GCC

For John and Joseph Irrera, it all started with an owl who liked to play the saxophone and a little boy who signed up to play the violin without telling his parents.

Joseph and John graduated from Batavia High School in 2000 and 2003, respectively, and since then they have had a quite successful run as a piano-violin duo. On Sunday, they will kick off the "Irrera Brothers Chamber Music Series" at GCC.

The piano is Joseph's instrument of choice. He has been playing since he was 5 years old, and his love for the piano began with, of all things, the saxophone.

"I always watched 'Sesame Street,' " he said, "and there was an owl character who played the saxophone. So I wanted to play the saxophone, too."

Joseph's parents took him to Roxy's Music Store for lessons, only to learn that he was too young for wind instrument lessons.

"(The teachers at Roxy's) suggested starting with the piano," Joseph said. "I wasn't interested. But my parents -- especially my dad -- convinced me. They said that if I started with the piano I would have a good foundation, learn how to read music and get to know rhythm. And then when I actually started to learn the saxophone, it would be much easier."

And he never looked back.

"I started to play the saxophone in fourth grade and continued through high school," he said, "but it never felt like the piano did to me."

Five years later, his little brother John, a first-grader at John Kennedy Elementary School, signed up to play a string instrument.

"(He did it) on his own," Joseph said.

After Christmas, John's mother got a surprise call from string instructor Cindy Baldwin, who said that a spot had opened up for the violin.

And the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Joseph and John are both currently studying for their doctorates in Piano Performance and Violin Performance, respectively, at the Eastman School of Music.

They have an impressive repertoire as a performing piano-violin duo that includes frequent performances on the radio station WXXI 91.5 (they will be featured in a noon performance on Wednesday), two performances at Carnegie Hall in New York City (one in 2009, the other in March 2012) and a 10-day tour in Costa Rica in August.

According to Joseph, the piano and violin are "the best pair you can have."

"The great thing about the piano is that it can provide both melody and harmony underneath," he said. "And then the violin is one of the most vocal instruments. It can emote a lot. So they complement each other very nicely. It has been a very popular arrangement to compose for over the centuries and has an extensive repertoire."

More after the jump (click on the headline):

The public is invited to watch the Irreras perform at GCC's Stuart Steiner Theatre, at 1 College Road in Batavia, on Sunday at 4 p.m. Cost of admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students, and tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at the Genesee Symphony Orchestra's Web site, Roxy's Music Store or GoArt! Seating capacity for the theatre is 328 people.

In its first year, the "Irrera Brothers Chamber Music Series" is a branch of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra that offers "a more intimate and sociable setting" for concertgoers.

"It's not just 'listen and leave,' " Joseph said. "The whole idea is that people get to interact with the performers."

Sunday's performance is the first of five bi-monthly concerts, each featuring performers who are in some way associated with either the Genesee Symphony Orchestra or the Eastman School of Music.

Each concert will last about an hour and a half, and this time frame will include the performances themselves, an intermission with refreshments and beverages available, and a "meet the artists" session at the end.

For the first half of their performance on Sunday, the Irreras will play two pieces -- one by Robert Schumann and one by his wife, Clara Schumann.

"We chose these because two brothers started this series," Joseph said, "and that family relationship parallels nicely with the husband/wife relationship."

In the second half, they will perform "Chaconne in G minor" by Vitali and "Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Opus 94A" by Prokofiev.

Listeners are in for a treat, because the Irrera brothers' talents were years in the making.

They began studying at Eastman's pre-college division as children. Joseph was 11, John was 8.

Before even making it to college, they received coaching from such prestigious performers as the Ying Quartet -- a world-famous, Grammy-winning string quartet.

Joseph and John both stayed at Eastman for their undergraduate degrees. John earned his master's there as well; Joseph went to the Peabody Institute in Baltimore for his master's before returning to Eastman for his doctorate.

Among John's violin instructors was hugely renowned violinist Zvi Zeitlin, who passed away in May at age 90.

"He wasn't your typical 90-year-old," Joseph said. "He was very agile, very with it. John was very fortunate to have studied with him for all three degrees."

If you were to ask the Irrera brothers what has most contributed to their success, they would probably both attribute it to two things:

• Dedication to their craft; and
• The support of their parents.

"Our parents never pushed or forced us," Joseph said. "They just wanted us to enjoy it and have fun. The hours of practice came from John and me."

"But we still did all the normal things kids do -- sports, after-school activities, etc. We found our way through positive reinforcement from our parents."

Eastman faculty were also hugely influential to them -- especially Alla Kuznetsod, with whom Joseph studied from age 11 to 18, and Boris Zapesochny, with whom John studied from age eight to 18.

For more information on the Irrera brothers, visit www.irrerabrothers.com or Joseph's personal Web site, www.josephirrera.com.

For more information on the "Irrera Brothers Chamber Music Series," e-mail Patricia Hawley at pfhawley@gmail.com.

Note: John was unavailable for an interview, which is why Joseph alone is quoted in the article.

Photos courtesy of www.irrerabrothers.com.

Article submitted by Andrew Crofts, GCC sports information director. Photos by Howard Owens.

It was the most anticipated regular season matchup in Genesee Community College men's soccer history. The #2 Cougars welcomed the #1 Herkimer County Community College Generals to town in a rematch of last year's NJCAA Division III National Championship game. The game lived up to the hype.

Both teams entered Tuesday night's showdown with identical 14-1 records. The Cougars won the Western New York Athletic Conference title this season and the Generals took care of the Mountain Valley Conference. Tuesday night's winner likely will determine next week's number one team in the National Poll.

Not wanting to give up the top spot, Herkimer jumped out in front just under three minutes into the first half. The Generals capitalized on a penalty kick that came as a result of a GCC handball in the box. Jordan Stoddart converted on the kick.

Genesee's best chance to tie in the first half came late when Dom Francis sent a lefty bid from just outside the box that hit the crossbar, keeping the score 1-0 in favor of the visitors. The Cougars trailed by the same score at the break.

GCC notched the equalizer about 10 minutes into the second half when Theo Stamotopolous chipped in a goal off of a corner kick to tie the score at one. It was his third goal in two games.

Both teams played scoreless soccer for nearly 30 minutes after that until GCC broke through. Set up with another corner kick, Sam Cassidy sent the cross in front of the Generals net that was headed in by Cody Niccloy to give Genesee a 2-1 lead with about five minutes remaining.

The Cougars were able to hold off Herkimer for the final five minutes and knocked off the country's number one team, 2-1.

Niccloy's game-winning goal is his second of the season. He also tallied the winner against Mercyhurst North East in double-overtime in September.

Jake O'Learly played all 90 minutes in net for GCC and made six saves.

The win is the second regular season victory for Genesee over Herkimer in the last two years. The Cougars defeated the Generals 1-0 during the regular season last year, before falling 4-1 in the National Championship game.

Genesee improves to 15-1 overall and will conclude their regular season on Thursday night when they travel to Bryant and Stratton College for a 4 p.m. start.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.

Press release:

Tuesday, October 16th has been a date circled on the Genesee Community College men's soccer calendar since their 2012 schedule was announced over the summer. Genesee Community College vs. Herkimer County Community College.

Tuesday night will bring the most anticipated matchup in the history of the GCC Soccer program. The Cougars, currently ranked number two in the NJCAA Division III National Poll, will sport their 14-1 overall record against the Generals, the number-one ranked team in the National Poll, who also hold a 14-1 record.

The last time these two teams met was last November when both squads played for the Junior College National Championship. Herkimer defeated Genesee 4-1, en route to their eighth National Championship in school history. Genesee had defeated Herkimer 1-0 in their regular season matchup last fall.

The only blemish on GCC's season so far came against Division I Monroe Community College in early September. The Tribunes defeated Genesee 4-1. After the loss, Genesee put together 13 straight victories and claimed their second straight Western New York Athletic Conference title, finishing a perfect 5-0 in conference play. Herkimer's only defeat came against Division I Mercer County Community College (PA). The Generals fell to Mercer CCC 2-0 earlier this month.

All-American sophomore Dominic Francis will pace the Cougars offense against the number-one squad in the country. The forward currently leads all of NJCAA Division III in scoring and surpassed the GCC single-season scoring record, tallying 27 goals this fall (the previous mark was 23). The Genesee defense and goalkeepers have combined for seven shutouts against opponents this year and have held teams to just 0.9 goals per game.

The showdown will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night and admission is free. It will be the final regular season home game for the Cougars this season and likely determine the number one team in next weeks National Poll.

Genesee Community College athletics program endeavors to provide a quality and competitive intercollegiate athletics program consistent with the National Junior Collegiate Athletics Association (NJCAA) philosophy and the overall educational mission of Genesee Community College. Participation in collegiate athletics should be an extension of the total educational experience for the student athlete. The inherent philosophy emphasizes the athletic setting as a classroom used to teach character, commitment, work ethic, respect for differences, and the importance of sacrifice, teamwork and cooperation.

For further information and pictures go to Genesee's Athletic Web page, which is updated regularly with game results, team rosters, photographs and information about Genesee's overall athletic program. http://www.genesee.edu/athletics

When Genesee Community College students in the "Alpha Iota Upsilon" chapter of Phi Theta Kappa met for their organizational meeting over a year ago, they came to realize that they had all been affected by breast cancer in some way or another.

"Be it a family member, friend, or acquaintance," said Chapter President Thomas Wieszczyk,"we all knew someone who had battled breast cancer."

That's why they started "Walk for a Cure," a walk in honor of breast cancer victims and survivors that will be heldat 10 a.m. on Saturday on GCC grounds (at 1 College Road in Batavia). This will be the second annual walk; the above photo, which features student officers and volunteers, is from last year.

Pre-registration is not required to participate in the walk, which is open to the public. Lasting about 30-45 minutes, it will begin at the nature trail west of the campus and then wind its way through the woods and across the field, ending at the student forum.

Tickets cost $3, and T-shirts can be purchased for an additional $4.

Around 11 a.m., there will be a post-walk gathering in the student forum with refreshments -- including drinks and pizza from Mark's Pizzeria -- guest speakers and information on how to conduct a self-examination.

Guest speakers will include Bobbie Noto of GCC, Sharon Occhino of "Komen for the Cure" and Susan Smith, a GCC student and breast cancer survivor.

The event will also feature:

• A raffle including gift baskets, gift certificates and a pink ribbon quilt; and
• A Chinese Auction that will include gift certificates to Settler's Restaurant, Burger King, Denny's, the National Museum of Play in Rochester, Total Tan, Continental School of Beauty and more.

According to Wieszczyk, "Walk for a Cure" was sparked by a desire to start a "project that would help our community, raise student involvement within the community and fit into Phi Theta Kappa's national initiative for that year."

"Our then-president, Devon Kleinbach, called for order and said that she would very much like to do a breast cancer awareness walk."

The first walk raised over $1,000, which was donated to United Memorial Medical Center "to cover the cost of breast cancer screening for people who could not otherwise afford it."

The same will be done with this year's proceeds.

So far, the students of Phi Theta Kappa have gotten a lot of support, with community organizations and individuals donating gift baskets and nearly $300 raised from a pre-walk bake sale on Tuesday.

"If things continue in this fashion," Wieszczyk said, "we will have another phenomenal year."

Photo submitted by Thomas Wieszczyk

It's Fire Prevention Week, and as it does annually, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, is visiting local pre-schools and schools to educate children about who firefighters are, what they do, and the role children can play in helping to prevent fires. Above, Nate Fix and Russel Borden with a child from Genesee Community College's daycare center.

Press release:

The State University of New York Community College Collaborative recently announced that $14,633,390 has been awarded for the Training and Education in Advanced Manufacturing (T.E.A.M.) Educational Pathways Project.

GCC's allocation was $145,348 from the collective pool of T.E.A.M. funding for all 30 New York community colleges, which is subsidized through the U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Training Grant Program.

It will ultimately provide more than 3,000 of New York's trade adjustment assistance-eligible workers and unemployed veterans with the education and training necessary to secure high-quality, high-wage jobs in the advanced manufacturing industry.

The T.E.A.M. Educational Pathways Project aligns advanced manufacturing industrial career pathways and third-party certifications for participating students to attain credentials and degrees in two years or less. The targeted industries for the Pathways Project include: advanced manufacturing, plastic and all its related sub-industries, optics, photovoltaics, precision machining/CNC, semi-conductor, and nanotechnology.

A statewide process for designing and offering training and education programs will be developed to replicate the T.E.A.M. model across all community colleges and all academic programs in the applied and occupational sciences.

The Pathways project will also allow the SUNY Statewide Community College Collaborative to leverage additional funding opportunities, such as $20 million in the SUNY2020 capital funds, and a $5 million proposal to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Workforce Innovation Fund in partnership with New York State DOL.

The T.E.A.M. Educational Pathways Project incorporates the following eight key strategies:

(1) Develop and promote educational pathways in advanced manufacturing with clear entry and exit points;

(2) Build and offer uniform core and specialty curricula based on the USDOL competency model for advanced manufacturing and incorporate the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System;

(3) Validate new and existing curriculum with industry at state, local and national levels;

(4) Build and offer fast track developmental education curricula in advanced manufacturing programs;

(5) Offer core specialty and developmental education courses online and in other delivery formats;

(6) Build and offer a uniform statewide system for awarding academic credit through prior learning assessment;

(7) Provide centralized student services through campus-based T.E.A.M. Centers in partnership with public workforce systems;

(8) And build and implement a coordinated statewide approach to outreach, recruit, and "earn and learn" models for the advanced manufacturing industry.

A series of existing credentials, both credit and noncredit, will be incorporated into the training program, including but not limited to: ACT's Work Readiness System (National Career Readiness Certificate/NCRC), Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC), and National Institute of Manufacturing Metalworking Skills (NIMS). Additional training to support or enhance core and specialty curricula will be based on employer demand to include Six Sigma, OSHA standards, EntreSkills and web-based programs offered by the NYS Small Business Development Center.

"Genesee Community College is delighted to be the local partner in a national initiative designed to sharpen the competitive edge of our manufacturing sector," President Jim Sunser said. "Together as partners, the Pathways Project will allow community colleges to bring the very finest, most up to date training programs to our workforce and business community."

Through the grant, GCC will hire three adjunct faculty members to not only teach designated courses, but to also participate in the collaborative developmental meetings and planning process. In addition, the grant will allow the college to purchase equipment in support of its academic programs.

Press release:

The historian who captured the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for history in 2011 will bring his expertise to Genesee Community College this month, while the Batavia campus will simultaneously host a travelling exhibit exploring the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Columbia University history professor and author Eric Foner, Ph.D., regarded as the leading contemporary historian of the post-Civil War Reconstruction period, will share insights from his award-winning book "The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery" on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at a free lecture in the Stuart Steiner Theatre at 1 p.m. Immediately following the lecture, Foner will sign copies of his book.

"I am thrilled at the prospect of having Dr. Foner visit GCC. It is not often you can rub elbows with a Pulitzer Prize winner," says Derek Maxfield, who not only teaches GCC history courses, but has been the college's resident historian and coordinator or numerous Civil War initiatives throughout the past 18 months.

"As a historian, I recognize him as a giant in the field. His work on the Civil War and Reconstruction has shaped my own interpretation in important ways, and his newest book is destined to define the standards by which other works will be measured."

Foner's presentation coincides with an exhibit exploring Lincoln's influence from the Civil War through modern times. Using personal journals, official documents and other printed materials, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History used a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to assemble "Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, a Man for All Times."

This impressive display has been traveling the country and sharing the life, accomplishments and the legacy of the revered 16th U.S. president. Interestingly, Foner was among the experts consulted during the development phase of the exhibit. The display in GCC's Alfred O'Connell Library will be open for free public viewing from through Oct. 28.

The Fiery Trial is essentially a political biography of Lincoln, delving into the president's personal convictions, and Foner "is able to provide the most thorough and judicious account of Lincoln's attitudes toward slavery that we have to date," according to a 2010 review in The New York Times.

Kirkus Reviews cites Foner as "particularly impressive in explaining the hesitations, backward steps and trial balloons -- including placating slaveholding border states and proposing colonizing blacks outside the United States -- that preceded his embrace of emancipation."

Foner is one of only two persons to serve as president of the three major professional organizations: the Organization of American Historians, American Historical Association, and Society of American Historians, and he is one of only a handful of authors to have won the Bancroft and Pulitzer Prizes in the same year.

He has written 19 critically acclaimed books, dozens of highly praised literary and historical articles, reports and editorials, and has served on editorial boards for several prestigious publications. Additionally, his mastery of scholarly research and presentation has earned him invitations to appear on television and radio shows, including as the on-camera historian for "Freedom: A History of Us," on PBS in 2003.

To learn about Foner's extensive accomplishments, visit his Web site: http://www.ericfoner.com/

The exhibit and Foner's visit continue GCC's commitment to exploring the Civil War and its enduring ramifications 150 years after the official ceasefire. Numerous lectures revolving around the war, a weekend long reenactors encampment, a Victorian Yule Celebration and the development of a topic-specific blog were offered last year, and several more enterprising initiatives are planned for the current academic year. A summary of the Civil War commemorative events at GCC's Batavia Campus also includes:

• Lecture: The Search for Good Ground and Fair Weather: The Role of Climate and Topography in the Civil War. Wednesday, Oct. 3, Batavia Campus, 7 p.m. Presented by Aaron Wheeler, Ph.D., of Capital Community College.
• Lecture: Among the Many Fires: Trials, Opportunities and Experiences of Native Americans in the Civil War. Wednesday, Nov. 7, Batavia Campus, 7 p.m. Presented by GCC History instructor Dan Hamner.