“Go with your passion. Have confidence in your potential.”
Alumna Ann Cameron Pearce graduated in 1967 after studying piano with William Newman and flute with Earl Slocum. Though her degree was in Religion, much of her time was spent in the music building. After graduation, Ann went on to have a robust teaching and performing career in music, co-founded two local flute organizations, and co-founded the online music publisher ScoreVivo.
We caught up with Ann to learn more about her time at UNC and how it impacted her career and life.
Please tell us a little about your time at UNC and the degree(s) you received. What are some of your favorite memories in the department?
I was proud to be a trailblazer at UNC! Prior to 1963, women were admitted as freshmen only if they enrolled in nursing or med tech. Thankfully, that guideline was changed and there were 21 of us freshmen women in music, art, and drama. (The tradition had been for females to attend Women’s College [UNCG] before transferring to UNC as juniors.) Every year thereafter, more women were admitted as first-year students. We lived together on the 3rd floor in Spencer Dorm. Each morning we traipsed downstairs in our bathrobes for breakfast around nicely appointed circular tables next to windows across Raleigh St. from the President’s House. For the remainder of our UNC years, we all lived in Smith Dorm, which had a capacity of 50 students and was the closest women could live to the buildings that housed the music, art, and drama departments. That worked out very well!
My first year as a piano major was full of fundamental music classes and a lot of practice hours, as I had expected. We reported at 8:00 am five days a week for music theory and the rest of our hours were filled with classes and events one would expect in a top-rate music school. I liked all of my teachers, especially Dr. William S. Newman, my piano teacher, and Dr. Earl A. Slocum, my flute teacher. They were both Department of Music leaders and were at the “top of their game” as private instrumental instructors. I was awarded first chair in the flute section of the Wind Ensemble and enjoyed every moment of playing in that group. The UNC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Dr. Slocum, was especially enlightening, for we performed some of the greatest orchestral compositions of all musical eras. The rehearsals of these two ensembles very quickly became my favorite weekly classes.
Even as I focused every day to excel in music, I had a change of heart such that I decided to major in Religion with a Psychology minor, effective my sophomore year. The way this fleshed out in reality was the majority of my classes were in those two disciplines, but I was very happily busy in the music department all of my free time. I focused on private flute lessons and continued to play in the Orchestra and every other ensemble that came along. This included Wednesday afternoon student recitals, productions such as the musical Annie and Mozart’s opera Cosi fan Tutte, woodwind quintets, and other small groupings as they fit my interest and schedule. A friend, who was a piano major, and I presented a Junior Recital together.
My involvement in campus life included becoming Junior Representative and then President of Smith Dorm, which meant I served on the Women’s Residence Council for a couple of years. I also enjoyed being on the committee that helped plan big campus-wide music events that brought in guest performers. And…one bright fall day several friends and I dressed as angels to ride a float down Franklin St. prior to the annual Duke (Blue Devils) football game!
What has been the impact of your time at UNC on your career and personal life?
There is no doubt that I’ve enjoyed a full lifelong career in music, thanks to the instruction and encouragement I received from the UNC music faculty.
My private flute instructing abilities got a huge boost the summer after my junior year when Dr. Slocum turned the reins over to me while he was out of town. Four years later, after my husband and I settled in Raleigh, I established my home studio and kept a cap of 24 students a week for over 35 years. My students excelled in their various school music programs and solo competitions and enjoyed having me accompany them on the piano during lessons and our semester recitals. I also taught flute privately at Saint Mary’s School for 20 years and at Shaw University for six.
Participating in our church music program, pick-up ensembles, various civic chamber ensembles, and orchestras as a member of the Musicians Union over the years has also kept me busy. I still play about twice a year in small fund-raising concerts at church with several other retired professionals. And once a week I volunteer at Rex Hospital by playing flute in several different lobbies in an effort to lighten the days of patients, family members, and staff.
Two organizations in Raleigh that are still active and that I am very proud to have co-founded with several other flute teachers are the Raleigh Area Flute Association (1985) and the Raleigh Flute Choir (1986).
RAFA is very strong with annual scholarship competitions, presentations by well-known flutists, and six flute choirs of varying sizes and difficulty levels. Membership ranges from third graders through adults of all abilities in central N.C.
The Raleigh Flute Choir is made up of eight professionals. I was Manager and retired a few years ago as arthritis in my hands causes limited endurance. It was great fun to specialize on contrabass flute my last 16 years in the group! We traditionally prepare concerts for the fall, Christmas, and spring seasons and have provided music for Duke Chapel worship the Sunday closest to January 1st since 1997. We have four popular CDs to our credit. Over the years, we have enjoyed performing during National Flute Association Conventions in major eastern U.S. cities in addition to Piccolo Spoleto (Charleston), Williamsburg, and the Biltmore House. Playing at the White House during five Christmas seasons have been highlights as well.
I enjoyed leadership for many years in other civic organizations that contributed to the local music scene: the Raleigh Music Club, the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild, the Board of Directors of the Friends of the College, and the Capital Area Cultural Association, all of which supported music education and performance.
Another significant chapter of my music career has been through handbells. I was Director of Handbells at Highland United Methodist Church for 31 years. During that time, I developed one of the highest acclaimed church handbell choirs in the area, along with strong youth and children’s choirs. In addition to playing liturgical music in worship 9 months each year, we provided annual Christmas concerts at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women and presented our music during worship in a smaller area church each spring. On other occasions we went “on the road” to share our unique form of music with residents of senior living facilities. Of course, learning secular music for various church fundraising concerts was an occasional highlight too!
My experiences with students and the Raleigh Flute Choir prompted my focus in flute ensemble music, resulting in my having composed or arranged over 150 pieces for flute choirs of various sizes and difficulty levels. After several years of working with three different publishers, I decided (along with one of our sons) to establish our own music publishing company in 2011. Our big innovation was to function entirely online. This made it possible for us to reward our clients 40% of the sale price of each piece instead of the standard 10% offered by paper publishers. In addition, we do not take over copyright ownership of our clients’ music, so they are free to move their music elsewhere if they wish. We (www.ScoreVivo.com) are still going strong with 40 clients, over 500 pieces, and more than 1,800 customers from all over the world! It truly is a joy to be able to share our love of music in this way!
What is one piece of advice you would give to current UNC Music students?
Go with your passion. Have confidence in your potential.
Reach beyond the expected. Always be prepared.
Surround yourself with quality persons. Enjoy music.
Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?
I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed a parallel career over the years. After receiving my Master of Religious Education from Duke Divinity School, I served as a part-time Educator in several churches. My last twenty-three years before retirement I was Director of the Chaplains’ Cooperative Ministry at NCSU, occupying an office in Talley Student Center. In that capacity, I counseled students, assisted the 16+ campus ministers in their work, and was their liaison with University Administration. This was a part-time morning job. Thus, I was able to teach private flute in the afternoons. Then, my evenings were occupied with flute choir and handbell choir rehearsals. Yes, I enjoyed many full and very rewarding years, thanks to UNC!
Interview by Catherine Zachary ’10