About The Coordinator

A native of Southern New Jersey, Kevin Cummines holds his Bachelors degrees in Music Composition, Vocal Performance, and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. During that time he studied with such notables as Giorgio Tozzi and Dr. Roger Havranek, renowned music educator and choral composer Dr. Mary Goetze, and composers Sven-David Sanstrom, Dr. Don Freund, and Dr. Claude Baker. He holds his Masters of Liberal Sciences from Rutgers University, where he was awarded “Thesis with Distinction” for his research on sexual self-destruction among gay men. Kevin is currently developing that research into a book, intended for publishing by the end of the decade. Most recently he completed his Masters of Fine Arts at New York University’s Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Performer
As a performer, Kevin toured the eastern seaboard with the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers under the direction of Dr. Michael Schwartzkopf, and was honored to perform as a singer and Varsity Dancer with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel. Kevin has directed, music directed and performed in a number of operas and musicals both in Indiana and in several Philadelphia regional theatres. His production and post-production work includes live television credits as well as sound technology and recording post-production in the Philadelphia region. As a resident of Jersey City, he is able to continue his musical theatre and concert performance pursuits as both an actor and as a music director. Kevin serves as accompanist of the Mel-o-Chords in Montclair, New Jersey, directed by Tony Asaro. Kevin is also frequently cast in readings of new works, a boon to the sight-reading skills his mother emphasized since he was 3.

Educator
As an educator, Kevin has taught Electronic Music and World Music studies for the Department of Fine Arts, Rutgers University-Camden. He currently serves Saint Peter's College in Jersey City as Adjunct Professor of Music for Fine Arts, Performing Arts Coordinator for Student Activities, Director of the Aidan C. McMullen Chorale, and Artistic Director of the Roy Irving Theatre. His current teaching load encompasses Introduction to Music, which is a general survey course on Western Music History. As a vocal coach, he is an advocate of multiple-technique learning, and stresses the importance of flexibility in vocal styles, and finding healthful production in the operatic, theatre, and popular music voices.

Composer
As a composer, he has pressed himself to be as diverse in musical styles as possible. Significant original works include Requiem for the Truth, a four-movement work for chamber orchestra and amplified tenor, premiered in April of 2001 in Bloomington, Indiana. Requiem… deals with issues of sexuality, rape, and Christianity – all issues near and dear to his heart. His rock album was recorded in the fall of 2001, with lyrics by himself and Dannon Crews, and recorded at the Soundgun Studios in Philadelphia. With Tina Lear and Tony Asaro he developed Storyearth Chronicles, Case #241, an other-worldly one-act comedy about fairy tale characters fighting for their way against a vicious Continuity regime. In April of 2007 NYU produced a reading of his thesis musical, Broken, also written with Tony Asaro. Broken is a full-length musical based on the final days of Samuel Barber’s life and his relationship with his long-time companion Gian Carlo Menotti. Most recently, Kevin's Symphony No. 1: The Peacock was premiered by The Hudson Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. YiLi Lin.

Other Stuff
Kevin has enjoyed a number of awards and honors, including opportunities to travel the South Pacific and Europe as a performer and cultural diplomat. He earned “Thesis with Distinction” for his work in gay studies at Rutgers University – Camden. Along with several collaborators he was honored with the New York University President’s Service Award for Volunteerism and Community Service Programming in 2006, for a program developed with Karen Henderson of the NYU GMTWP, bringing music and story creation to children in the Bronx. Kevin is also the 2006 ASCAP Foundation’s Max Dreyfus Award recipient, an award given “in honor of his dedication and talent as a musical theatre composer.”

Kevin currently lives in Jersey City, where he continues his work as an educator, writer/collaborator, performer, and lover of all things artistic, dissonant, harmonious, collaborative, and kind.