Show January 13 1994 Page 5 FOCUS Wilson just keeps on going by Elisha Ray editor in chief State University "Going back to school has allowed me to relate to In my mind I the non-trathought it was going to be harder than it actually was to go back to school" Wilson said He chose to be a music professor because "I always thought that music made a difference in people’s lives Today most kids ds He has been a guest conductor in over 10 states and three countries He has received numerous awards including the 1990 Composer of Excellence and the 1992 Utah College Teacher of the Year This man never stops and that is why the Eagle is honoring Russell Wilson as one of the top professors on campus When I entered Russell Wilson's office I immediately knew why we were honoring him as one of our top professors on campus Wilson’s smile illuminated the room and his warm greeting gave way to his love for the students and his profession “I really feel that part of education is to make the world a better place as romantic as that may sound" Wilson grinned MI always loved education That’s why I went to ASU to study law" he commented Wilson graduated from Arizona State University with a law degree and for many years worked with the Arizona Supreme Court but his love was music At 28 Wilson went back to ASU and obtained a bachelor of arts degree with a music composition emphasis in 1983 He later earned a master of education degree with an emphasis in music from Utah and going is one of high student participation "When I took music appreciation in college I hated it It was so boring I vowed that if I taught music appreciation it would never be dull" I speak with experience when saying Wilson's music appreciation class is anything but dull If you take his course don't be sur sions from some of the nation’s most prestigious musical ensembles including the Mormon Tabernacle Choir the US Air Force Singing Sergeants the National Cathedral Choir the Pennsylvania Women's Chorus and the Phoenix Children’s Choir Thai’s not all! Wilson has written musical scores for and going memorable moments "I think one of my most memorable moments at CEU was last January when the chamber choir represented CEU at the Utah Music Educator's Conference The crowd wasn’t expecting much from us There were some people in the crowd from CEU and even they weren’t planning g on the performance of the choir The feeling is indescribable when you fin ish an hour and performance and the audience gives you a standing ovationThcy look at their watches in amazement because they can't believe that an hour has gone spell-bindin- 10-minu- te by" Wilson recollected on the time he spent in Spain as a guest conductor this past summer "It was remarkable working with the Czechoslovakian Orchestra and at the same lime very strange We (the Americans) didn’t find out until the very end that the Czechs were scared to death of working with us First of all we had no idea that they had never seen an American I was absolutely amazed at this because you think that Americans are come out of high school and they have the inability to feel things That's why I am here to help reconnect them with their feelings through music" Wilson's approach to teaching prised if one day you walk and find "Monk Wilson" burning incense and chanting No matter what time period you are studying you can count on having a great time learning Pres Mike Peterson put it best when he commented "There are very few faculty members who can make a class come alive like Russell can" The electricity that Wilson conducts is not found in the class room alone All you need to do is attend this year’s Messiah to know this is true The ability for one man to bring together people some with no singing experience and create the miracle that the Messiah was is nothing less than inspirational Wilson has also taken CEU's Chamber Choir to new heights "In fact this year the choir is headed to California to produce an album" Wilson said Russell is not only a superb educator but he's a professional composer with over works and has received commis 80-pl- 60-publis- us commercial and industrial movies three musicals three historical pageants and is in writing new orchestral arrangements for two albums for Gospel Singer Amanda Hall which will be produced in 1994 as well as writing the score for the musical "Butch Cassidy" that will be performed at the 1994 Summer Stock in the Outlaw Theater in Vernal The Eagle is not the only establishment to recognize Wilson’s phenomenal contributions to education and society He has received the 1991 Teaching Excellence Award from the American Federation of Teachers was CEU’s Professor of the Year in 1989 and was honored with a conducting fellowship to Spain from the Canadian Conductors' Guild in 1993 Not to mention that he has recently been appointed as editor of The Music Consortium a new music publishing firm run out California Despite his many accomplishments it was easy for Wilson to reminisce on his most up-to-d- everywhere The other surprise was to Find out that the Czechs were not treated with respect in Europe One night after a performance one of the Czech musicians came up to me back stage and said "We make beautiful music no? One thing we don’t understand is why you don’t give us the angry face All over Europe we are given the angry face But you treat us the besL You give us the happy face We have always been afraid of Americans We are no longer afraid" That is what music docs" Wilson said "it lowers the barriers" It was a relief to hear Wilson say “ I can't envision not teaching" "He is one of the best professors on campus" commented Mareie O'Donnell former music appreciation student And that is why Russell Wilson is being honored by the Eagle as one of the top professors on campus Quite frankly we can't envision not having you here |