Alumni Spotlights

Christine de Michele '05

christine de michele I continue to stay involved in music as a vocalist and songwriter, as well as a vocal teacher and coach. I am currently in the process of researching the necessary steps to expand my career into executive voice coaching.

My music education and liberal arts education at Saint Michael's have led me to pursue life with an open mind. I have been able to use the tools I gained as a musician and writer to fulfill my dreams: make albums, have a band, teach, and perform for a living. Some of my best memories of my academic endeavors at Saint Michael's involve working closely with my professors. Saint Michael's is unique because students have access to their professors at all times. Classes are small, one-on-one chats are frequent, and there is open communication between professors and students. It's a wonderful community.

Dave Volpe '05

Dave Volpe I am a professional composer, conductor, and pianist. I recently relocated to Los Angeles to study at the University of Southern California’s Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television Program. Before coming to California, I lived in New York City where I worked for the music publisher C. F. Peters as an engraver and general correspondent. My most recent projects have included the premiere of a choral piece, Septalleluia, by the Saint Michael’s College Chorale in April 2009, and the collaboration/premiere of a work for flute, viola, and singing harpist, Gwinna, in September 2008.

I have had numerous opportunities in composition, including the European American Musical Alliance in Paris (2006), the ASCAP/NYU Buddy Baker Film Scoring Workshop (2007), and the film-scoring program at the Aspen Music Festival (2008). I hold a master’s degree in composition from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, CUNY. To hear my recordings, visit www.davevolpe.org.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of studying music at Saint Michael’s lies in the fact that it is not a conservatory of music. As such, one has the freedom to study other disciplines and ultimately unearth new sources of inspiration and depth that might not otherwise be discovered. I did not enter Saint Mike’s with the intention of pursuing a career in music; in fact, I spent the first two years focused on a psychology major. Because the very nature of a liberal arts education is nurturing and encourages questioning and exploration, and because those traits are held to their truest level at Saint Mike’s, I was able to realize without pressure that music was the direction I wanted to take. The college has a collection of devoted music faculty who were willing to walk through fire to deliver me into the best possible post-collegiate scenario. I feel very fortunate and very proud to be a part of the Saint Michael’s family and I am convinced my success is due in large part to the support I received there.

Angeline Smith '00

Angeline Smith After graduating from Saint Michael's College and spending a year volunteering with the Edmundite Mission Corps in Selma, Alabama, I moved to Washington, D.C .and earned a M.M. in Vocal Pedagogy from The Catholic University of America. Currently I am finishing a Ph.D. in Musicology with a minor in music theory. I also teach voice and music history as an adjunct faculty member at Washington Adventist University and Towson University.

My time at Saint Michael's helped be become the person I am today. At Saint Michael's, I worked with a talented and supportive fine arts faculty who continue to support me in my musical and academic pursuits to this day. I was able to study many diverse subjects outside of music, an experience that only a liberal arts education can provide. I put on my "Kantian Hat" with Professor Tumulty in philosophy class, explored the "Theology of God" with Professor John Kenney, and experienced many more professors who fed and encouraged my desire to learn. Outside of the classroom, I volunteered with MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts), sang with the liturgical choir, and developed some of my strongest and most enduring friendships. There truly is no other place quite like Saint Michael's College.