New alma mater unites Huskies in song

Blue and gold are the official colors for the University of Southern Maine. And the official mascot is a husky. But there has never been an official school song…until now.

Those are the opening lines of USM’s new alma mater, “Southern Maine is Coming Home” by Dr. Heidi Parker. Lyrics are not her usual area of expertise. She teaches Sport Management and chairs the Business Administration program.

“I’m not a poet, not a writer in that way, but it seemed like this fun exercise to do,” said Parker.

Her lyrics were chosen for the alma mater in a campus-wide vote. A call for submissions went out at the start of the school year. A committee, chaired by retired English professor Nancy Gish, chose three finalists for the online ballot that went to voters in December.

Parker was driving home from work when she got the call that she’d won. The news came from President Jacqueline Edmondson. She was a fitting messenger since the idea for the alma mater and its communal selection process came from her.

“Music brings us together and creates a sense of community that will extend from our students, faculty and staff to our alumni,” said Edmondson. “I wanted us to have a song that we all will know and love that creates a sense of pride in our university and will be part of our traditions and rituals well into the future.”

Edmondson knows about the transformative power of music from first-hand experience. She plays the piano, violin, and viola. Her writing credits include biographies of John Lennon and Jerry Garcia for young readers. She also edited the four-volume set of “Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture.”

Parker’s musical experience was less formal but no less meaningful. She was a high school athlete while growing up in North Carolina. On every road trip, her team would sing their alma mater as the bus traveled the last few miles of the ride home. The togetherness she felt in those moments is a treasured memory.

The list of Parker’s musical influences runs long. Brandy Clark is one of her favorite artists of late, but the tracks on her playlist bounce between country, folk, hip hop, and 1980s hair metal. Regardless of genre, Parker connects most deeply with songs that tell a compelling story. The strength of USM’s community is the story she wanted her lyrics to tell.

“The thing that I liked when I was hired here was the people,” said Parker. “There are good people here. They’ve been good to me, they’ve been accepting of me, they’ve been supportive of me. It’s a place where I like showing up to come to work.”

After 15 years at USM, Parker is still meeting new colleagues. She and Dr. Dan Sonenberg went from strangers to collaborators on the alma mater. Sonenberg is a professor and director of Composition Studies at the Osher School of Music. At the president’s request, he agreed to write the music to accompany Parker’s words.

“I’m part of this community. I’ve been here for a long time. I don’t see myself going anywhere,” said Sonenberg. “It’s a great honor. The opportunity to contribute something that is a lasting part of the university’s history and path into the future is thrilling.”

Sonenberg’s body of work runs the gamut from opera to rock, but this is his first alma mater. He listened to numerous examples across the academic spectrum to make sure USM fit into that tradition. It was also important to him that the melody be easily singable for a broad audience and interesting enough that they’d want to sing it.

Tonally, Sonenberg took his cues from Parker. Her frequent references to Maine’s natural beauty stood out to him. A fight song wouldn’t do. The music needed to be as warm and open-hearted as the following lyrics:

Parker sets a rhythm through the first four verses, then breaks it near the end with an extra line enclosed by parentheses. “No matter where we roam (We CAN get there from here!).” Parker called it an echo. Sonenberg called it a challenge.

“Sometimes as a composer, I like the thing that messes up the rhythm,” said Sonenberg. “I like the change. This verse is going to need a slightly different structure than the others just because it’s alive and it’s breathing. That, to me, is pretty interesting.”

The resolution of that line was one of many points that Sonenberg and Parker had to hash out at their meeting in January. They parted feeling confident in their shared responsibilities to the project and each other. The entire process also got a vote of confidence from the president.

“I think the alma mater is amazing and exceeds my expectations,” said Edmondson. “It was terrific to have our community participate in selecting the lyrics, and I am really proud that Dr. Parker’s lyrics were selected. I am also proud that Dr. Sonenberg, an award-winning composer, created the music for us. They are both part of USM’s history in a very unique way!”

There is more work still to do before the alma mater makes its public debut at USM’s 145th Commencement. The singer, Isabella Bonasera, was chosen from the graduating class. She’ll be accompanied on piano by Scott Wheatley, a lecturer in voice at the Osher School. They have been rehearsing one-on-one for weeks leading up to the ceremony on May 10 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. The excitement to hear them is building for Parker.

“This in theory is gonna live on for as long as USM exists. That feels pretty special to me,” said Parker. “I think it will be really special to hear it. I’m looking forward to that.”