Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® WKU Archives Records WKU Archives Spring 1989 UA68/9/1 Western Minstrel WKU Department of Music Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation WKU Department of Music, "UA68/9/1 Western Minstrel" (1989). WKU Archives Records. Paper 51. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/51 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Alumnus of the Y ear A w a rd !"'\f'\i " , ' . - - A'f\ LiiiVt~ Lt. Col. Ron a ld O. McCown Is the Japan. p resented performances In first recipien t of th e "Alumnuso f th e c arnegie Hall. Avery Fish er Hall in Year Award". He was presen ted a the Lincoln Center. RadiOCity Music p laque at the Unlv erslly Co ncert Hall. Saratoga performing A rtS Cen· Ba n d concer! o n A pril 12. 1987. ler. Tan glewood, and oth er m ajor w here he served as guest conductor. perfo rmlngans facilities In the NOrth· A native Kem uCklan. U . Col MCCOwn eastern Un lied States: and h e has graduated from w estern In 1962. He appeared on all major television laughtln the Kentucky public school networks In America plus the Brllish system and. since enteri ng active BroadcasllngSYStem , the Canadian A rmy service In 1963, has appeared Sports Network. the Japanese Tele­ as a conduc tor wllh m an y military v isio n System. and the span ish and civilia n musical ensemb les. He Internation al Network. Addltlon ally, becam e Commander/ Bandmaster under LTC McCow n 'S d lrecllon. the of the united Slates Military Aca· USMA Band has appeared In twO d em y Band In A uguSt. 1979 follow · d ocu menta ry films and h as also Ing 17 years of similar assignm en ts provided m usical support for cere· In the u nited States a nd Vietnam. m onies hon oring Presiden ts, Heads During his assignm en t to the united o f State. Kings. Queen s. and senior Stales Military Acade m y Ban d. the civ ilian and m ilitary officials fro m band h as appea red In Canad a and n allon s a round the world. T h e Un ited States Milita ry Aca· d emy Ban d is the oldest u nll a t west POin t. New York. a nd is the o ldest military band in continuous service in the united States. In Striking con· Irast to the groups o f fi fe rs a nd d rummers a nd an eigh t piece "'Band o f MUSick " o f th e early days. the present stren gth of the USMA Ba nd Is 96 enlisted m embers an d 3 of· fi cers. Today's band consists of fo ur com pone n ts: The Jazz Knights, The w estern Kentuck y Field MUSiC Group ("'Hellcats'"). The u niversity Concert Band. a nd The Marc hing Departme nt Ba nd. o f Music Fo r over 170 years. the Ban d h as served th e A rmy. the Military Aca· NEWSLETTE R d em y. an d Corps o f Cadets with fo r Alumni. d istinc tio n realizing th e val ue of Students m USiC to the military service so well d efined In an historical o rder book: Colleagues. a nd Friends Mus ic regu lates the soldier'S wakin g a nd sleeping. sp urs him o n in m archin g and figh ting and accom panies him o n occasio ns o f joy an d sadness. Editor's nOte: Since this award was presented, LTC McCow n has le ft the A rmy an d h is pos1tion as Ban dmas· ter of the west Point Band. He n ow resides In Satelllce Beac h, Florida. The alumnI haue s e lec/t'!d LI . Col . S PRING SEM ESTER 1989 Ronald O. McCownfor tile Alumnus oj Ihe ~ 'ear aw ard. Since July. 1987. I have had Ihe unique pleasure of serving as Interim Head of the Department o f Music. I say unique because I am an American hislorlan who neverdreamcd Ihal his fulure would include chairing a music depanmelll. During Ihe paSI several m Olllhs, I have been greally Impressed by Ihe dedicalion and commllmelll displayed by Ihe sl udents and facully In our program. The work of Ihls d ep anmenlls marked by enormouscreallvlly and vitality, and we relish the contac t between o urselves and the graduales o f o ur program. Ourcontlnued success Is closely linked 10 your help. please keep In louch With your sug· gesllons and encouragement. L eI me bring you up to d aleon the search for a permanelll departmenl head. During Ihe pas! year, the search comm [IIee Inlervle w ed several candlciales for the position. b UI ulll· malely their hard w ork did nOI resull In the a ppollllmelll o f a new head . The commillee has dillgenlly ren e w ed 115 e ffo rts thiS fall, and Dav id Lre. IIllerlm I/cod Ihe poSitiOn has a llraCled a large pool of appll· cants. w e hope to be able to announce Ihe W KUAlumnl Sweep 1988 appolntmento fa newdc p artmCnl h ead In Ihc PhI Beta M u A war ds nexi several m Olllhs. OCcaSionally graduales of our program Dnd Phi Beta Mu. a p rofessional band· Otherfrlendsofthe d epartmc nlln the commu· maslets fraternity. p resenred Ihelr nlty ask me aboul procedures for COntributing twO annual awards at the KMEA A ll· money to Ihedepartmenl. Such colllributio ns Stale Band Concert at the KM EA In· might lake several fo rms. Many people like to Service Confere nce In February. conlrlbute 10 the various muSiC scholarship Ric h a rd Borc h a rdt (BM '52) was funds established in thcColiege Heights Foun· honored for long and d iStinguished dallon. These gifts assiSt studcnts in funherlng service 10 bands In Kentuck y. Dav id their education and enable many studelllS 10 Hulc h lnson (BM '82), currently band rem ain In school who could nOI conlinue their directo r al Daviess Counly Hig h educallon wliho Ui financial aSSistance. Sch ool. was named " Ke muc k y's I would especially like to Inv ltecolllrlbUlions o Ulsla ndlng Young Band Direc tor." to the Music Department Development Fund. Several members of the Weslern AS all of you know these are lean days In Family are prom in ent In service 10 public higher educatio n In Kentuck y, and our the Kentuc ky Music Educalors AS, budget allocalion Simply does nOI cover our soclatlon. Joe A lien (BM '60) Is be· n eeds. under Ihescclrcums18n ces, the Develop­ ginning a two-year lerm as Band m ent Fund is enormously valuable asa source Chair: Mary Anne Davenport (BM of funds for projecls w e could nOI Othcl'\IVlse '73, MM 'SO) will serve as Ch air o f undertake. II h as enabled us to purchaseequlp­ General MuslcIK·5). Doug Van F leel m ent. make repairs, and emen aln guests. p ro­ (BM '63) w ill be Orchestra Ch air, and jectS we could n ot have undertaken w ithoul Gary Graves has been President o f !he Development Fund. If I can p rovide you Ihe Collegiate M.E.N.C Hazel Carver wllh addilio n ai Information about gifts 10 the (BS '38, MS '60). Editor of the Blue· Developmelll Fund. please contac t me al the 9raSSMuslcNews. won Ihe 1087/ 88 Departm ent o f MUSic. M.E.N.C State Joumal Award. Hazel's L e i m e close by thanking you for your help daughter, Jean Span ko (BS '64). In anOlher area, namely recruiting. This fall, lhe successful author and general mUSiC dep artment enrolled 47 freshmen and transfer authortl y, wasa feBiured clinician at sl udents In Its programs. Nalurally we are the recen l KMEA Conference In delighted by this success, a nd we realize the L exlnglOll. B ill McClo u d (BM '54 ), imponant role thai alumni play In recruiting KMEA p resldemln t 977·79, Is l;O resl· new studelllS. Your help wllh o ur recruiling dent elect of M.E.N.C:s Soul hern conlrlbutes immeasurably 10 Ihe deparlmenl. Division. A I p reselll h e Is Dean of Tha nks again for your conllnulng support. F ine A rts a l App a lach ian Sl a te u nlverslly . I'm T eaching Wha t? Submlllcd by Don Wilkinson Moving to a new sch<x>l Is always fi rst and foremost 'ask In leaching full of surprises which I'm sure all of Improvisation (and also. The m osl you have experienced. My first big impon am element In becoming a surpriSe came as I read my assign· musician of any kind). ment for the year; there It was­ Jazz is such an exciting m edium "JAZZ ENSEMBLE". Since jazz band to use In leaching music because II had always been an Important part requires d ifferem alliludes and skilJs o f my Instrumen lal programs In than Ihe traditional concert band publicsch<x>lsand I had also taught and orchestra. My primary goal in jazz band al Hasllngs college.