Tompkins History Center kicks of local music series

ITHACA — Join us on Saturday July 16th at 2:00pm at The History Center for this Local Music Series kickoff event. Enjoy a presentation by Corey Ryan Earle on the impact Patsy Conway and Hollis Dann had on local and national band and choral music in the early twentieth century.

In the early 20th century, two Ithacans made major contributions to band and choral music in the United States while also leaving an important legacy locally. Patrick “Patsy” Conway joined the ranks of legendary band leaders like Sousa and Gilmore while traveling the country with the Ithaca Band before returning to found the Conway Military Band School affiliated with the Ithaca Conservatory of Music. Conway’s contemporary, Hollis Dann, revolutionized music education in public schools, beginning in Ithaca, while also building the music department at Cornell University and bringing eminent musicians to the area. His Hollis Dann Music Course book series taught generations to sing, and he would later direct the first national high school chorus, oversee music education in the state of Pennsylvania, and head the music department at New York University.

Corey Ryan Earle is a Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University, where he teaches a 400-person class on the history of Cornell. He previously worked in the University Archives and continues to serve as a Cornell history resource person for departments and organizations on campus. He is also the Associate Director of Student Programs in Cornell’s Office of Alumni Affairs and has served as president of the board of trustees of The History Center in Tompkins County.

About The History Center in Tompkins County
The History Center in Tompkins County helps people use the tools of history to understand the past, gain perspective on the present, and play an informed role in shaping the future. In order to accomplish this mission:

• we preserve and encourage access to The History Center’s unique collections; 
• seek out the diverse needs and interests of our community; 
• design learning experiences and provide services that respond to those needs; 
• create opportunities for people to learn about themselves and their place in the world;
• and provide a neutral environment for public discussions that bring historical perspective to current issues.

For more information, including hours and contact info, please visitwww.thehistorycenter.net