Oregon daily emerald., October 05, 1995, Page 4, Image 4

New director at music school brings gospel experience to job
■ MUSIC: Julia Neufeld
may have rescued
the Gospel Ensemble
By Jarma Braun
A little music cun go a long
way nt least (or Julia Nmifnld
Neufeld is (ho latest addition
to the University's iiiusm
school. Not only does this new
din*< tor bring with her expert
uni es few have had. but the
determination to keep a pro
gram alive as well
The program she supervises
is the Gospel Knsemhle. and
Neufeld has all but saved it
from extinction after its prevt
oils director. Jon Gainer,
dis lined to return to the group
for personal reasons
"I was appro.* hed by one of
the University’s deans on Sept
■it and told them was an open*
mg here." Neufeld said I was
also told that tins program
( mild end if I didn't take the
position, and I can't stand to
see a great program like tins
die, so I said yes
“Jon Gainer planted a lot of
set-ds here, and 1 plan to water
them and hope they grow." she
said
The i lass, which is offered
on Tuesdays and Thursdays at
5 p.m . currently has 57 partici
pants. hut Neufeld is hoping to
have approximately too by the
end of the term
"I'm really ext ttod about the
young people here b«< autc
Ibsy'ra »o full of energy." she
■..lid "This first term is going to
be hard hot auxo all this has
happened so quickly, but
things am really starting to fall
into place
Neufeld explained that the
( lass tern hes students about
gospel music and its roots and
attempts to mainstream the
blai k gospel experience into
contemporary sounds
"It shows the culture and art
form of this music. be< uuse
music is really an art. and
shows how it overlaps with all
other kinds of music,' she said
"If you listen to other kinds of
music, you can hear the threads
of gospel within them, even
with people like Mu haul
Jackson or the Rolling Stones '
The art of gospel music is no!
now to Non fold tw<< mis*' sh« has
lieett involved with it in a van
ety of ways for the last IS years
Her parents wore both minis
ters in the South, and Neufeld
found herself constantly stir
rounded In the church and its
music
As a child, she and her par
ents traveled to several differ
ent countries to help establish
(linn hos It was during those
travels that Neufeld learned a
great deal about different peo
ple and their cultures, which
find a profound influence on
hri hie
"It taught me to never have
«NCW« V. B«AfnrM5*C*-T™*f*M
Julia Neufeid, director of I ha Gospal Ensemble, says that the first term
Is difficult but things are beginning to take shape.
limitations about people and
that with an open mind, you
can accomplish a great deal,”
she vud "This is what I try to
relate to tin students "
N'euleld started pl.i . uu the
piano at her < (lurch it age H
and continued with unisu
through high'school, college
and beyond by starting various
community chairs for children
of all ages
Neufeld married a Californ
ian. but her husband received a
job offer in Eugene last
December that convinced the
couple to reloi ate "After mov
ing here. I felt a bit disconnect
od, Neufold said. "lull through
mum< and churt h. I’ve met
tons of people.”
As a white gospel singer,
Neufeld has found that people
don’t always take her music
seriously because of her race,
but she has learned wavs to
overcome this
"I've experienced a lot of
doubt in audiences,” she said
"Hut 1 always say to myself.
|usi wait and see When poo
pie feel and see what 1 have to
offer, they usually accept it
"My experiences with the
black i ulture ant numerous and
rny musii speaks for itself.' she
said 'I have my own style and
people need to remember,
music is not a white or black
experience. it’s an art form "
Neufeld believes that indi
viduals should not judge others
by what is on the outside
“You can't indue someone
(rom their exterior." she said
“Music breaks down a lot of
walls and that's what it's all
about bringing people together.
No one group or person has a
monopoly on gospel, and I
want to add whatever I t^in to
it."
In March of 1990. Neufeld
appeared on cable’s Black
Knkrrtainment Television chan
nel on the Hobby lours Gospel
show, and also received an
offer from Arista records in
1989 to record a gospel album,
but declined.
the Gospel Ensemble plans
to show its first performance of
the year at the EMU on Oct. 20
from 11 to a in to noon for vis
iting minority students who are
considering attending the
University All students are
welcome to attend
"I’ve never taught a college
class Imfore. but I'm 100 percent
committed to these students."
she said. "I want to inspire them
to get us much as they can out of
music and he open-minded to
what gospel has to offer.
"It's something to he shared
and expressed and it's my goal
to touch ns many people with it
as possible — even if it's only a
few people."
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