PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
Contact: Christina Madsen, (501) 450-2956; christinam@uca.edu
Dr. Jackie Lamar, (501) 450-5759; jackiel@uca.edu
September 15, 2015
UCA PROFESSOR LAMAR TO COMMEMORATE 50 YEARS ON SAXOPHONE
By Flora Violleau
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — Dr. Jackie Lamar, professor of saxophone in the University of Central Arkansas, will celebrate her 50th anniversary playing the saxophone with a solo recital on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall.
The 7:30 p.m. concert is free and open to the public.
Lamar’s performance, accompanied by Dr. Kazuo Murakami on piano, will include the songs “Tableaux de Provence” by Paule Maurice, “Aria” by Eugene Bozza, “Elegie et Rondeau” by Karel Husa, “Chinese Dances” by Yi, “Laguna Madre” by Amy Quate, and “Billie” by Jacob er Veldhuis.
Lamar explained that her father, the late Homer Brown, longtime UCA band director, purchased her a saxophone even though she wanted to play flute when she was starting sixth grade.
“Saxophone has provided me with a wonderful career, both teaching and performing,” said Lamar, who is also celebrating her 30th year teaching the instrument at UCA. “I have been fortunate to have had performing opportunities all over the world.”
Jackie Lamar with saxophone in seventh grade
Lamar started playing the saxophone in 1965, when she joined the Conway Junior High School band under the direction of Russell Langston. She became first chair for the jazz band in 1972, during her senior year, directed by Ray Vardamen. The fall term of the same year, she became a UCA student majoring in music education, where she studied under the direction of her father. She graduated in 1975 and moved to Louisiana where she taught in Vernon Parish for two years. In 1978, she joined the University of North Texas for her master’s degree, which she completed in 1980, under the direction of James Riggs.
She started her teaching career at East Central Oklahoma State University in Ada in 1982, and returned to UCA in 1986 after earning her Doctorate in Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance at North Texas under the direction of Debra Richtmeyer.
For more information, contact Lamar at (501) 450-5759 or jackiel@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Communication, Mass Communication and Theatre, Music and Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
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