Class Note 1996
Issue
May-June 2023
It has been quite a busy start to 2023 for the class of ’96—creatively and occupationally in particular!
Congrats to our own Taurey Butler, recently lauded by several jazz publications for his recent album, One of the Others. The work features a piano-bass-drums trio, with Taurey on piano. Downbeat magazine recently wrote of his work: “Butler’s originals and arrangements of standards honor the swing approach of the genre as a purist while still feeling entirely contemporary.” The album scored so high (4.5/5) that it was named one of Downbeat’s Best Albums of 2022. Taurey was further featured in a January article in JazzTimes magazine reviewing the influence of his lifelong journey to his now permanent home-base of Montreal.
In other updates from our musically inclined classmates, Brendan Doherty announced the release of his most recent book: Fundraiser in Chief: Presidents and the Politics of Campaign Cash. The book was published two months early (how often does that happen?) and represents a study of how presidents allocate their time, efforts, and other resources while in office and the potential controversies, ethical challenges, and implications for American political leadership that such fundraising represents.
Suzie Brown Sax had two exciting announcements relating to her musical career (not to be confused with her full-time side “hobby” of being a cardiologist). First, she announced that she would be recording her eighth studio album at the end of February; the album will feature Jano Rix (of the Wood Brothers) stripped down, with his piano and Suzie’s vocals. Additionally, Suzie will be on a bit of a European tour later this summer—including the “Roots, Ribs, Brews” festival in the Netherlands in July and a few to-be-named dates in the United Kingdom.
One of our extended ’96 family members has been making headlines of his own. Jack Kolodny’s son, Max, appeared on Good Morning America in mid-January, when he was interviewed by Michael Strahan and his designs featured on air. The budding couture dress designer (a.k.a. “Max Alexander”) has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram, has already held his first runway show at the tender age of 6 (with his second show now in the works), and has just signed with an agent. Celebrities are already reaching out to him to commission pieces for him to design and produce. Great job, Max!
In major life-change news, Megan Luce, husband Lindsay, and two sons recently moved from their home base of Seattle to Christchurch, New Zealand, for a six-month sabbatical (from February to July). Megan, a faculty member at Cascadia College since 2008, will be a visiting scholar working in the mathematics and statistics department at the University of Canterbury. She has already connected with Annie (Soutter) and Travis Horton, who live in Christchurch with their family. Megan relayed that Annie has already been able to provide amazing guidance as they prepared to travel, picked them up at the airport when they arrived, and then had the entire family over for dinner on their first day in town. Ironically, the Hortons’ daughter and Megan’s 14-year-old son are in the same form class (homeroom) together at Burnside High School. She said, “I am feeling lucky to have the opportunity to reconnect after all these years with somebody who is still so awesome.”
Lastly, some quick congratulations to Mal Wrenn on her new position as administrative VP of strategic solutions, partnerships, and outreach at Voya Financial; to Jonathan Hodgson, who recently became managing director at ClearView Healthcare Partners; and to Sheryl Jacobson, who is now medical-technology leader at Deloitte Consulting!
—Garrett Gil de Rubio, 1062 Middlebrooke Drive, Canton, GA 30115; ggdr@alum.dartmouth.org
Congrats to our own Taurey Butler, recently lauded by several jazz publications for his recent album, One of the Others. The work features a piano-bass-drums trio, with Taurey on piano. Downbeat magazine recently wrote of his work: “Butler’s originals and arrangements of standards honor the swing approach of the genre as a purist while still feeling entirely contemporary.” The album scored so high (4.5/5) that it was named one of Downbeat’s Best Albums of 2022. Taurey was further featured in a January article in JazzTimes magazine reviewing the influence of his lifelong journey to his now permanent home-base of Montreal.
In other updates from our musically inclined classmates, Brendan Doherty announced the release of his most recent book: Fundraiser in Chief: Presidents and the Politics of Campaign Cash. The book was published two months early (how often does that happen?) and represents a study of how presidents allocate their time, efforts, and other resources while in office and the potential controversies, ethical challenges, and implications for American political leadership that such fundraising represents.
Suzie Brown Sax had two exciting announcements relating to her musical career (not to be confused with her full-time side “hobby” of being a cardiologist). First, she announced that she would be recording her eighth studio album at the end of February; the album will feature Jano Rix (of the Wood Brothers) stripped down, with his piano and Suzie’s vocals. Additionally, Suzie will be on a bit of a European tour later this summer—including the “Roots, Ribs, Brews” festival in the Netherlands in July and a few to-be-named dates in the United Kingdom.
One of our extended ’96 family members has been making headlines of his own. Jack Kolodny’s son, Max, appeared on Good Morning America in mid-January, when he was interviewed by Michael Strahan and his designs featured on air. The budding couture dress designer (a.k.a. “Max Alexander”) has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram, has already held his first runway show at the tender age of 6 (with his second show now in the works), and has just signed with an agent. Celebrities are already reaching out to him to commission pieces for him to design and produce. Great job, Max!
In major life-change news, Megan Luce, husband Lindsay, and two sons recently moved from their home base of Seattle to Christchurch, New Zealand, for a six-month sabbatical (from February to July). Megan, a faculty member at Cascadia College since 2008, will be a visiting scholar working in the mathematics and statistics department at the University of Canterbury. She has already connected with Annie (Soutter) and Travis Horton, who live in Christchurch with their family. Megan relayed that Annie has already been able to provide amazing guidance as they prepared to travel, picked them up at the airport when they arrived, and then had the entire family over for dinner on their first day in town. Ironically, the Hortons’ daughter and Megan’s 14-year-old son are in the same form class (homeroom) together at Burnside High School. She said, “I am feeling lucky to have the opportunity to reconnect after all these years with somebody who is still so awesome.”
Lastly, some quick congratulations to Mal Wrenn on her new position as administrative VP of strategic solutions, partnerships, and outreach at Voya Financial; to Jonathan Hodgson, who recently became managing director at ClearView Healthcare Partners; and to Sheryl Jacobson, who is now medical-technology leader at Deloitte Consulting!
—Garrett Gil de Rubio, 1062 Middlebrooke Drive, Canton, GA 30115; ggdr@alum.dartmouth.org