In Class

William Faust will discuss the history of the cornet and its place in musical and cultural history. This brass instrument was so pervasive between about 1850-1900 that it held a similar status to today's electric guitar in rock and popular music. Mr. Faust will share the brief history of the instrument and several examples of antique cornets from his personal collection of over 100 examples dating as far back as the 1830s, as well as some relevant ephemera.

William Faust is Managing Partner of Ologie - a nationally known marketing agency focused on helping colleges and universities recruit students, raise money, and build their brands. He has been collecting and playing antique cornets for over 30 years and has a collection of over 100 instruments dating back to the 1830s. He lives in Columbus and Baltimore with his wife Wendy and has 3 grown children and one grandchild. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from The Ohio State University.

With control of the presidency and Congress at stake in a deeply polarized electorate, and the integrity of the electoral process itself under challenge, 2024 is shaping up as one of the most important elections in American history. By the end of April, the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees should have been decided, pending ratification by their summer national conventions. Many of the parties’ candidates for all 435 House seats and the one-third of Senate seats on the ballot in 2024 also will have been chosen. The class will review the outcomes of these nomination contests and how the different rules by party and by state have governed them. Attention then will turn to the prospective general elections for both the presidency and the Congress...

Motown played an integral role in American music during the late 1950s into the 1960s. Join Michael Yonchak as he discusses the unique “one stop shop” business model of this independently owned family business. Learn about one of the powerhouse studio bands of the time. Experience legendary Motown artists in action through historical footage and listen to an overview of this golden era of American music with a specially curated playlist. Come enjoy the unforgettable sounds of Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and more!

Dr. Michael Yonchak is an Associate Professor of Music at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, where he directs the wind ensemble and oversees the newly revamped commercial music area. Dr. Yonchak earned the Bachelor of Music in Education (percussion emphasis) and Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting degrees from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, and later completed the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Wind Conducting from the University of Kentucky. His dissertation monograph focused on the wind ensemble compositions of American composer Frank Zappa, which has subsequently led to the publication of journal articles and presentations on this composer, ongoing research into American popular music and culture, and development of academic courses related to the history of rock and roll and current protest music. Prior to his time in Kentucky, Dr. Yonchak taught for five and a half years in the public schools of northeast Ohio. In addition to maintaining an active performance schedule in the greater Columbus area, he is a clinician on innovative educational pedagogy that integrates popular music styles into various teaching disciplines, presenting sessions for the Ohio Music Education Association’s State Conference and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Summer Teacher Institute.