An Interview With Joe Grant
Te IL-ACDA Board has recently been including some interviews in their on- line publication Te Podium. As a result of this successful practice, I have decided to include an interview in this article.
I have known Joe Grant for three decades– as a high school teacher, a church choir conductor, university professor of choral music education, family-man, friend and golfer. Over the past 30 years I have con- tinually been impressed by his profession- alism and his work ethic. He has inspired singers and music students of all ages for many years. Although he retired from the University of Illinois this past year, he is back part-time teaching for a maternity leave. He also continues to be an active church musician and he is active as a guest conductor, most recently conducting the 2011 Michigan All-State Choir.
R.M. How long have you been teaching?
J.G. I have been directing a church choir since my junior year in college. I began my first teaching job in 1972 in Danville, Illinois. Helen Wolf was the high school choral director and I was half-time at the high school and half- time in the elementary schools. When Helen retired in 1974, I became the full time high school choral director and Jim Rimington took over my for- mer position. (note: during the inter- view Joe mentioned that he has known Angie and Ryan Rimington since they were born.)
R.M. How long have you been in your current position?
J.G. 28 years, I started teaching at the University of Illinois in 1983 and I just retired in 2011.
R.M. What were your duties at Illinois?
J.G. Teaching undergraduate choral conducting, secondary choral methods, music theatre production and I direct- ed the Women’s Glee Club. I served as chair of the Music Education Division for 12 years.
R.M.What have been some of your greatest challenges?
J.G. When I started teaching at Dan- ville and at the U. of I., I was fortunate
Fall 2011 |
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to take over very strong programs. My challenge in each case was to preserve the quality that was already there and striving to improve it as well. At the uni- versity level, it was quite a challenge to balance the roles of teaching, service and research to meet personal needs as well the needs of the university.
R.M. What are some things that you learned over the years that you wish you had known in the beginning of your career?
J.G. I had terrible classroom manage- ment early in my career–trying to be friends or “buddy-buddy” too much with the students. When I entered college teaching I expected the students to be more active learners. I soon discovered that they required motivation similar to high school students.
R.M. Who have been your model choral conductors?
J.G. Robert Baar-my collegiate con- ductor at Murray State University (he was a graduate of the Chicago Musi- cal College–now Roosevelt University), Don Moses–former head of choral ac- tivities and chair of the School of Mu- sic at the University of Illinois and Ann Howard Jones–former faculty member at Illinois and a long-time associate and assistant with Robert Shaw ( Joe men- tioned that he participated with Ann in one of Shaw’s Choral Workshops in New York City)
R.M. How have your teaching/directing strategies changed over the years?
J.G. Early on I used too much rote- teaching, as things progressed I began to stress the importance of being good music readers–how to become better in- dependent musicians. I was influenced greatly by the teaching of Dr. Charles Leonhard (longtime chair of Graduate Music Education at Illinois)–especially regarding curriculum building and the notion of developing independent mu- sicianship in the students.
R.M. What kept you in the choral di- recting field?
J.G. I always loved what I was doing, I never gave it a second thought.
R.M. How is retirement going? 37
J.G. First of all, I retired from univer- sity teaching, but I am still very active as a church musician and as a guest con- ductor. I was certainly not burned-out from teaching, I just wanted to have some time for a better balance with family and other pursuits. I am current- ly subbing for a colleague on maternity leave this fall and I am reminded again of the joy of working with students at the university level.
R.M. Talk about some favorite memo- ries from your career.
J.G. Taking the Danville High School Choir to Kansas City and performing at the MENC Regional Conference. In my 4th
year at Illinois the Women’s
Glee Club performed at the ACDA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Celebrated the 100th
year of the
Women’s Glee Club in 1995 by com- missioning and performing a piece by Nancy Telfer – for women’s choir and orchestra. Last but not least, both of my daughters sang under my direction in the Women’s Glee Club while they were undergraduate students here at the University of Illinois.
R.M. What advice do you have for young choral directors?
J.G. Listen to as many choirs as possi- ble with open and accepting ears. Watch choirs and conductors with an attitude toward learning. Get your keyboard chops in order!
A special thanks to Dr. Joe Grant for allow- ing me to publish this interview. Tanks for all of your past, present and future contribu- tions to the field of choral music education. You are truly a special music educator and your influence will continue to resonate for many years to come. Bravo!
SAVE THE DATE
Summer ReTreat Earlier June 27-29, 2012
Illinois State University, Normal
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