Salute to the Arts

2018 Salute Honoree Victor Jowders

Masterworks Choral Ensemble recognizes Victor Jowders as our 2018 Salute to the Arts honoree for his lifetime contributions to music in our community. Mr. Jowders is currently the director of New Horizon’s Band of Olympia. His award will be presented at Masterworks April 14, 2018 concert, “Hidden Musical Figures: women Composers,” at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.

New Horizon’s Music Programs provide entry points to music making for adults, including those with no musical experience and those who were active in school music programs but have been inactive for a long time. Many adults would like an opportunity to learn music in a group setting similar to that offered in schools, but the last entry point in most cases was elementary school. Data shows that for most of the last century, about 15-20 % of high school students nationally participated in music. From that, New Horizon’s estimates that at least 80% of the adult population would benefit from beginning instruction in order to participate in music making. New Horizons music programs serve that need.

Mr. Jowders graduated from WSU with a B.A in music education. He then began his teaching career in Walla Walla in 1959. He went on to become the instrumental music instructor for Tacoma Public Schools where he taught from 1965-1989 and again for the 1994-95 season. He served as WA Music Educators Association Junior High Representative from 1964-66 and was host of WMEA’s All-State-Band in 1988. He is an excellent percussionist and played with the Tacoma Concert Band from 1984-2000. He was director and a member of the Capital Clarinet Quartet from 1994-2004. He was a member of a local Brass Ensemble from 2003-2004 and played a mean trombone in a separate ensemble during that same period. Vic has directed church choirs in Walla Walla, Milton-Freewater OR, Lakewood, Tacoma and Puyallup.

If you have someone in mind you’d like to nominate for our next 2019 Salute to the Arts Award, please complete and return the attached Salute_Nomination_Form_2019. Please include a brief outline and description of the nominee and why you are nominating them.

History

Past Honorees