From benbasile.com
Benjamin Basile ’11
Benjamin Basile ’11, bassist of iconic ska-punk band Big D and the Kids Table, released his first solo album, "Benergy," on May 2. The album serves as the debut release for the newly formed Sleep Walk Sounds, an imprint of independent label Wiretap Records.
This summer, Basile will embark on an East Coast record release tour with shows in Newark, NJ; Poughkeepsie, NY; Boston, MA; and Westfield, MA.
As reported by various media outlets, the title "Benergy" is "a pun that one of my bass students came up with," says Basile. "I was explaining to my student what it means to play 'on top of the beat,' which means playing just slightly early to push the feel of the bassline. 'When I play ska punk, like with Big D and The Kids Table, it’s all about playing on top, playing with momentum and energy. Pushing the music the entire time.' Her response was: 'Benergy?' with a smile. We shared a laugh, and I wrote it down for later."
To read a range of press reports about "Benergy," buy tickets for Basile's upcoming tour dates, hear the track "72 Leonard Street" from the album, or learn more about Basile, visit his website.
Sarah Berry ’25g and Colton Thorn ’25g
Sarah Berry ’25g and Colton Thorn ’25g (Music Therapy), under the faculty mentorship of Kathleen Murphy, Karyn Stuart-Rohm, and Viggo Kruger, presented their research at the Minds @ Work Student Research Symposium on May 2 in Sojourner Truth Library. Berry and Thorn's poster, entitled "Newburgh Music Workshop," detailed the students' work bringing a "no-barrier, no-experience required entry point for students who wish to engage in music experiences designed to provide hands-on opportunities to create music as well as social interaction, and wellness" to schoolchildren in Newburgh, NY.
From newpaltz.edu/magazine
Saskia Kamerling ’23
Saskia Kamerling ’23 (Music-Classical Performance) was the subject of a recent feature in New Paltz Magazine, the University's alumni publication. In the story, Kamerling—a recipient of a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program scholarship—details her experience in a year-long master's program at the University of Limerick in Ireland, where she is pursuing her passion for the fiddle and Irish folk music.
“Performing fiddle is just an absolute joy, top to bottom,” Kamerling told the magazine. “I come into it with a level of peace and excitement, which I think is a sign that Irish folk music is the genre for me.”
Read the full article on the New Paltz Magazine website.
Durant Poole ’26 and Enzi Pascarella ’25
Award-winning composer and percussionist Nathan Davis visited campus this spring as the 2025 Davenport Artist-in-Residence. His stay included an open rehearsal on March 13 in Studley Theatre, during which Davis rehearsed a Davenport-commissioned work written for the Composer New Music Ensemble; another open rehearsal on March 17 in Shepard Recital Hall, where Davis rehearsed "Like Sweet Bells Jangled," an electro-acoustic piece (for percussion, winds and live-processing), with New Paltz music students Durant Poole ’26 and Vincenzo (Enzi) Pascarella ’25; and a closing concert on April 1, where the Composer New Music Ensemble performed "Offerings," a newly commissioned work using resonant objects.
From linkedin.com
Aleks Pilmanis ’23
Susie Ibarra, the 2018 Davenport Resident for New American Music, was awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her newest composition, "Sky Islands," composed for her improvising trio, Talking Gong, with Associate Professor Alex Peh and Harvard professor of music Claire Chase. Department of Music alum Aleks Pilmanis ’23 assisted Ibarra in preparing the final engraving of the prize-winning musical score.
"Sky Islands"—a work about ecosystems and biodiversity that challenges the notion of the compositional voice by interweaving the profound musicianship and improvisational skills of a soloist as a creative tool—was created on our campus, and received a first workshop performance in December 2023 in Shepard Recital Hall. It premiered in July 2024 at the Asia Society in NYC.
Music Therapy students defend theses
Congratulations to all the Music Therapy graduate students who defended their thesis projects on May 6 and 7!
On May 6 in Shepard Recital Hall, the following students presented their projects:
- Miranda Crosley ’25g: Music Therapy for Adolescents with a History of Childhood Trauma: A Narrative Inquiry and Recommendations for Practice
- Claire Boss ’25g: Exploring the Role of Music and Creative Arts in Migrant Education: A Case Study
- Tzu-Yao Min ’25g: The Impact of Music Therapy in Adult Palliative Care: A Thematic Analysis of Perspectives Held by Interdisciplinary Team Members Working on an Inpatient Palliative Care Team
- Emily Beck ’25g: Binaural Beats and Music for Anxiety Management: A Rapid Review and Implications for Music Therapy Practice
On May 7 in College Hall, the following students present their projects:
- Jared Weinstock ’25g: Addressing Shame and Guilt in Individual BMGIM Sessions: Perceptions of BMGIM Fellows Working with Individuals in Addiction Recovery
- Lauren Leonardi ’25g: The Preliminary Effect of Therapeutic Music Playlists as a Sleep Aid in Perceived Sleep Quality for College Students
- Justin Geyer ’25g: Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapists' Experience of 'Csikszentmihalyi's Flow' During Clinical Improvisation: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry
- Noah Ceterski ’25g: Music Therapy for the LGBTQ+ Community: Guidelines and Methods
Presentations were followed by a celebration on Wednesday, May 7.
Music students named Outstanding Graduates
Several Department of Music students were named Outstanding Graduates by the President's Office for the 2024-25 academic year.
“This group has not only accomplished the completion of the expectations, but have excelled in critical areas,” said President Darrell P. Wheeler. “You are to be applauded for the accomplishments that you’ve made in your discipline, for the impression that you’ve made on your faculty and staff and your colleagues and for the impact that you stand prepared to make as you go forward beyond your time as an undergraduate.”
Congratulations to all our outstanding grads from Music: Sarah Berry (Music), Paige Shaver (Music), Ingrid Wheatley Rebling (Music Therapy), and Jared Weinstock (Music Therapy).
