Welcome back friends of Queer Music Midwest!
As you may have noticed, we were pretty quiet this summer, but don’t worry we’ve been making moves (literally). All the members of the original founding team moved this summer! Props to Bridget Hill for completing her document and officially becoming Dr. Bridget Hill! Round of applause please. Congrats to Joey Willette on a new job as a music teacher! We know those kiddos are in good hands. And lastly, farewell to Rose Khorsandi as she leaves the midwest to pursue her DMA at the University of Kentucky, but don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of her.
Welcome to the Team
We would like to introduce you to our newest executive board member, Dr. Natalie Francel-Stone, a true colleague and a friend. We are thrilled to welcome her aboard!
From cornfields to Carnegie Hall, performer and educator Dr. Natalie Francel-Stone follows wherever her bassoon takes her, whether that’s touring with the rock band Kansas, mentoring young musicians, or securing grants for innovative composition and performance projects. Dr. Francel-Stone is active in arts advocacy, volunteering with community-building programs that bring music beyond the concert hall and into the hands of students from all backgrounds, and is dedicated to making performance art a supportive and compassionate space where everyone’s voice can be heard and empowered.
Dr. Francel-Stone holds a B.M. in Bassoon Performance from Kansas State University, an M.M. in Bassoon Performance from Wichita State University, and a D.M.A. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Beyond music, she is an author, poet, and watercolor artist with multiple publications and exhibitions to her name, and enjoys curating oddly specific playlists and tending her ever-growing collection of houseplants.
Upcoming Events
QMM will be at the Flute New Music Consortium’s New Music Festival 2026 at Oklahoma City University! Bridget Hill will be representing us, presenting “Celebrating Queer Voices: Queer Music Midwest, and A Graded Repertoire Guide of Flute Music by LGBT+ Composers” on Sunday October 25th at 9:30AM Central. Stay tuned for information about a possible livestream!
Other friends of QMM, Shannon Lotti and Noah Pool will also be performing at the festival. For more info, check out the links below.
We are also collaborating with the Trans Composers Project! Check out their website to get a sneak preview of some upcoming projects.
Thank you for reading and thank you for joining us on this adventure.
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