Monte Atkinson, Professor emeritus and former Director of Choral Activities at CMU
CMU Music professor Monte Atkinson reflects on a long and rewarding career that began in 1985 and continued until 2018. 他相信创造音乐, 在社区教书和工作不仅仅是一份工作, 但这也是一份有回报的职业的重要组成部分.
“It was a great privilege to be involved in the growth of choral music over the past 34 years in western Colorado,阿特金森说.
Atkinson's reflections are the result of receiving notification from the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) that he would receive the ACDA Legacy Award to honor his contributions to music and the arts in Colorado.
Atkinson arrived on western Colorado’s music scene when he first moved to Grand Junction in 1985 after being hired as the Choral Director at then Mesa College. He began managing a program consisting of a modest show choir that included ten students, some whom were pursuing musical theatre — the only vocal music degree offered at that time.
“It’s fun to recollect where we were then as an institution and to compare that to the vast programming we offer today,阿特金森说. “想想都有点超现实.”
Professor Atkinson and his family moved to the West Slope from Knowville, TN where he had served as Associate Choral Director at the University of Tennessee.
“哈罗德·德克尔, one of the original founders of ACDA was my doctoral degree professor at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign,他说. “I had the privilege of being his last teaching assistant before he retired, and he advised me to take the Mesa College job because growing a new and small program would be enjoyable and rewarding — which it certainly has been.”
Atkinson’s first step in establishing the program was to direct a letter to all 3000 student who were enrolled at Mesa College at the time. He invited them all to join choir while he ordered a new set of risers for the choir to stand on during performances.
That fall 40 students lined up to audition and Atkinson turned away none of them.
He explained that in the first year he auditioned the best eight singers and formed the Mesa Chamber Singers. The group included two sopranos, two altos, two tenors and two bass singers. “The group became a treasured ensemble and the choral tradition was off and running," he said.
In 1987 the choir was invited to perform in Mexico City with two other college choirs and Atkinson’s students toured for a week in Mexico City performing with the Mexico National Symphony in the national Palace of Fine 艺术.
He fondly recalls a performance that “changed me forever” as the students and Atkinson visited an orphanage where the children sang and danced, 唱诗班依次为他们唱歌. 学生和孤儿们拥抱着阿特金森, 虽然眼泪, recorded a memory that would change his perspective on what would be important for the remainder of his career and life.
On arrival in Grand Junction Atkinson committed fully to helping the ACDA grow and formed the Mesa Student ACDA chapter that averaged more than 15 members and still exists today. Within just a few years Atkinson envisioned a Collegiate Colorado ACDA festival and within a year the idea was brought to fruition. The event rotated around various Colorado communities and occurred the second Friday of each November, 这个传统一直延续到今天.
阿特金森在CMU任职期间, 在他担任州ACDA主席期间, he served as the Music Department Chair all the while adding two children to his growing family of eight.
Atkinson officially retired from his position at CMU in the spring of 2018 but continued to direct the Western Colorado Chorale. He recently announced the bitter sweet news that the 2019-20 choral season will be his last with the chorale. As his service comes to an end he remains proud that a 40-50 voice auditioned ensemble continues bringing, “这个地区的伟大音乐.”
“We partner each year with the Grand Junction Symphony in our own Masterworks concert, 他们每年都雇我们和他们一起表演."
From a 10-day concert tour across England and Wales and a chamber choir concert tour to Montreal and New England to an American History Chamber Choir tour in Boston, 纽约和费城, Atkinson’s choir has certainly left its mark on American music as he has left his mark at pp电子极速糖果.
“I could not have envisioned a more rewarding and joyful career,阿特金森说. “None of these milestones would have come to pass without the endless support of my wife Gail and my children. I learned over my career that choral music lifts the soul, lifts the heart and binds us together. Thank heavens for music, and great choral music and all who strive to create and share it,他说.