Bunce Comes Aboard

"I keep pinching myself. I'm so dorkily excited," exclaimed Jamie Bunce, the newly hired Director of Choral Activities at Columbia High School.

You can forgive Bunce (the "e" is silent) for taking artistic license with the English language. If you get a chance to spend a few minutes talking to her, it's readily apparent that she is motivated to take the Columbia High School Choral Program to new artistic heights.

Bunce a 2007 graduate of the Rutgers University-Mason Gross School of the Arts, with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education (Voice), is replacing Matthew Russell. Russell served in the position for four years before leaving to pursue a Ph.D program at Ohio State University.

Bunce joins the Columbia Music Department after serving as Director of Choral Activities for three years at Highland Park High School. Bunce, who managed the 2008 NJ All State Mixed Chorus, is a classically trained soprano who also possesses extensive contemporary a cappella direction and performance experience.

Sitting in the music suite at Columbia the week before school begins, Bunce was oozing with enthusiasm when talking about this opportunity to join the Columbia High School Music Department.

"I had heard about the [Columbia] program from a college housemate who graduated from there," said Bunce. "I also admired Lauryn Hill and knew that she attended Columbia. I met Todd Van Beveren [Columbia Director of Orchestra] when I managed the 2008 NJ All State Mixed Chorus." 

For Bunce, CHS kept popping up on her radar. When she saw the job opening posted last spring, she jumped at the chance to apply. She is moving from a school with 400 students to a school with almost about 1,900 students

Bunce was raised in Hillsborough, New Jersey, graduating from Hillsborough High School. There, she immersed herself in the music program, but not in the specialization you might assume based on her new position at Columbia: "I participated in marching band and jazz band!"

Throughout her childhood and High School years, Bunce played and studied saxophone, focusing primarily on Alto Saxophone performance with a bit of tenor saxophone thrown in the mix. "I played 10 years," remembered Bunce. "My fingers still know what to do but my chops [don't]. I miss playing. It was great."

It might seem peculiar that a director of a high school choral program focused on saxophone when she herself was in high school, but Bunce's musical education and performance resume do not solely consist of high school activities. Bunce began private voice lessons at the age of 13 and performed with the Raritan Valley Youth Chorale among other choral groups. Bunce also participated in various community theater musical productions and also sang in the NJ All State Jazz Choir.

At the Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, Bunce was a soloist with multiple choirs. She became extremely active in the world of contemporary a cappella, serving as the director of Rutgers University Deep Trebble and more recently as assistant director of the all female a cappella group Shockwave.

Teaching is part of Bunce's family legacy. Her mother recently retired after teaching for 39 years, most recently as a choral director in Lambertville, NJ. Her mother's side of the family counts several relatives who played in 1930s and 40s big bands, and her father's side of the family has roots in performing church music. 

"Everyone is a musician in my family," said Bunce. "I've been interested in teaching as long as I can remember" Teaching also provided Bunce with a tangible benefit during her college years as she offered private voice lessons to generate income. Bunce continues to maintain her private voice practice.

For a student with such a musical pedigree it would seem obvious that upon high school graduation Bunce would have been committed to study music in college. However, this wasn't the case for Bunce. "Growing up I also wanted to be a doctor. I liked to write, and I was politically inclined," offered Bunce.

In her first year at Rutgers, Bunce registered for pre-med classes as well as political science. Her only music-related class was a voice lesson. At some point during the year Bunce's thoughts crystallized and she came to a conclusion about her future. "I realized that if I wasn't swimming in music everyday something would be missing." Expressing how fortunate she feels about her profession, Bunce added, "I get to play around with music everyday."

Bunce will be teaching five sections this year including: Concert Chorale, a class for freshmen and newer choral students; and Excelsior Singers for more advanced/upperclassmen students. Bunce will also be teaching the Advanced Placement Music Theory course, a responsibility she certified for by taking a week-long course this summer at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ.

Even though she has only just begun her tenure at Columbia, Bunce is enthusiastic about what she has experienced so far and the possibilities she imagines. "What I've seen with the culture is an extremely motivated faculty. This program can really be a powerhouse."

Bunce will also serve as Vocal Music Director for the CHS All School Musical, held on two consecutive weekends in March of 2011.  She is no stranger to musical theater, performing in the Hillsborough High School musical in her freshmen and sophomore years as well as serving as the pit conductor for her high school's presentation of Barnum in her junior year. "I'm looking forward to it," said Bunce.

Commenting on the long hours involved in this commitment, she added, "I forget what my family looks like in January and February." Bunce, however, feels that the sacrifice is worth it.

Having just come aboard, Bunce stressed that she is looking forward to learning as much as she can about the program. Bunce is also excited about meeting and working with her students. She summed up her philosophy: "I think making music in groups is one of the most important things we can do." 

The general public will get the opportunity to see Bunce's Choral Students in action on December 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the CHS Auditorium during the annual Winter Concert.