m honored to have been able to experience your love and grace.
Braggette was a sweet, funny, vibrant, and spiritual person. She brought so much great energy to our theatre family. I will always remember her beautiful smile and laughter. RIP.
From Rineka Robinson (2013)
From Anissa Matlock (2012)
From Jamika Davis (Fall, 2013)
Braggette, I will miss your smile. I will miss your laughter, your kindness, your energy, your liveliness, your vibrancy, and utter love of life and of other people. Good night, dear heart. Good night, good night.
(from Page 1.) “We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace” and “Walk Together, Children.”
chorus of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. The following movements alternate between a musical setting of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Match Girl” and responses to the story. The narrative movements utilize complex and overlapping rhythms that propel the story forward in a pace that is sometimes frantic and other times subdued. The responses feature various musical textures ranging from static homophonic chords to repeated melodic and rhythmic pattern, producing a period of uncomfortable meditation. Through it all, David Lang’s uncompromising and emotionally direct musical style provide intensity to this wonderful and horrible story. Lang writes, “The word ‘passion’ comes from the Latin word for suffering. There is no Bach in my piece and there is no Jesus –rather the suffering of the Little Match Girl has been substituted for Jesus’,
Forgotten Voices: Music of Sorrow and Hope
The central element of the concert, however, will be the little match girl passion by American composer David Lang. Composed in 2007, this piece won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for music composition. Lang’s inspiration for the little match girl passion comes from
two primary sources. The first is the original story of “The Little Match Girl” by the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson. Lang writes, “The original is ostensibly for children, and it has that shocking combination of danger and morality that many famous children’s stories do. A poor young girl, whose father beats her, tries unsuccessfully to sell matches on the street, is ignored, and freezes to death. Through it all she somehow retains her Christian purity
(I hope) elevating her sorrow to a higher plane.”
of spirit, but it is not a pretty story.” Lang is drawn to this story primarily due to the juxtaposition of horror/beauty and suffering/ hope that is found throughout Anderson’s text.
Students receive
U.C.A.R.E. grants for film
festival submissions
By Jonathan Harris
Five students in the film
production program received
UCARE care grants in the fall of
2016, to be used by May, 2017. The students will use their funds to submit their short films to national and international film festivals. Each student received $866 from the college of arts and sciences specifically for film festival submission fees. The students are being mentored by faculty member Jonathan Harris, who also received a grant to support his time working with the students. Through bi- weekly meetings with Professor Harris, the students are working to “lock picture”, mix and design sound, develop a film festival strategy, design an electronic press kit, and submit their work to the right festivals. “Film festivals are an important venue for students and independent filmmakers to get their work in front of audiences, to meet other filmmakers, distributors, and content programmers. Having a film festival screening (or award) on your resumé can
be the difference between being considered for a job or not.” Said Harris, “festivals are tough to get into but having this financial support helps even the odds for our students by allowing them to apply to a wide variety of festivals.” Angelina Servin, Rafael Salis, Jeron Walker, Linda Sayseng, and Tori Sanders were the VPA students selected to be U.C.A.R.E. grant recipients.
The other source of inspiration comes from the St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 by Johann Sebastian Bach. A passion in Christian tradition refers to the story of the suffering and death of Jesus. Composers throughout music history have set that story and the accompanying gospel texts to music, of which Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is arguably the most famous and powerful. In his St. Matthew Passion, Bach uses several different compositional elements whose purpose is to draw the audience into the story, or as Lang writes, “placing us in the middle of the action.”
Lang chose to tell the story of the little match girl in the form of a Bach passion. The opening chorus invites the audience into the story with the words “Come, daughter,” a direct reference to the opening
Editorial Staff of VPA Espresso:
Susan McFarlane-Alvarez
Nancy Conley Mark Watson
Brian Amsden Michael Fuchs Jonathan Harris Derrick Vanmeter
Editor-in-Chief:
Contributing Writers:
Co-Editors:
Erin Fender
Photography:
Newsletter of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Clayton State University VPA ESPRESSO | p. 3