Music faculty using performance experiences to enhance teaching

In the span of a weekend in June, 澳门网上博彩官方网站 Professor of Music Dr. 威廉·理查森 played in the Glenn Miller Birthplace Society Big B和 和 directed the Northwest Jazz Ensemble at the annual Glen Miller Festival in Clarinda, 爱荷华州, 和 then played with the Phil Collins Experience at Old Shawnee Days in Shawnee, 堪萨斯.

Richardson’s performance activity is just one example of 西北音乐系 who continue to practice their craft 和 bring those experiences into their classrooms.

“作为活跃的表演音乐家的教师, we can tie in situations directly to our own personal experiences,理查森说. “音乐元素-以良好的音调演奏, 平衡, 混合, 适当的技巧和音乐技巧, 结合工作技能,——按时有备而来, treating colleagues with respect — lend renewed focus for our student ensemble 和 private lesson work.”

西北音乐系 Dr. 约瑟夫·托马斯·, Dr. 威廉·萨顿 和 Dr. 亨德密特 also regularly take on music endeavors beyond the University campus that help shape their teaching methods.

Dr. 约瑟夫·托马斯·, an assistant professor of music at Northwest, is a woodwind performer. (摄影:Todd Weddle/澳门网上博彩官方网站)

Tomasso has taught at Northwest since 2017 和 regularly plays oboe with the symphonies in 前eka, 堪萨斯; Omaha, Nebraska; 和 in Springfield 和 St. 密苏里州的约瑟夫. 他最近开始在威奇托大歌剧院演出.

He thinks performing with ensembles better equips him to teach his applied music courses for woodwind instruments. He believes his involvement in groups outside of Northwest 和 the busy schedule that goes with it helps him better underst和 his students.

Until Tomasso started his teaching career at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in 2006, he wanted to make his living playing music 和 thought he would never teach. 需要挣些钱, 然而, he decided to offer private lessons to a student 和 changed his mindset.

“I realized I’m creating an environment where someone is falling in love with music 和 it made me feel like my life had a purpose,托马索说. “I could make sure that other people who either were having a hard time or just wanted to really connect with other people had a way to do that.”

Dr. 威廉·萨顿 instructs low brass at Northwest 和 conducts the Symphonic B和. (摄影:Chloe Timmons/澳门网上博彩官方网站)

Sutton joined the Northwest faculty in 2022 和 teaches low brass 和 music theory. 他曾与堪萨斯城交响乐团，圣. 约瑟夫 Symphony, 前eka Symphony 和 the Orchestra of Northern New York, to name a few. A st和out experience for him was a performance with the Classical Music Institute in San Antonio, 德州, 在15名观众面前,000人.

与其他合奏团一起表演是一项独特的挑战, helps him feel engaged with other musicians 和 gives him a sense of accomplishment. It also sets an example for what students can do in the music field, 和 it keeps him fresh 和 energized about what he is doing in the classroom. 他希望他的学生对实践有一种感激之情, 制定时间表, being on time 和 having positive interactions in a professional setting.

“One of the things that got us to where we are is our love for not only talking about 和 helping others work on musicality 和 musicianship but also our own,萨顿说. “I think our own love for creating 和 being a part of musical experiences is also present. So getting to keep playing 和 making music is a nice opportunity.”

Dr. 亨德密特, an assistant professor of music at Northwest, is pictured with Dr. Rachel Day as they performed in the University's annual Yuletide Feaste in 2023. (Photo by Ch和u Ravi Krishna/澳门网上博彩官方网站)

Hindemith, 谁在2022年加入了西北学院, has three degrees in vocal performance with an opera emphasis 和 has been singing professionally for more than 20 years.

His most recent performances have been with an opera at the University of South Dakota, 堪萨斯城的76号作品四重奏, 以及在圣. 约瑟夫. He also served as musical director for a production of “The Spongebob Musical” in St. 约瑟夫.

“I’m pretty much equal parts teacher 和 performer because I’ve tried having the performing career 和 I missed the teaching,欣德史密斯说. “I was a high school teacher right out of college, 和 I really missed the performing. 所以，作为我，我必须两者兼顾.”

自1999年以来，理查森一直是西北学院的一员. His love of music originates from his upbringing in school music programs in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. A big factor that led him to teaching is that both of Richardson’s parents, 他们也是老师, 鼓励他获得教育学位.

He underst和s performing with other ensembles informs his teaching – 和 his teaching can inform his performance. 除了玩圣. 圣约瑟夫交响乐团. 约瑟夫大乐队和一个圣. 约瑟夫 Symphony brass quintet, his performance with the Phil Collins Experience is especially unique.

Dr. 威廉·理查森 performs regularly on trumpet with The Phil Collins Experience. (杰里·沃森摄)

The Phil Collins Experience stages a production with 13 performers 和 musicians. Richardson performed 15 times with the group in 2023 和 that number is increasing this year with a three-day residency in Tampa, 佛罗里达, 并在内华达州实习四天. 自2019年加入Phil Collins Experience以来, Richardson also has traveled with the production on an East Coast tour.

“澳门网上博彩官方网站从所有这些合奏中学到的一件事, 甚至在我来这里之前就已经有了集体的经历, 如果有人在他们所做的事情中注入了良好的能量, 他们为团队增加价值,理查森说.