To whom it may concern:

Professor Joseph D'Eugenio has provided a great service to both the Wesleyan Music Department and the Wesleyan community overall. He lays down the foundations of singing for both experienced musicians and newcomers alike, incorporating breathing and diction exercises so as to develop the voice to its maximum potential. He also emphasizes the importance of correct enunciation and vocal phrasing. Furthermore, he chooses music that is not only beautiful, but also appropriate and challenging in a way that students are both learning and engaging themselves in singing. He immerses students in the worlds of different composers, showing how music is shaped by and shapes the world. He integrates Wesleyan students into the Middletown community, as he did when he asked joined the Wesleyan University Concert Choir with the Greater Middletown Chorale. Without his contributions to the Wesleyan Music Department and Wesleyan's arts program, the university would suffer a great loss. He has changed students' musical understanding and sensibility in a way that extends beyond the classroom. He transforms learning into a holistic process--one that creative, emotive, technical, and educational all at once. He truly cares for his students, and goes to great lengths to ensure that they learn a lot about themselves both as musicians and as people. Please very strongly consider rehiring Professor D'Eugenio for the 2009-2010 Academic Year.