Each year, BYU’s Barlow Endowment for Music Composition hosts three competitions for composers around the world. One of their 2015 Latter-day Saint commission recipients, Lansing McLoskey, wrote the concert-length choral oratorio “Zealot Canticles,” which was performed by The Crossing and won a 2019 Grammy for Best Choral Performance. “My immediate reaction while sitting there at the Grammys was almost numbness,” said McLoskey. “I saw it with my eyes and heard the announcement with my ears, but my mind couldn't process that it was real. Then I was flooded with feelings of joy, pride, gratitude; I felt honored and humbled. I do not write music for awards or recognition, yet it's a humbling and rewarding experience when a work like this is recognized by my peers.” Ethan Wickman, the executive director of the Barlow Endowment, said the Grammy reflects well on the endowment and its mission, which is to encourage the creation of great music. “While there are many marvelous works that have been supported by Barlow over the years that won’t win awards in such a public venue, it is a reminder that without the Endowment’s support, this work—and so many others—probably wouldn’t have come to be,” said Wickman. “All of the new music that the endowment supports plays some small part in making the world a better, richer, more fulfilling place.” McLoskey was one of about 500 composers that judges reviewed during the selection process for the the Barlow Endowment. The judges then selected 13 composers and performers — one Barlow Prize winner and 12 LDS and General commision winners — to receive a commission. Wickman said, “Commissions are the lifeblood of new music; they provide the financial means for a composer to dedicate the time needed to create.” The endowment is one of only a handful of major commissioning competitions in the world, which means the aid it provides is vital to composers, performers and other music aficionados around the world. “I would argue that there is scarcely a corner of the globe with a community of composers of concert music who have not heard of the Barlow Endowment,” said Wickman. McLoskey echoed Wickman’s sentiment, stating that he applied because “the Barlow Endowment is one of the most important and significant organizations that funds commissions of new music by composers in the country — the world, really.” Wickman said that one of the things that sets the Barlow Endowment apart from similar competitions is that fact that a portion of the money is specifically dedicated to Latter-day Saint composers, something the endowment’s co-founder Milton Barlow was passionate about. “These LDS compositions are pieces of artistically valuable music that often do not enjoy the same mass-market, economic benefits as pieces of popular or commercial music,” said Wickman. “That’s why the work we do is so important to developing a high culture within music by LDS composers.” For McLoskey and other LDS composers, the LDS portion of the endowment opens doors that may otherwise remain closed. McLoskey says his great experiences with “Zealot Canticles” — including collaborating with the performers and their conductor, Donald Nally; releasing a CD with Innova Records; and, of course their Grammy for Best Choral Performance — all began with the Barlow Endowment making it possible for him to write the piece in the first place. McLoskey pointed out that historically there hasn’t been a lot of support for LDS art and music that wasn’t strictly conservative or traditional. “The importance of having an LDS (though technically not Church-owned) foundation that specifically promotes, advocates for and supports the creation of music by LDS composers, regardless of how 'traditional' it is and irrespective of whether it's ever heard within the walls of an LDS building or promoted by the Church, cannot be overstated, said McLoskey. “What an invaluable resource for composers — LDS and otherwise.”

Artist Michael Parker opens up on his success and how BYU impacted him in a Q&A

The BYU Singers Selected to Perform at Prestigious National Conference for Choral Directors

“Ballet in Concert” brings “Sleeping Beauty” and modern masterpieces by Balanchine and Arpino to audiences. The BYU Department of Dance hopes to introduce new fans to the splendor of ballet with the performance of “Sleeping Beauty” on Feb 28. “Ballet, by and large through the ages, has been removed from the general public,” said Shayla Bott, the concert’s artistic director. “You’re seeing dancers that move in a way that makes the general public think, ‘I can’t even walk like that, much less do what they’re doing.’ But, we really try to make it fun.” Read more here.

Viola Professor Claudine Bigelow Receives Grants for Interdisciplinary Folk Music Research

Department of Dance professor Marin Roper presents to students, faculty and staff on how dance can be used to connect with oneself, God and other people.

BYU's animation bachelor of science program was ranked first in the nation by Animation Career Review in 2018. Read more and see some of the animation students' best work in BYU Magazine.

BYU’s Museum of Art will be hosting a guided tour of the exhibition “Pulitzer Prize Photographs” on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 12:10 p.m. The exhibit closes on March 3, so the tour will be one of the last chances visitors will have to view the photography. The exhibit, which is on lend from the Newseum in Washington D.C., features Pulitzer Prize photography since 1942, interactive kiosks and videos of interviews with the photographers. Kenneth Hartvigsen, the museum’s curator of American art, will guide visitors through the various parts of the exhibition. “Viewing the entire collection of Pulitzer Prize photographs together will be a profound experience that will remind visitors of the responsibility we all have to learn from history and work together to create a brighter future,” said Hartvigsen. To learn more about the event, visit the MOA’s website or their Facebook Page, where the Gallery Talk will be livestreamed.

School of Communications Professor Kevin John used eye tracking technology to map how men process body image differently than women. Read more about his research here.

Dancers can struggle with eating disorders and perfectionism, but dancing environments can play a major role in helping dancers be mentally healthy. BYU dance professors are striving to make dance environments positive and healthy for dance students. While the need to be thin and “perfect” is a common mindset in the majority of the dance world, things are much different at BYU, according to BYU ballet administrator and BYU ballet artistic director Shayla Bott. Click here to read more.

Three BYU graduates teamed up to bring their influence to the Provo art scene on Friday, Feb. 1 in the Tiny Art Show. The Tiny Art Show is a community project started by BYU graduate McKay Lenker Bayer that brings miniature art to unique spaces. Since December 2018, the Tiny Art Show has showcased different artists who have an interest in miniature art. Read more here.

School of Music Professor Michelle Kesler explores if one can find meaning independent of the outcome throughout the creative process.