UL Lafayette College of the Arts

Welcome, Dr. Fenton!

Dr. Kathryn M. Fenton holds a BMus, Hons from McGill University, an MA from the University of Notre Dame, and a PhD in musicology from The University of Western Ontario. Prior to coming to UL Lafayette , Professor Fenton taught at several universities in the U.S. and Canada, including Texas A&M Kingsville, Stephen F. Austin University, Eastern Illinois University, Middle Tennessee State University, The University of Western Ontario, and Wilfrid Laurier University. She sees music history and theory courses as opportunities to not only give students a sense of how individual works fit into a network of historical and cultural contexts and to expand their musical literacy, but also as a chance to encourage students to develop their critical thinking and writing skills.

Fenton’s own research focuses on the music of the long nineteenth century, particularly French and Italian opera. She also studies musical life and institutions in the United States during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era and the development of an American musical identity. These two interests came together in her 2019 book, Puccini and the American Musical Identity(Routlege) explored the intersection of nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and nativism in the early New York City reception of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La fanciulla del West (1910). Her current book project examines American musical patronage in a transnational context. She has presented her research at local, national, and international conferences in the fields of Musicology, Literature, and American History, and has contributed several articles on opera singers to the 2013 Cambridge Verdi Encyclopedia and a chapter in Chamber Music in Europe (1850-1918): Composition, Mediation and ReceptionBrepols, 2024.

Two undergraduate researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette found that the campus oaks contained carbon isotope ratios lower than previously recorded for oaks anywhere in the world.

More good news! The UL Lafayette School of Music and UL Bands would like to welcome Dr. Kelvin Jones as our interim Director of Bands for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Dr. Jones is an active educator, conductor, musician, drill designer, and music arranger for music programs across the country, with degrees from Jackson State University and Louisiana State University. He has conducted and performed internationally in Europe and South America and is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the US at both state and regional levels. He also serves as an Educational Consultant with Conn Selmer’s Division of Education, an instructor at the Smith-Walbridge Drum Major Clinic held in Charleston, Illinois, and in numerous capacities within the College Band Directors National Association. He is published in the Instrumentalist magazine and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Jones to the UL music family!

The UL Lafayette School of Music It’s time to register for the 2026 Pride of Acadiana Band Camp! All members are required to attend Band Camp. Leadership Camp: August 14, 8am-8pm New Member Camp: August 15, 8am-8pm Band Camp (New & Returning Members): August 16-21, 8am-8pm Camp

At Vocal Arts Camp campers are immersed in a week of music, learning, and friendship fun! 🎶 🪩

If you’re interested in:
•Working with top-tier voice faculty members in one week through private lessons and coaching
•Exploring BOTH solo and choral repertoire
•Taking movement and yoga sessions designed for singers
•Trying our NEW microphone techniques session and learn how to own the stage with confidence
•Hanging out at karaoke, swimming, games, and evening activities
•Performing in a final showcase in Angelle Hall

Then you should REGISTER TODAY:
https://ullafayettevocalartscamp.com/

There’s still time to apply for our Visitor Experience Associate position!

If you’re looking for a way to be part of Acadiana’s arts community while helping create a warm, welcoming experience for visitors, we encourage you to apply. This part-time role is a great fit for someone who enjoys working with people and being part of a creative environment.

Applications close May 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM.

Learn more and apply at:
https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/careers/

The UL Lafayette School of Music would like to welcome Dr. Kyle Melton as Interim Assistant Professor of Voice and Director of Opera Theatre for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Dr. Kyle Melton is a stage director, performer, and voice educator whose work bridges operatic performance, pedagogy, and vocal health research. A recipient of the 2025 American Prize in Stage Direction, he holds a DMA and MM in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University and a BA in Music from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research on vocal health and cancer survivorship earned LSU’s Dissertation Fellowship for his monograph “Singing through Cancer,” which was later published in “Classical Singer Magazine” in 2023. An SVI-trained vocologist, he previously taught at Eastern New Mexico University and Southeastern Louisiana University and has performed with Opera Carolina, Opéra Louisiane, and the Turner-Fischer Center for Opera.

We are hosting a stop motion animation workshop with Yeon Choi and I, this Saturday in Fletcher Hall at ULL - free and open to the public! Come join us!!