April 10, 2009

Composer, alumnus Glen Daum returns to SIUC

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Distinguished Alumnus Glen Daum returns to Southern Illinois University Carbondale for a recording session and public presentations beginning this weekend.

Daum, a Centralia native and a two-degree SIUC graduate (1962, 1964), is a composer and arranger of theme songs, musical cues and background music. He will spend three days at SIUC, sharing his experiences and creating some new ones.

On Sunday, April 12, he will be in Altgeld Hall, Room 117 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. to discuss his career, his days at SIUC, and the current project he is undertaking at SIUC. A question and answer period follows the talk.

On Monday, April 13, Daum has a recording session scheduled in Altgeld Hall. The recording session is not open to the public.

From 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, he and his recording engineer present a Score to Film Seminar in Altgeld Hall, Room 117. Daum and the engineer will make a few rough mixes of a couple of musical cues, and synch them with video. School of Music faculty will be part of the musical performance.

In an interview with SIUC in 2002, Daum spoke with enthusiasm and fondness about his days at SIUC. He was a Marching Saluki, and, as a sophomore, also the music arranger.

Daum’s music is part of such programs as ABC’s “World News Tonight,” “CNN Headline News,” CBS’ “Face the Nation,” “All My Children,” “General Hospital,” Turner Classic Movies, “Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures,” and the “Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers,” not to mention hundreds of commercials. The Count Basie Orchestra and Boston Pops have both used his musical arrangements, as have Broadway, movie and TV actor Mandy Patinkin, and recording artists Denyce Graves, Sumi Jo, Ann Hampton Callaway and more. Daum has five Grammy nominations, winning twice for his work with Sesame Street.