CAS News

Mother-Daughter CAS Alum Duo release new holiday album

Emily and Patti Drennan copyA pair of OSU College of Arts and Sciences alums is making the art of holiday music a family affair.

Patti Drennan (Music Education, ’74) and Emily Drennan (Economics & Spanish, ’04) have released a new album titled A Mother Daughter Christmas.

The album features over 25 musicians and singers from New York City and is produced by RoxSteady Music. It is the first album the mother-daughter duo have recorded together, despite more than 30 years combined experience in the music.

The album, currently available on iTunes, showcases original tunes, features nostalgic classics like I’ll Be Home for Christmas, as well as funky gospel tunes such as Jesus, Oh, What a Wonderful Child, featuring Hammond B-3 organ and gospel choirs.

Patti is an active composer and arranger with sales of over 2 million copies and has over 475 choral octavos published with Shawnee Press, Lorenz, Alfred Publishing, Hope Publishing, Hal Leonard and other major publishers. She has had her compositions performed at Carnegie Hall and has served as a clinician for school and church workshops in 20 states and internationally. She has been guest director at numerous church "Composer Weekends" and has been an adjudicator for choral contests in various states. Patti retired from teaching in 2004 from Norman High School and, for almost ten years, served as Music and Worship Arts Director at First Baptist Church.  She continues to write, arrange, and lead music reading sessions throughout the United States and Canada. Patti was the pianist and vocalist in the Jim Drennan Quartet and the Chip Cooper Quartet for more than a decade, which provided entertainment for receptions, private parties and special events at OSU. 

Emily currently lives in New York City where she was most recently seen in the New York Spectacular starring the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. She has been seen touring Europe and the Caribbean playing “Tanya” in Mamma Mia! She will be an upcoming guest soloist at Lincoln Center in December, has also been a guest soloist at Carnegie Hall. She has been a guest artist with numerous symphonies including the OKC Philharmonic and Tulsa Signature Symphony.  She was “Mezzo” in Off-Broadway’s VOCA PEOPLE for almost two years, travelling with its Israel, Japan, and Dubai tours, whole also performing on The Jimmy Fallon Show, The MDA Telethon and with Sting.  Emily is also a published ASCAP and Recording Academy (Grammy) producer, lyricist, composer and recording artist. OSU recently named her a Hall of Fame Outstanding Young Alumni. At OSU, she was a Jazz vocalist for the OSU Jazz Band and a member of Concert Chorale and Chamber Choir. She was an Executive of 12 Campus organizations and member of 11 honor societies.   

The album is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, at emilydrennan.com for $9.90.