MARCH 4, 2021 — Winter Storm Uri bared down upon Texas with arctic temperatures that were lower than some parts of Alaska. Consequently, UTSA had to shut down for a week as the region grappled with power and water outages. Some students lost a crucial week of wages while others dealt with various residential problems. It’s for this reason that the UTSA Department of Music today will hold a six-hour long Marathoncert to support the UTSA Student Emergency Fund.
“As I received updates from students, faculty and staff in the Department of Music during the devastating Texas freeze about their difficulties staying warm, losing running water, and dealing with damage from frozen pipes, the impact of all of that really struck me,” said department chair and professor Tracy Cowden who masterminded the initiative to launch the fundraising event.
Cowden (piano) will perform with other music faculty including Crystal Jarrell Johnson (voice), Erin Webber (oboe), Isaac Bustos (guitar), and a faculty jazz trio, among others. Students in various ensembles including the Boom Squad, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Guitar Ensemble are also scheduled to participate.
The performances will be streamed live from the Recital Hall inside the UTSA Arts Building and alternate with pre-recorded videos. The Marathoncert will be available for anyone to view through the Department of Music’s Facebook page beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. University President Taylor Eighmy will deliver a special pre-recorded introduction in support of this unprecedented event.
Anne Shulte ’21 with MazeAnne Shulte ’21, a music major and work study in the UTSA Music Library, was one of those students that recently received financial support to make ends meet in the aftermath of the winter storm.
“I was out of work all week,” Shulte said. “My roommate is a waitress and student as well, so we both lost a significant amount of income over the five days.”
Shulte lost power at the beginning of the storm. Shulte, her UTSA student roommate, and their kitten, Maze, huddled to keep warm under all the blankets they owned in a single bed. Despite their best efforts, Maze was showing signs of frostbite the next morning. The three of them immediately sought shelter for the next three days with a friend whose home never lost power.
Upon Shulte’s return to the apartment, however, the residence had been without power and water for three days. All of the perishable food had spoiled and needed to be tossed out. It also needed to be replaced. “Now I have money to go get groceries,” said Shulte upon receiving the UTSA emergency aid in the mail.
In addition to students, the Marathoncert will benefit the Staff Emergency Fund, which provides grants up to $200 to eligible full-time staff members and full-time fixed-term-track faculty in need of essential supplies.
“I really wanted to do something to help, and this concert seemed like a way to both lift everyone’s spirits through the power of music, and also raise much-needed funding to support the UTSA community,” added Cowden. “We are excited to have this opportunity to make a difference.”
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