Past Experiences, Future Innovations
Denise began her musical career with clarinet lessons starting in the fifth grade. She continued lessons through high school and into college where she majored in clarinet performance at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. While at GVSU she studied with renowned clarinetist Dr. Arthur Campbell, a student of the legendary Robert Marcellus. While attending GVSU and for a year after graduation, Denise worked as a clarinet teacher for a local music store. Here she discovered her passion for working one on one with students so she could cater lessons to each individual student’s needs.
Her time as a music major sparked her interest in musicology. In 2018, after winning a graduate teaching assistantship, she pursued a Master of Music History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. With a main research focus in film music, she wrote her thesis under the advising of Dr. Anthony Bushard producing the document titled Thematic Development in John Powell’s score for How to Train Your Dragon (2010). While at UNL she performed as principal clarinet for the UNL Symphonic band in Spring 2019 and had plans to premiere works by composition students in the spring of 2020 which were all cancelled due to the pandemic. Her studies next took her to the University of Kansas where she completed a PhD in musicology and a graduate certificate in music enterprise in the spring of 2024.
As a musicologist, Denise specializes in film music and history of orchestral programming. She is a passionate educator that looks for creative ways to draw new audiences to classical orchestra concerts through public education. Her goal is to create a world where Western classical music is accessible to everyone by breaking down the highbrow ideals and educational barriers making it free and easy for anyone to access and learn about. Western classical music is music like any other, and as such, her work focuses on the human element of music and an emphasis on enjoyment and relevance to the present.
As an arts administrator Denise has worked a variety of jobs. From November 2019 until August 2020, she worked for Arts Inc., a company that manages the affairs of several music groups in Lincoln, NE. While at Arts Inc. Denise served as music librarian for the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and Lincoln Municipal Band. She further organized social media pages for the groups, edited grant applications, and managed other office tasks. While at KU she managed recitals in Swarthout Recital Hall for the School of Music. Here Denise worked directly with performers to manage their needs on the day of each performance and recorded recitals using state-of-the-art equipment and editing software including Pro Tools and Final Cut Pro. She has also worked for the Lied Center of Kansas, the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, and currently for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in various facets of concert production.