At any university the performing arts students and intercollegiate athletes are some of the most visible students on...
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Commencement profile: Chih-I Hsiao, Master of Music
The renowned World Music program at NIU is what drew Chih-I Hsaio to DeKalb after earning his degree in Music Theory...
Re-imagining: Two popular courses have undergone redesigns with today’s learners in mind
A major challenge facing educators is how to adapt courses to meet the learning neeeds of today's students. NIU's gen...
Thousands Strong kickoff video features CVPA talent
The NIU Foundation kicked off its annual Day of Giving with a Thousands Strong video event, Wednesday, November 18, and the video featured a number of students and alumni of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The video is hosted by Kate Drury, a B.F.A....
Bobby Broom featured in DownBeat magazine’s annual reader’s poll
Bobby Broom, assistant professor of jazz guitar and jazz studies in the School of Music was featured, for the second time in five years, in DownBeat magazine's annual reader's poll edition. In the December 2020 issue, Broom was chosen as one of the top guitarists in...
Register for music lessons, ensembles, and classes at the NIU Community School of the Arts
For more than 30 years, NIU Community School of the Arts has offered music education and instruction for children and adults of all ages. The CSA offers activities for personal enrichment year-round for community members who participate in classes, lessons, and music...
NIU’s “Thousands Strong” Virtual Events Celebrate Huskie Pride
In celebration of our positive impact throughout the world, Northern Illinois Huskies and friends of the university are invited to participate in the NIU Foundation “Thousands Strong” virtual events, which will take place Nov. 18-20. From 7-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday,...
David Spoehr, ’02, gets creative with Chicago-based design company Monroestar
It is the year 1998, and NIU visual communication student David Spoehr is passionately cheering on the Huskies football team (who were on a significant losing streak) while decked out in full face and chest paint at Huskie Stadium. He is there with his best...
Mike Rea and friends present, “I Yell Because I Care, He Needs Me” on instruments real, and imagined
One of the most talked about pieces in the NIU Art Museum's current installation, the NIU School of Art and Design Faculty Continuum is a sculpture of a piano, "Tight Notes and Black Holes, CTINH (Conceptualize there is no Heaven" created by Mike Rea, associate...
Emily Vitrano, M.F.A. ’19, Enriches World Through the ‘Art of Theater’
Growing up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Emily Vitrano, M.F.A. ’19, was a very imaginative child. She had lots of time on her own, creating different worlds and playing in them for hours and hours. “I was a very outgoing child and loved to make my older brothers laugh,”...
Kelly Clarkson “Zoom crashes” NIU Music Education alumna’s online class
Amanda Brex-Castillo, the choral director at South Elgin High School and Kenyon Woods Middle School, received an unexpected visitor during one of her recent South Elgin online classes. Three-time Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson popped into the Zoom stream to...
University Chorus creates a ‘musical postcard’ for the campus
Singers in the NIU University Chorus, conducted by Mary Lynn Doherty, Assistant Director of the School of Music, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education, received a little extra assignment as they were learning the four part arrangement to the NIU Alma...