Episode 75 - Jack Stamp

Conductor and Composer Jack Stamp shares his story, including his early musical education and the people and experiences that contributed to his remarkable career. Topics: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”: Jack’s education and eclectic musical background including the story about how and why he taught himself to play the piano from popular music lead sheets. How an experience playing the Persichetti Symphony for Band in high school taught Jack to listen beyond his own part as a percussionist and hear what everyone else in the band was doing. Jack’s first teaching job, how that experience taught him about teaching and dealing with students, and what he misses about teaching at the high school level. The story of the Gavorkna Fanfare and how the “Gavorkna Factor” changed Jack’s career. Links: Jack Stamp Stamp: Gavorkna Fanfare “Why Music Matters” Persichetti: Symphony for Band Vaughn Williams: Symphony no. 5, Third Movement Prayers for a Troubled Nation Biography: Dr. Jack Stamp is currently adjunct Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he teaches conducting. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Stamp served as Director of Band Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for 25 years. In addition, he served as chairperson of the music department for six years. He holds a DMA degree in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University where he studied with Eugene Corporon. Prior to his retirement from IUP, he served as chairman of the Division of Fine Arts at Campbell University in North Carolina. He also taught for several years in the public schools of North Carolina. In addition to these posts, Dr. Stamp served as conductor of the Duke University Wind Symphony (1988-89) and was musical director of the Triangle British Brass Band, leading them to a national brass band championship in 1989. Dr. Stamp's primary composition teachers have been Robert Washburn and Fisher Tull, though he was strongly influenced by his music theory teachers at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and East Carolina. Other studies include work with noted American composers David Diamond, Joan Tower and Richard Danielpour. He is active as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and composer throughout North America and Great Britain. His compositions have been commissioned and performed by leading military and university bands across the United States. He has won the praise of American composers David Diamond, Norman Dello Joio, Ron Nelson, Michael Torke, Samuel Adler, Robert Ward, Robert Washburn, Fisher Tull, Nancy Galbraith and Bruce Yurko for performances of their works. He is also a contributing author to the "Teaching Music Through Performance in Band" series released by GIA Publications. In 1996, he received the Orpheus Award from the Zeta Tau Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha for service to music and was named a "Distinguished Alumnus" of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, he received the "Citation of Excellence" from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. In 2000, he was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. He was awarded the title of "University Professor" for the 2008-2009 academic year at IUP. This is the highest award the university gives to a professor.