The start of the fall semester comes with staffing changes in the Simpson College Music Department. Faculty members Kellie Motter, Bernard McDonald and Steven Heffner resigned, so this summer, Simpson hired three new professors to fill the roles.
One of those new professors is Jenny Cresswell, visiting assistant professor of voice and departmental recruitment coordinator who joined the vocal instruction team. Cresswell worked as a professional opera singer and voice teacher for over 20 years.
Cresswell also runs a private voice studio and has an active following of over 31,000 followers on TikTok. She said her TikTok account helps with the recruitment part of her job at Simpson, but she primarily uses it to reveal what a musician’s life looks like.
“I share all sorts of stuff from my life, my travels, my singing. I share all of that stuff because I think that young people who want to, or think they want to, be professional classical singers or professional musicians, are used to thinking that it only looks one way,” Cresswell said.
Cresswell decided to make the move from Michigan to Indianola because she wanted her two kids to have a positive high school experience, which she thought they would find here. She noted there aren’t many single mothers in opera or academia, as she is the only female full-time faculty member in the music department.
Creswell looks forward to helping students meet their individual goals this semester. Whether preparing for graduate school auditions or taking voice lessons for the first time in their life, she hopes to provide a safe space for students.
“One of the phrases that I always say is that I don’t gender shame, body shame, or genre shame. Singing is such a vulnerable thing because you’re using your body to make the sound. It’s different than other instruments,” Cresswell said. “So, I think unless students feel safe, they won’t make progress.”
Simpson also welcomed Damon Stevens, assistant professor of music and director of opera. Stevens taught at universities for 20 years, specializing in opera, musical theater and piano performance. He now directs for Simpson Productions, teaches music history and coaches voice.
. Opera rehearsals start in the next few weeks, and Stevens is excited to get to know the students better. “We’ve got some amazing talent here,” Stevens said.
He looks forward to integrating opera and musical theater by directing several shows, including Simpson’s first opera of the semester, “Speed Dating Tonight!”.
Stevens wants to eventually produce more contemporary, upbeat, rock musicals and update Simpson’s musical theater technical equipment.
He hopes students see him as an approachable, “normal guy.” He wants students to feel supported and validated for who they are in their journey at Simpson. He loves opera and musical theater, but also likes “Star Wars” and has a cat named Dorian.
Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz, Eric “Flint” Angeroth Franks is the third new hire for Simpson’s music department. Angeroth Franks is a professional trumpet player who has performed all around the world. He now conducts the Simpson Jazz Ensemble, offers trumpet lessons and teaches various music courses.
Angeroth Franks and his wife moved from Arkansas back to the Des Moines area, where he’s originally from. He came to Simpson because he saw a chance to help grow the college’s presence in jazz and trumpet in Iowa.
“The draw of home is very big, but I also saw a really unique opportunity to continue the work that my colleagues have done to help continue to grow the program here and grow some wonderful music opportunities in this area,” Angeroth Franks said. “It’s very well known for its opera and for vocal music, but I think there’s a lot of potential for the band to continue growing based off the good work that Dr. Eckerty and the other faculty have done.”
Angeroth Franks looks forward to hosting Simpson’s annual jazz festival in January and helping students connect with the wider music community. He also aims to create a “healthy and excited culture” in his ensembles where students enjoy making high quality music.
“I think just creating a healthy environment where people are excited to be in rehearsal and to continue growing and learning and setting the bar higher and higher for themselves. I think there’s a healthy way to do that,” Angeroth Franks said.
He wants students to graduate from Simpson not only with technical knowledge, but also with insight about themselves and their interactions within the world.
“I see the job of a college professor is to help guide young adults to the point where they’re ready to go out into the world and be the best professional that they can possibly be, and again, the best person that they can be,” Angeroth Franks said.
