Music instructor retires with concerns for direction of college

Starting as a student in the early ’70s, later becoming an instructor and having worked under every president to reign over MHCC, Genesis director and music instructor Dave Barduhn will begin active retirement on August 31.

The announcement was made public to students in early April and was followed by a posting on the Genesis group Facebook page.

Barduhn was a pianist at MHCC in ’72 who came from a “very successful high school program,” he said.

He came to MHCC from Roosevelt High School in Seattle, which he proudly mentioned took second place at the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival recently in New York.

The jazz instructors at MHCC mentored Barduhn. He then served as a part-timer as support for the jazz program. Barduhn took to the road for 11 years to teach and explore. When he came back he filled the position to direct Genesis and was able to “hit the ground running” because he knew what was expected of the program.

In the beginning of his MHCC teaching career, he taught jazz band, Genesis and worked in theater. “I worked very hard the first four or five years I was here,” he said with a laugh.

Area school districts have not had jazz choir programs. Barduhn has always done outside recruiting from places like Salem, Seattle and Boise, he said.

According to Barduhn, there are very few specialized choirs in high schools anymore. They have a higher emphasis on concert choirs.

When asked about the changes on campus over the years, Barduhn said the college was known for having specialized programs not available at other community colleges.

“So we were not the generic, cookie-cutter ‘let’s just get our (gen. ed. classes) and be done.’ It was about the special unique programs. That’s what drew students here. That’s what made it possible to recruit students here.

Today, more than half of this place is dedicated to trying to make up for things kids didn’t accomplish in high school. This place really isn’t about special programs anymore. It’s all about being a bridge between unsuccessful high school careers and trying to potentially get them prepared to go on to a four-year school. So that image has drastically changed over all these years,” Barduhn said.

Talking about the music program over the past 40 years, Barduhn explained that musicians would come to MHCC to learn, play in the ensembles, gain experience and hone their skills.

“The majority of musicians in Portland all came through this program. Not a one of them has a degree,” said Barduhn.

“(Students) coming here to get the skills to be successful seldom go through the degree portal… It’s about your skills, not about your piece of paper,” said Barduhn hinting at the college’s recent push towards degree completion.
Barduhn’s retirement came at a crossroads. First off, he has finally hit his thirty-year teaching mark within the PERS system and. Second, his views do not line up with the views of the college, he said.

“If I could have gone out when Susie (Jones, former MHCC jazz band director who retired earlier this year) went, I would have. But it didn’t make any financial sense yet. This was the first financial opportunity that it did make financial sense,” he said.

“My plan was to teach for another six years but the vision has changed so drastically that I don’t feel like it’s something I can comfortably operate in. Oh, no, I definitely planned to work longer but this was the time to do this because all of the actions that have taken place have been totally devastating to our program. It’s going to take somebody with a whole lot of tenacity to bring this puppy back,” he said.

Barduhn admitted that vocal jazz has a shelf life but he was convinced he could have kept the program going as long as he was teaching.

“It’s time to go. The group is wonderful this year. Going out on a strong note is an important concept to me. Let’s not let it decay. Let’s have it be remembered to the high standards of excellence it’s been known for,” said Barduhn.

“I don’t see that there’s a will to replace my position anyway. They haven’t even committed to replacing Susie’s position. In fact, quite frankly, I think it will be quite some time, if ever, that they replace either one of our spots,” Barduhn said.

Although Barduhn will be retired, he will continue to teach six hours a week with his non-major courses.

With more free time available to him, Barduhn plans on getting involved in things he’s been too busy for: honor group conducting, judging, acting as a festival clinician and “things you can’t do with a five-day-a-week job.”

He’s also intrigued by the idea of being a freelance musician again. “Between you and me there isn’t a lot of money in that.”

The idea of composing and arranging again has also been another thing he’s been thinking about, Barduhn said.

“Genesis, the group he created and brought to such a consistently level of achievement for so many years will evaporate with his departure. He cannot be replaced, and the department will develop very differently without him,” coworker of eight years and orchestra instructor Marshall Tuttle said about Barduhn’s retirement.

“There have been lots and lots and lots of moments of magic,” said Barduhn reflecting on his 24 year long career.

“Performing at the Summer Jazz Festival year after year back in the ’90s was pretty amazing. Sharing concerts with lots of great artists that we’ve brought in… The DownBeat awards we’ve won in the ’90s and early 2000s… Eight times DownBeat Magazine recognized us as the best group in the country,” said Barduhn. He added that the student groups are what he really remembers, for providing the energy and excellence that lead to the awards.

Within the past two years, Barduhn has said he’s seen a motivation in his students, “from another time.” Beginning last year, students began making their own outside rehearsals and practice groups along with the allotted class time.

“This year’s group is amazingly strong as well. We just came back from the Reno Jazz Festival. We didn’t win, we took second, but any of those three groups could have won that thing. The gang performed admirably and got standing ovations and all that stuff. The group is as strong as it’s ever been and has held up the reputation that we’ve had for 45 years and I just know our last three performances are going to be absolutely stellar,” Barduhn said.
Genesis, the vocal jazz group Barduhn instructs, has their final on-campus performances scheduled during the 45th, and last, Northwest Vocal Jazz Festival.

They will be performing May 18 with the jazz group Just for Kicks in the College Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale and cost $8 for students and $15 for general admission.

The performance will also serve as the group’s CD release party for “Last Call,” which features two original student pieces.

Barduhn picked the title as “it ties up a long tradition. Not just the 24 years that I’ve been here, but the 45 years of the tradition of the group. The fact that group is called Genesis has to do with the fact that Mt. Hood was the first school in the nation to include ensemble vocal jazz in its curriculum.”

“When you have an audience full of people who know what you do, who appreciate what you do, who have experienced what you do, it’s just a lovefest,” he said about the concert.

Barduhn expects the show to be packed, “dozens and dozens of alumni planning on showing up that maybe wouldn’t have if it wasn’t the last event.”Genesis will also be performing at 5 p.m. on May 19 at the end of the jazz festival in the Visual Arts Theater. The event is free.

about the Genesis concerts, contact Barduhn at [email protected].