The October 2017 issue of “In Tune Monthly – The Young Musician’s Textbook” honored the Lionel Hampton School of Music.
The magazine — directed at high school aged performers and instructors — ranked the Lionel Hampton School of Music among the best music schools for 2018.
“It was pretty out of the blue,” said Leonard Garrison, associate director and flute professor at the school of music.
With an eclectic assortment of music schools from around the country, Garrison said faculty at the school was “unsure why (they) were included in the list,” but that “it is a real honor.”
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Lionen Hampton School of Music students rehearse saxophone with Professor Patrick Jones Monday morning in the Haddock Performance Hall.
“It’s an interesting list,” Garrison said. “It has a wide variety of schools with traditional conservatories and some less traditional programs as well.”
The UI music program is in good company, surrounded on the list by long-renowned music schools such as the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music and St. Olaf College. Along with the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, the Lionel Hampton School of Music is one of two music programs from the Pacific Northwest to make the list, and the only representative of Idaho on the list.
Garrison said he believes the UI music program shines in comparison to others because of its visibility on campus.
“(The arts) are often pushed aside because of the emphasis on STEM education on college campuses,” Garrison said.
Offering a wide variety of ensembles for any ability level and desired time commitment, the Lionel Hampton School of Music aims to be accessible to a wide range of students. With more than 25 different chamber groups and ensembles to choose from, Garrison said there are opportunities for both music majors and non-music students to participate in.
Maddy Corbitt, a freshman in the UI marching band and jazz choir, said the Lionel Hampton School of Music’s reputation first drew her in.
“It’s pretty well-renowned as a strong program,” Corbitt said.
Corbitt played the alto saxophone and sang in high school, and said she wanted to pursue that same passion in college.
“It’s such a tight-knit community,” Corbitt said.
Even as a biology student without any specific academic focus on music, Corbitt said she found a circle of friends in her ensembles.
Both the marching band and the jazz choir are no-tryout ensembles, open to any interested students without discrimination based on talent or previous musical experience. This provides new UI students with the chance to try something different in college without pressure to declare a major or minor in the field.
That same spirit of inclusivity is what Corbitt said makes her experience in the music program special.
“I love the people,” she said. “Being a freshman, it was kind of overwhelming being thrust into these big ensembles, but it’s exciting at the same time.”
In addition to the community, Corbitt cited the dedication of the ensemble members to their musical studies and the vast knowledge of the professors as reasons why the UI music program stands out from the crowd.
“You’re expected to do your best,” Corbitt said. “It can be really relaxed, but everyone is always trying to play to the best of their abilities on their instruments.”
Where there are relaxed ensembles for low-stress music making among friends, there are also opportunities for students to take their musical education very seriously.
Named for “one of the great jazz musicians” and known throughout the state of Idaho and to jazz educators everywhere as the host of the world’s largest educational jazz festival — The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival — the Lionel Hampton School of Music offers a comprehensive music program for undergraduate students with a variety of focus areas.
Students can work toward a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in fields such as performance, composition, theory, education and business.
“A lot of high schoolers have only a general idea of what they want to do with music,” Garrison said. “They come here, and they get to specialize.”
Garrison said he hopes the “In Tune” article might increase the University of Idaho’s visibility in high school music programs.
“I think they have a pretty big readership,” Garrison said of the magazine.
Additionally, students aren’t the only readers of “In Tune Monthly.”
“Music teachers also read (“In Tune Monthly”), and can recommend our program to their students,” Garrison said.
Beth Hoots can be reached at [email protected]