Music Training at Biola
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See also: Biola University Conservatory of Music, Timeline of the Music Department.
Original Intent
The Bible Institute of Los Angeles offered music classes practically from its inception. These classes were not part of a music major but were meant primarily to further Biola's evangelistic purpose through music. The addition of music courses stemmed from the important role of the song leader in a revival meeting. Evangelical teams such as D.L. Moody and his song leader Ira D. Sankey or R.A. Torrey and his song leader Charles Alexander showed the great success and vital importance of Gospel music singing in revivals. Moody made Gospel music an important part of his Bible school courses. Biola, too, began to add such courses around 1912, with one class teaching "rudiments of music, the reading at sight of Gospel hymns, and their proper rendition." (quoted in Draney, Daniel W. When Streams Diverge. pg. 91). Music training at Biola was meant to give students musical skill in order to become song leaders and ultimately to reach people with the Gospel. This training was considered secondary to the primary purpose of the Institute--training in the Bible. A concise statement about music at Biola is found in the 1920 Biola Bulletin, saying,
While the Institute music course prepares students
for the work of the singing evangelist, it is not
intended for any one who simply wishes education in
music. The music work of the Institute is always made
subordinate to the study of the Bible, and music is
taught only as a means of qualifying one for more
effective soul-winning service.
Courses and Faculty in the Early Years
Biola had a somewhat large music staff by 1927, when it published their names and the courses they taught in Biola's first yearbook. The music classes and faculty in 1927 are as follows:
John B. Trowbridge
Voice, Notation, Conducting, Men's Glee Club, History of Music, Hymnology.
Herbert G. Tovey
Harmony, Conducting, Women's Glee Club, Voice.
Christian M. Books
Voice
Alma K. Moss
Voice
Louise Woodbridge
Piano
Alfred A. Butler
Pipe Organ
Raymond Conner
Violin
All of these faculty and courses were the same in the 1928 yearbook, except Raymond Conner added trumpet training, Alfred Butler added piano, and Herbert Tovey added "Normal training."
The Growth and Change of Music at Biola (mid years)
(this is very incomplete right now and will eventually have more information and years).
The 1948 Biola yearbook includes not only names of faculty and courses but a bit of information about them:
Gordon Hooker, D.S.M.
Position unknown
"Dr. Hooker teaches in the Music Department and is pianist for the Church of the Open Door. Moreover, his extraordinary ability to arrange and play hymns has resulted in the publication of two volumes of Gospel songs which continuously spread the Gospel of Grace."
Dr. Hooker also had, at this time, been the ringer of the chimes for 22 years.
Elizabeth Morgen, B.S., Mus.Ed.
Hymnology, Music Theory, Choir methods and materials, private piano, accompanist for Festival Choir.
Herbert G. Tovey, B.A., Mus.D., D.D.
Director of the Music Department
Eva Tovey, Mus.B
Position unknown
Katherine K. Brignall
Piano
Roy B. Brignall
Organ, Piano, Theory
Louise Arnold Ford
Piano, String Quartet
R.L. Genter
Brass, Woodwind Instruments
Jessie Kaye-Smith
Voice
Dorothy I. King
Piano Accordion
Helen Sherman
Piano
Howard Smith
Piano, Conducting, Men's Glee Club
Howard Stillwell
Band
The Music Department in 1948 was lead by Dr. Herbert Tovey, who said of it,
The objective of the Music Department of our school is to
train Christian young people to serve Christ through the
ministry of music. Emphasis is placed upon a deep spiritual
life for an effective service. Specifically, the various
music teachers seek to prepare students to become soloists,
accompanists, writers of sacred music, and choral conductors.
A series of general recitals is presented throughout the year
to give as many students as possible the opportunity of public
appearance.
This year, spring tours were made by the Laudisti Choir, the
Ladies' Lyric Choir, the Men's Glee Club, and the String Quartet
all participating (Biolan 1948).
In addition to the ensembles Dr. Tovey mentioned, Biola also had the "Bible Institute Band," a trombone trio, and the "Ladies' Lyric Quartet" (a vocal group).
In 1959, the faculty were:
George Allen B.A.
Rayner Brown B.M., M.M.
[Elma Doss B.M.
Ana Gaitan B.A.
Gordon E. Hooker D.S.M.
Earl Hulin A.T.C.L., L.T.C.L.
Mary Ann Ivanhoff B.M., M.M.
Marvin McKissick B.A., M.M.
Theodore Nichols B.M., M.S.
Lester Remsen B.M., M.M.
Richard Unfried B.M., M.M.
Paul Wohlgemuth B.A., M.S., D.M.A.
At this time there were full student recitals given, including vocal, piano, and organ recitals, as well as a few ensembles and a choir. A few featured recitals were: a joint recital by vocalists Vern Wicker and Janine Borror, both students of Mrs. Hilton. Nobu Yamamoto also gave a voice recital, Gordon Borror gave a pipe organ recital, and Michael Childers and Nathan Waltz played a piano duet.
Moving forward a few decades to 1971, Biola had since become a university and moved to its current La Mirada campus. Its faculty at that time were:
William R. Lock
Assoc. Prof. B.M., M.M., A.R.C.T.; Director of Chamber Singers
Ray Lutke
Asst. Prof. B.M., M.A.; Director of Woodwind Chorus and Brass Ensemble, Band
Jack Schwarz
Asst. Prof. B.A., M.A.
Russell Stepan
Assoc. Prof. B.M., M.M., D.M.A.; Chair of Piano Department
Richard Unfreid
Assoc. Prof. B.M., M.M.
Wilmar Wall
Music Instructor, B.S.M., B.M.E., M.M.
Loren Wiebe
Asst. Prof. B.M.Ed., M.M.Ed.; Director of Biola Chorale
Jennie Wong
Assoc. Prof. L.R.S.M., F.T.C.L., L.T.C.L., L.T.S.C.
Part time Faculty:
Genevieve Anderson
Monti Grutzmaker
Dr. Gordon Hooker
Karen Lak
Laszio Lak, String Ensemble
Margaret Schaper
This was the first year of Biola's Band and the last year of a guitar/vocals group called "The Other Side." The Music Department held its own Beethoven Festival and the Chorale also performed Vivaldi's Gloria. By this time, seniors were graduating with degrees in Music, such as education, theory, composition, conducting, and applied music.
Degrees Offered
Biola's Music Department has grown considerably since its small beginnings. Once Biola began offering Bachelor of Arts degrees in the early 1950's (rather than keeping to a non-accredited two year course), it added Bachelor of Arts degrees for Church Music and Applied Music ('52-'54). In '54 the Bachelor of Music degree was created as a step up from a B.A., and it would eventually include Applied Music, Church Music, and Music Education. In '62 there was an option of taking the B.A. in Music track or the B.M. in the above mentioned fields. A B.M. in Music Theory and Composition was added in '66, and then the music degrees were unchanged until '84 (except for a brief time from '64-'67 when Music Ed was not offered or the disappearance of the Church Music degree as of '73). With the removal of Church Music came the addition of the Master of Music degree in Church Music, which was included from '83-'91. After '84, Music Theory was dropped as a degree and from then until the present the degrees were: B.A. Music, B.M. Composition, Music Ed., and Performance. A Bachelor of Science degree in Music in Worship was added in 2003 as well.
See Academic History