Music Education - Bluegrass and Country
For students who are attracted by the lure of the entertainment industry, South Plains College's Creative Arts Department may be the thing that dreams are made of.
Since SPC embarked upon its extraordinary educational venture 20 years ago, thousands of students have plugged into this unique college-level experience.
"Creative Arts at SPC is a place where all the elements of the entertainment industry are brought together under one roof," says John Hartin, chairman of the department. "The backbone of this venture is the idea of an alternative education which can and has put students on the road to real work in the entertainment industry."
The Creative Arts Department includes college-level programs in commercial music , sound technology and performing arts technology. The capstone of the department is the country and bluegrass music program.
The non-traditional entertainment disciplines taught by a faculty of established musicians, technicians and engineers has gained the attention of movers and shakers in the music industry and attracted students from around the globe.
"It's fascinating that a few prestigious institutions of higher education such as the Berkley School of Music in Boston are now acknowledging the importance of alternative music education," says Hartin. "And the pioneers of SPC's non-traditional music programs were talking about it in the 1970s. That shows that they were 20 years ahead of the time."
An array of educational opportunities involving all aspects of the performing arts has resulted as a spin-off from the original country and bluegrass music program which began in 1975.
The buzz word for SPC students enrolled in any of the creative arts programs is "opportunity," says Hartin. And while many desire to get their "big break" as entertainers, students are equally motivated to gain training in technical and creative areas to gain a foothold in the music industry.
Instruction in song writing, music arranging, stagecraft, sound technology, video production, sound reinforcement and vocal and instrumental performance are all areas that students can experience while at SPC.
Although SPC's facilities are unparalleled in many respects, it's not just leading-edge equipment that attracts students. "They've seen good gear," says Hartin. "But here they have instructors who can show them how to operate it correctly."
Most SPC students won't deny their dream of becomming a famous musician or record producer one day, but the main attraction is the opportunity to channel their creative energy into an art form they enjoy.
"These students love what they're doing," says Hartin. "We have to beg people to leave at the end of the day. And in the morning, we have students waiting in their cars to get into the building. It's a real phenomenon."
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Pat McCutchin...............................................Coordinator, Creative Arts Department,
Professor of Performing Arts Technology
B.B.A., University of Texas at Austin; M.B.A., Texas Tech University
John Reid...............Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Commercial Music
A.A.S., Illinois State University; B.A. Western Illinois University
Jerry Stoddard........Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Sound Technology
B.S., Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Joseph Carr..................................................................Assistant Professor of Music
B.A., North Texas State University
Alan Munde..................................................................Assistant Professor of Music
B.S., University of Oklahoma
Rusty Hudleson.............................................................Assistant Professor of Music
B.A., Lubbock Christian University; Graduate Study at Texas Tech University
Schahara Hudelson...................................................................Instructor in English
B.A., Lubbock Christian University; Graduate Study at Texas Tech University
Ed Marsh.....................................................................Associate Professor of Music
B.A., Western Kentucky University; M.Mus., Texas Tech University
Tim Mcasland................................................................Assistant Professor of Music
A.A., South Plains College; B.A., M.A.,Texas Tech University
Randy Ellis..................................................Assistant Professor of Sound Technology
A.A., South Plains College; B.A., Texas Tech University
Stephen Wohlrab.........................................Assistant Professor of Sound Technology
B.M.E., Berklee College of Music; M.M. University of Miami
Cary Banks.................................................................Instructor in Commercial Music
Undergraduate Study: Texas Tech University
Stuart Moody....................................................................................Studio Manager
A.A.S., South Plains College
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