Beat goes on in the MHCC Music Department

The notes may have changed, but music still continues at MHCC.

One of the biggest changes was the retirement of two seasoned instructors.

Susie Jones, who retired at the end of fall term last year as jazz band and instrumental jazz director, ran the lab band (jazz big band), called Jazz Band I. She also taught classes on music theory, keyboard, jazz improvisation and symphonic band.

This year, absent Jones, there is no Jazz Band I or Band II. The basic Jazz band remains.

Dave Barduhn, who retired at the end of spring term, was vocal music director and led the Genesis vocal jazz group – the latter since inception. He also taught several music classes, such as the sight singing/ear training (aural) classes.

While choices for students interested in jazz have become limited, other classes taught by the retired instructors are now being led by current department members.

One constant is music instructor and Orchestra Director Marshall Tuttle, who has taught music privately for 45 years and in schools for 24 years.

“Well,” Tuttle said in response to whether the jazz vocal ensemble would return, “Genesis was Dave Barduhn. With Dave Barduhn gone, there is no Genesis.”
Among the classes Tuttle teaches are music theory, cello, flute, keyboard, and piano.

“Music is important because any time you set something to music,” said Tuttle, “you set it outside the normal flow of time and you give it a level of importance that transcends normal experience.”

The courses offered for music are “very rigorous,” Tuttle said. (Sez who-?MM)
“There’s no talent involved,” he said. “You just work your butt off and sooner or later, somebody says ‘how do you do that?'”

“I’m teaching according to National Association of School and Music standards here. Anybody who takes those courses from me will function on that level,” Tuttle said.

Several of his past students have gone on to universities to pursue music degrees, while others have gone on to major conservatories (schools of music).

“There’s no deficiencies in terms of what we offer,” he said about the MHCC music department changes.

Several articles posted by oregonmusicnews.com have stated that the music program no longer exists at MHCC.

Tuttle said enrollment has declined, but the program lives on despite cutbacks made in the department “for reasons never made clear to us.
“In fact, the music department is here, the people are here, but the (negative) stories are kind of sending people away,” he said.

Tuttle also gives private instruction, outside of the MHCC curriculum.

The music department has a list of non-MHCC teachers it has approved for private lessons. Students can receive credit when taking lessons from a teacher on the list.