When the 麻豆影院 University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble take the stage at Memorial Chapel on Nov. 16 for the final concert of Fall Term, it鈥檒l feature a collaboration unlike anything the bands have presented in the past.

In a program celebrating a variety of voices, the Symphonic Band will present a regional premiere of Aakash Mittal’s Salt March for Wind Ensemble and the Wind Ensemble will feature Professor of Trumpet John Daniel in John Barnes Chance’s Concerto for Trumpet and Band and a performance of Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy conceptualized as a vehicle for hip-hop via the talents of Wasonu Allen 鈥�20, aka Sonu.

Andy Mast, the Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music and director of bands, will lead the Wind Ensemble while Matthew Arau 鈥�97, associate professor of music education and associate director of bands, will lead the Symphonic Band.

The performance of Lincolnshire Posy with a hip-hop collaboration takes the concert into new territory, Mast said.

Lincolnshire Posyis a standard in the band repertoire, but this one comes with a significant twist, with alumnus Sonu. performing in collaboration, reframing the piece, which is based on folk songs dealing with issues of justice, love, and loss.

Mast said a colleague at the University of Maryland shared a video last summer of a hip-hop-wind ensemble collaboration.

鈥淚 found it compelling and thought-provoking,鈥� he said.

Mast had already been planning on programming the Lincolnshire Posy, one of the most widely recognized masterpieces in the wind band repertoire. He wanted to reframe the folk songs through the lens of contemporary hip-hop. That led to working with Sonu.

Mast called Sonu. 鈥渁n already accomplished artist and human being鈥� and said the energy leading into Wednesday鈥檚 concert is palpable.

鈥淚t will truly be Lincolnshire Posy as you鈥檝e never heard it before,鈥� Mast said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a risk, for sure, but this is what art should do. I look forward to every performance of every piece in this concert but particularly hope our audience can help support a truly different approach to music, poetry, and life.鈥�

The concert is set for 8 p.m. Nov. 16 in Memorial Chapel. Admission is free. It also will be webcast at .

Matthew Arau 鈥�97 knows many of the educators he speaks with are stressed, often exhausted. The pandemic has worn on them, and he knows the struggle to find a path forward is complicated.

But Arau, an ever-upbeat associate professor of music in 麻豆影院 University鈥檚 Conservatory of Music, is preaching a steady diet of positivity in the face of those stressors. Reset the mindset and others will follow. It鈥檚 a mantra he鈥檚 willing into existence in almost everything he does, and he鈥檚 doing so to an increasingly engaged national鈥攁nd sometimes international鈥攁udience.

A 麻豆影院 alumnus who chairs the university鈥檚 Music Education Department and conducts the 麻豆影院 Symphonic Band, Arau launched a side project three years ago, an LLC called Upbeat Global. He did so as more speaking opportunities at music education conferences were coming his way鈥攖aking him across the United States, as well as to Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Greece, Malaysia, and Singapore. He sensed an appetite among educators to hear his message of leadership through a positive mindset.

In June 2020,聽.

And now Arau鈥檚 first book,聽Upbeat! Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond, has been released by聽聽(it鈥檚 also available on Amazon). The book digs deeper into Arau鈥檚 vision for classroom and student leadership, a melding of positivity-infused lessons he鈥檚 taken from authors of popular mindset books鈥擟arol Dweck, Stephen Covey, among others鈥攁nd his experiences as an educator and a practitioner of yoga and meditation.

The book speaks to self-care, in that we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others. It speaks to the teaching of servant leadership, to the use of breathing techniques to center a teacher鈥檚 thoughts and those of their students, to finding gratitude in even the simplest of tasks, and to bringing enthusiasm to the daily grind.

鈥淚 created Upbeat Global as an umbrella for all the work I was doing,鈥� Arau said. 鈥淏y the time that happened in early 2019, I was presenting all over the world, as a guest conductor and as a speaker on motivation and leadership concepts.鈥�

When the pandemic put things in lockdown in the spring of 2020, Arau said he found himself in a strangely quiet place. Classes went remote; travel was canceled; the streets near his Neenah home were eerily empty.

鈥淎s someone who practices mindfulness and meditation, it was pretty profound,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, I started journaling, trying to process my thoughts more deeply.鈥�

With encouragement from colleagues and mentors, that journaling became the basis of the book he鈥檇 long wanted to write.

鈥淚 realized there was a great need for this content,鈥� Arau said. 鈥淚t was really about serving and helping people. It goes beyond music.鈥�

He was struck by how well the word 鈥渦pbeat鈥� resonates with his message鈥攁s it pertains to attitude but also in its meaning in music. His wife, Merilee Ott-Arau, had first suggested the word as they were looking to elevate Arau鈥檚 work.

鈥淚n the conducting world, we think of upbeat as the preparatory beat,鈥� Arau said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all that information鈥攖he sound, the tempo, the dynamic, the color, the emotion鈥攖hat we imagine ahead of time. That鈥檚 the upbeat.鈥�

When the music starts, that鈥檚 the downbeat.

And that is something that plays out in all facets of life, not just music, Arau said.

鈥淯pbeats are the thoughts; actions are the downbeats. We choose our attitude, we choose our response in any situation, and, ultimately, we choose our thoughts. So, we choose our upbeat.鈥�

Walking the talk

Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory, has watched Arau鈥檚 motivational work evolve since bringing him onto the Conservatory faculty eight years ago. He said Arau lives and works with the same passions that have made him an in-demand public speaker. It鈥檚 an energy that rubs off on colleagues and students alike.

鈥淢atthew embodies the upbeat positivity that is so beautifully conveyed in his book,鈥� Pertl said.聽鈥淲hether he is leading the Symphonic Band, teaching in a classroom, or giving the keynote at a national music education conference, he inspires and empowers those around him.鈥�

Arau points to his undergraduate days at 麻豆影院 in the mid-1990s for setting him on this path. He was a double-degree student, studying music and government and drawing important lessons from both.

鈥淭hat planted the first seeds of my interest in leadership,鈥� Arau said.

鈥淚 always give a shout out to 麻豆影院. The idea of thinking broader, the liberal arts education, that鈥檚 what influenced my own thinking. When I read a book on personal development or leadership or mindset or mindfulness, I always think about how can that be applied to music and music education, which I think is a very liberal arts way of thinking.鈥�

Arau, who went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, was a high school band director in Colorado in 2006 when he started creating student leadership initiatives, anchored by those lessons he took from 麻豆影院. That put in motion the journey that would lead him back to 麻豆影院. By the time he joined the 麻豆影院 faculty in 2014, he was deep into research on the ways mindset can affect what you do and how you do it.

鈥淚 got really interested in growth mindset,鈥� Arau said. 鈥淚 realized how important our attitude and our mindset are in skill acquisition. Much more than natural attributes. I started this crusade against the word talent. I replaced the word talent with skill. I always say, talent is recognized after the hard work, not before. Talent is really layer upon layer of skill. So, I started giving sessions about unlocking potential. When a teacher truly believes in their students, there is no limit on what the student can achieve.鈥�

He鈥檚 been building on those concepts ever since, incorporating the psychology of positivity into his message as he champions upbeat leadership to teachers, band directors, and anyone else willing to listen. The pandemic, he believes, has added context and urgency to the message.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important we have a lot of positive energy in the world at a time when it seems negativity is everywhere,鈥� he said.

Teachers and other educators have been front and center throughout the pandemic, and the toll it鈥檚 taking is significant. Finding a healthy mindset can be a struggle, but once there the payoff can be life-changing, Arau said.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just snap your fingers and, 鈥榦h, I鈥檓 going to choose a good attitude,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really careful to acknowledge that it鈥檚 not looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. It鈥檚 using what we have within us to help choose what we focus on.

鈥淚f we鈥檙e experiencing challenges, one thing to do is focus on gratitude. Find one little thing you鈥檙e grateful for. Maybe the smallest detail. And just by shifting our mind to something we鈥檙e grateful for we begin to see a little bit more in our line of vision that we鈥檙e grateful for. That鈥檚 an intentional choice.

鈥淎nd then there鈥檚 that connection between our breathing and our emotions. If we鈥檙e stressed or angry, our breathing gets tight, high in our chest. It鈥檚 a physiological response. When we get to that centered, grounded place where we make the best decisions, maybe the best versions of ourselves, our breathing is low. We can intentionally change our breathing.鈥�

As Arau spoke those words, he was preparing for a weekend trip to Philadelphia, where he鈥檇 be speaking at a four-state education conference. The following weekend he would be speaking to a gathering of student leaders in Missouri. And the weekend after that he was being featured at a music education conference in the state of Washington.

His message on positivity is in demand.

鈥淗e is shaping the future of music education at the national and international level, with 麻豆影院 as his home and with our students and our community as his inspiration,鈥� Pertl said. 聽鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see what comes next.鈥�

About the series: On Main Hall Green With 鈥� is an opportunity to connect with faculty on things in and out of the classroom. We鈥檙e featuring a different 麻豆影院 faculty member each time 鈥� same questions, different answers.

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In addition to directing award-winning bands in 麻豆影院 University鈥檚 Conservatory of Music, Andrew Mast is an astute observer of history.

The Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music and director of bands stepped up to organize the Jan. 15 recital that helped launch the year-long celebration of the 175th anniversary of 麻豆影院鈥檚 founding. He did so in part because he has been fascinated by the school鈥檚 rich history ever since he arrived on the Conservatory faculty in 2004. The recital featured faculty, students, and alumni performing pieces composed in or near 1847 or composed by Lawrentians.

History鈥攎usical or otherwise鈥攈elps inform and inspire Mast鈥檚 teaching at 麻豆影院.

When he鈥檚 not directing the 麻豆影院 Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band, he might be found teaching a course on band history. Or a course in聽First-Year Studies. Or he might be pursuing his interest in the Vincent Persichetti Society, an organization he co-founded that is dedicated to the work of the prolific 20th-century American composer.

Then again, he might be seeking inspiration on a long motorcycle ride through the Wisconsin countryside. That, too, is a passion.

Mast, who earned bachelor and doctorate degrees from the University of Iowa and a master鈥檚 degree from the University of Minnesota, is a past recipient of 麻豆影院鈥檚聽Freshman Studies听(苍辞飞听First-Year Studies) Teaching Award in 2011 and the Young Teacher Award in 2009.

We caught up with Mast to talk about interests in and out of the classroom:

In the classroom

Inside info:聽What鈥檚 one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

My mother was Scandinavian and my father was raised Amish, resulting in a hyper-attenuated sense of modesty that precludes me thinking very much about what others should know about me. I would hope that it doesn鈥檛 take long for students in my classes and ensembles to get the sense that I care about them as people and try not to take myself too seriously.

Getting energized:聽What work have you done or will you be doing at 麻豆影院 that gets you the most excited?

Perhaps it鈥檚 clich茅, but every rehearsal energizes and excites me. I鈥檝e been fortunate to take the Wind Ensemble to regional and national conferences, do recording sessions and work with world-renowned performers and composers, but I just love the 鈥渄aily-ness鈥� of working with 麻豆影院 students in a collaborative way.聽

Going places:聽Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

So many come to mind, but I distinctly remember guest-conducting in the Czech Republic commemorating that region鈥檚 liberation from the Nazis after World War II. This was during the early years of the Iraq War when there was so much turmoil about that conflict, but being reminded of a time when American forces had been part of something so (nearly) unambiguously noble was truly heartening. The combination of music and politics was perfect.

Out of the classroom

This or that:聽If you weren鈥檛 teaching for a living, what would you be doing?聽聽

My usual answer to that question is that I鈥檇 be teaching something else鈥攑robably English or history鈥攂ut if you鈥檙e going to kick me out of the classroom altogether, I would run a motorcycle touring company. Or sell motorcycles. Or find a way to earn money riding motorcycles that didn鈥檛 involve going ludicrously fast on them.

Right at home:聽Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what鈥檚 your favorite spot on campus?

The stage of the Memorial Chapel, hands down. Whether for an evening concert or during an afternoon rehearsal when sunlight is streaming in through the stained-glass windows, I never fail to have a catch-my-breath moment at the sheer beauty and palpable karma of the place. 聽

One book, one recording, one film:聽Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

So many of each I鈥檇 love to share, but here goes:

叠辞辞办:听Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance聽by Robert Pirsig鈥攖he combination of father/son narrative, middle-brow philosophical inquiry, and depiction of motorcycling combines in one of the few books I鈥檝e re-read multiple times and love it.

Recording: Uff da. You鈥檙e asking a musician, so this is a tough one, but I鈥檇 have to say聽Moving Pictures聽by Rush. All I know is that if I鈥檓 ever in a coma and I don鈥檛 respond to聽Tom Sawyer, go ahead and pull the plug because there鈥檚 nothing going on inside.

Film: Since it鈥檚 that time of year, I鈥檒l say聽Groundhog Day. This isn鈥檛 the greatest movie of all time but I鈥檝e loved it each of the 100 times I鈥檝e seen it. Sly commentary combined with Bill Murray鈥檚 goofiness makes me laugh and think every time.