A new direction

With Dr. Craig Arnold leaving, Luther is on the search for a new director of choral activities and has narrowed its selection of candidates down to four. During the past two weeks, the final four candidates have each visited campus, directed Nordic Choir and undergone evaluations by students and faculty.

While the President and the Dean ultimately decide who is hired, the music department is highly involved in the evaluations of the candidates.

President Torgerson described the intensive day each candidate faced. “They met with voice faculty, choir officers, taught in a composition class, rehearsed with Nordic Choir for an hour, met with staff in the music department, with the dean, with the president and then had a Q&A session with music officers and Nordic,” Torgerson said. “It was a pretty intense experience with the opportunity for many to give their input.”

This process may seem overly intensive, but being the Director of Choral Activities is a demanding job. Not only does the DCA direct Nordic Choir, one of Luther’s most prestigious choirs, but the director is also heavily involved with recruiting and working with Dorian students.

Erik Malmquist (‘10), a student representative for the music department, and Nordic member explained the importance of hiring the right person for the position.

“It’s the most visible position at the college because of how well-known our school is for music,” Malmquist said.

Everyone who met with the candidates was allowed to fill out evaluation sheets, which will be reviewed by the search committee before making a decision.

Nordic Choir members and other students active in the music department got the chance to make their own judgments on the final four candidates.

Malmquist has his own hopes for the future director.

“Everyone looks for something different,” Malmquist said. “I hope they choose someone who is musically accomplished enough to take the next step with the choir.”

Nordic choir member Aliyah Richling (‘11) also hopes the new director will push the choir musically.

“I’d like to see someone that isn’t afraid to work on details, someone we feel we can go to talk to, and someone who can take the choir as far as musically possible,” Richling said.

In the morning of their day on campus, each candidate came to a conducting class and worked with students, then came to Nordic choir.

“The choir had a piece prepared, and they would bring in their own pieces to teach to the choir,” Richling said.

Richling found the Q&A sessions particularly helpful.

“Questions ranged from ‘Why are you here?’ to very detailed things,” Richling said. “The sessions are helpful in gauging personalities and seeing how they’d fit in with the music department.”

President Torgerson and the search committee, which consists of people from the music department and someone outside the music department, have their own criteria that they look for when reviewing candidates.

“Certainly experience and qualifications are important, but we also want someone who understands the Lutheran tradition and the strong choir tradition that we have here,” Togerson said.

Now that the final four candidates have all had a chance show their abilities, the Luther community must wait until a decision is reached by the search committee, and then by the dean and the president.

However, President Torgerson said on Monday that a decision will hopefully be made soon.

“I hope we have a decision by next or within the next ten days,” Torgerson said.

While the college will announce the new DCA as soon as a decision is made, a public announcement will be made at the choir’s final performance on May 22.

Both Malmquist and Richling have been impressed with the four candidates.

“We’re looking at four incredibly qualified people,” Malmquist said.

“No matter what, we’re going to have a great director next year,” Richling said. “It’s comforting to know that we’re going to have a conductor that will take the choir to new levels.”

“Everyone looks for something different,” Malmquist said. “I hope they choose someone who is musically accomplished enough to take the next step with the choir.”

Nordic Choir member Aliyah Richling (‘11) also hopes the new director will push the choir musically.

“I’d like to see someone that isn’t afraid to work on details, someone we feel we can go to talk to and someone who can take the choir as far as musically possible,” Richling said.

On visiting days, each candidate came to a conducting class and worked with students before working with Nordic Choir.

“The choir had a piece prepared, and they would bring in their own pieces to teach to the choir,” Richling said.

Richling found the Q-and-A sessions particularly helpful.

“Questions ranged from ‘Why are you here?’ to very detailed things,” Richling said. “The sessions are helpful in gauging personalities and seeing how they’d fit in with the music department.”

President Torgerson and the search committee, consisting of people from inside the music department and one person outside it, have their own criteria when reviewing candidates.

“Certainly experience and qualifications are important, but we also want someone who understands the Lutheran tradition and the strong choir tradition that we have here,” Togerson said.

Now that the final four candidates have had a chance to show their abilities, the Luther community must wait until a decision is reached by the search committee, then by the Dean and the President.

However, President Torgerson said on Monday that a decision will hopefully be made soon.

“I hope we have a decision by next week or within the next ten days,” Torgerson said.

While the college will announce the new DCA as soon as a decision is made, a public announcement will be made at the choir’s final performance May 22.

Both Malmquist and Richling have been impressed with the four candidates.

“We’re looking at four incredibly qualified people,” Malmquist said.

Richling agrees.

“No matter what, we’re going to have a great director next year,” Richling said. “It’s comforting to know that we’re going to have a conductor that will take the choir to new levels.”