Music - Faculty & Staff
Joseph J. Amante y Zapata
- Professor
- : Knight
- : 3166
- : amante@ccri.edu
Office Hours
Bio
Dr. Joseph Amante y Zapata is professor of music at CCRI and as Director of Choral
Activities he conducts both the CCRI Chamber Singers and Chorus. He is a regular vocalist
at religious services and is a violist with the South County Chamber Orchestra and
a member of the Strings Orchestra at the Neighborhood Guild in Peace Dale.
The CCRI choirs have premiered two choral works of New Spain, which Dr. Amante transcribed.
Recently, he has collaborated with a colleague from Indiana, Dr. John McIntyre, commissioning
a piece for the CCRI choirs. The piece was debuted at the Fall 2015 concert, Anchor
of Hope (see http://jsmcintyre.com/). "Most important to me, and to my students, is
that they broaden their experience both within and outside of the classroom. I have
taken the CCRI choirs to a choral competition at McGill University in Montreal, Canada,
to Boston to participate in a choral festival alongside the Boston Pro Musica, and
to New York City to participate in a community college festival at Carnegie Hall."
Dr. Amante has been an officer of the American Choral Directors Association for many
years in the states California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Amante and his wife,
Terry Deeney, also a professor at URI, reside in South Kingstown with their son, Christian
and daughter, Olivia.
Education
- D.M.A. major in Choral Music (minor in Vocal Pedagogy) 2002
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Treatise: Sacred choral music in Colonial Mexico, 1650-1750: An Introduction
- Awarded: Herb Alpert Scholarship for Emerging Young Artists
- M.M. in Choral Conducting 1989
- New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA
- B.A. in Church Music 1987
- Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA
Complete c.v. - PDF.
- Active committees
- CCRI Academic Advisory
- CCRI General Studies Task Force
- CCRI Prior Learning Assessment(PLA)
- Rotary CCRI Rotaract Chapter advisor
- Rhode Island Civic Chorale & Orchestra(RICCO) 1st VP Board
Classes
Choral ensembles, Sight Singing & Ear Training, Music History, Music Appreciation.
Learning Resources
MUSC 1160-600
MUSC 1160-602
Choir Facebook
Academic Focus
As a professor of music, I believe that every student can benefit from music instruction regardless of socio-economic status, physical or intellectual ability. That instruction should be well prepared and taught with passion to help each student realize his or her own individual potential and abilities. Moreover, I never teach music technique as an end in itself. For instance, many people think that once they learn the notes then they have mastered the "song." There is so much more to music than just learning the notes.
Music is for everyone and for any age. I have and continue to seek out opportunities to unite with other musical organizations outside of school.
I strive to engage students in understanding musicality and historical context. I endeavor to connect the music of the past with the music they commonly hear today. As the instructor of History of Rock at CCRI I have a unique ability to pull from that resource. I encourage them to really listen to the sounds they are creating and to understand the composer’s point of view.
Presentations and Activities
Spring Concert
Additional Information (Links)
Learn more about the choirs:
This page developed and maintained by Joseph J. Amante y Zapata. Send comments and suggestions to amante@ccri.edu.