Class Notes: 1980s
Below are archived updates for Music alumni graduating in the 1980s. Visit the Recent Alumni Updates page for current news.
Wanda Graybeal Melchers, 88' Our daughter has just begun her days at W&M this fall as a member of the class of 2016. She is thrilled to be singing under Dr. Armstrong in the choir. We plan to be there for the Homecoming concert. (10/10/12)
Eric Peterson, '85 I live and work in New York City, and am concentrating on conducting. Last fall I MD'd a wonderful production of "A Funny Thing... Forum" with Blue Hill Troupe. I'm now in rehearsal for "The Mikado" with Troupers Light Opera (Stamford, CT) and will be conducting the Savoynet Performing Group's "The Sorcerer" at the International G&S Festival in Buxton, England this summer. (3/12/12)
Susan Anderson, '80 I have relocated from Maryland, where I worked for the Baltimore Symphony, to California where I am now with the Santa Barbara Symphony as Director of Operations and Artistic Administrator. (3/05/12)
Lisa Jo Sagolla, '80 I wrote a book, The Girl Who Fell Down: A Biography of Joan McCracken (Northeastern University Press, 2003) which was a finalist for the Theatre Library Association's George Freedley Memorial Award for best book in the area of theatre and live performance. I live in New York City, where I write a weekly column on "Dance and Movement" and am a dance and theatre critic for Back Stage magazine. I teach dance courses at Columbia Univeresity, Marymount Manhattan College, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. I earned a doctoral degree in Art Education from Columbia University's Teachers College. (11/28/2007)
Blake Velde, '80 Happy to report that I'm still playing Bb/Eb Clarinet with the Capital Pride Symphonic Band in Washington DC and marching with the DC's Different Drummers. We also have a clarinet quartet called "La Reeda Loca" that performs at various venues throughout the area, most recently at the Atlas Theater arts festival. I also recently switched singing gigs and am singing with the Alexandria Choral Society where we recently just performed the Mozart Requiem with the Alexandria Symphony (and got to hear Richard Stohltzman perform the Mozart Clarinet concerto). The ACS director used to teach at VA Tech so there are a lot of his former students but several W&M alums too! I'm still working for USDA for my day job although in addition to hazmat/oilspill response duties I'm also acting chief for Safety/Workers compensation for the Department - can't wait to retire in less than 2 yrs! (4/05/12)
