91̽��

This story was originally published as part of the winter edition of The Master’s University Magazine. Read the full magazine here.

Q: What excites you most about being at 91̽��?

For me, the most attractive thing about teaching at 91̽�� is being part of a campus community that is “on the same page.” Many Christian colleges and universities have taken it as part of their mandate to evangelize students as well as educate them, so they’re accepting a lot of students who don’t profess to be Christians. And that isn’t necessarily wrong. But it’s refreshing to come here, where we’re all committed to the same beliefs from the outset.

I’m impressed with the degree to which 91̽�� has stuck to what it’s good at and what it has a heritage of faithfulness in doing. This university has a distinctive mission, and it seems to be doing an excellent job of fulfilling that mission.

Q: What are your first goals in your new position as dean of the School of Music?

I need to come to a better understanding of the school’s heritage. It’s clear that Dr. Plew has done an outstanding job, and there’s much that needs to be maintained and built upon. There’s a lot of that story I just don’t know yet. So if I’m to gain the trust of people in the School of Music (and across the institution), I need to listen and learn—about where it’s coming from, what makes it “tick,” and where it’s headed. We need to be faithful stewards of this heritage.

But it’s also important for me to find a way to leave a legacy here—to have some impact on the lives of current students, and to find a way forward that capitalizes on the considerable strengths of the School of Music while adapting to everchanging professional and ministry contexts. I don’t know yet what that will look like. It will probably take at least a year to gain people’s trust and come up with the beginnings of a plan.

Q: What was your experience with music growing up?

My mom and dad were interested in us kids having music lessons, so they bought an old upright piano for $75, and a lady in our church gave us free lessons. I was five when we first started taking lessons, and when I was seven I started taking violin lessons, too.

At the outset I hated practicing, though, and I had to be forced to do it. Mom went with us to our lessons, so she knew what we were supposed to be practicing. She’d sit by me on the piano bench and say “play,” and I’d say “no.” Then she’d whack me with a ruler and say “play” – so that’s how I learned! (I’m not recommending this, just relating what happened….)

Q: Was your goal always to be an academic?

When I was in graduate school, teaching was certainly my goal. My life took a strange turn after that, though; I ended up working as a full-time music and worship pastor at a church in Toronto for five years directly after I finished my coursework. I wasn’t expecting that, but it was a wonderful time. I met my wife Pamela at the church, and we were married and had our first son there.

After that, I did go back to academia – first at North American Baptist College in Edmonton, Alberta, and then at Trinity International University. But I wouldn’t give up my five years as a pastor for anything. They were wonderful, and I learned so much working with a pastoral team.

Q: What made you want to pursue higher education in music?

Growing up I was really involved in music at church, as well as in orchestra and music classes at my high school, and I got the idea that I wanted to write music. So when I was applying to colleges, I looked for composition programs. I ended up attending a Bible college, which wasn’t my first choice, but turned out to be the right place for me. It was a small environment where they honored God and cared about me as a person. My profs knew I wanted to go to graduate school, so they made sure I had the background I needed.

One of my profs had completed his doctorate at Indiana University, so I ended up following in his footsteps – which meant moving from an undergrad program with fifteen music majors to a grad program with fifteen hundred music students. It was a radical shift in environment, but there were fantastic opportunities at IU, and the Lord was faithful. I studied music theory, conducting, arts administration, and stage direction, and eventually earned a doctorate.

Q: So your interests are more on the side of theory than composition or performance?

I’m better at trying to explain music than I am at writing or performing music. All musicians are performers and composers/arrangers to some extent, but I really enjoy music theory, which attempts to explain what music is, and why and how it works. So while my undergraduate degree was in composition, both of my graduate degrees were in theory.

Q: What period of music history do you specialize in?

While I enjoy a variety of music, I’m most knowledgeable about Western art music – what most people would call “classical” music. I have a particular affinity for the Baroque period. Not that I think music from that period is necessarily superior; I just really enjoy it.

Q: How many kids do you have?

We have four kids, two of whom are married. Our three sons are 29, 27, and 25, and our daughter is 24. And our first grandchild – a grandson – celebrated his first birthday last month!

Learn about studying music at 91̽�� here.