This week’s Campus Celebrity is a professor in the School of Music! Meet Adam Con, associate professor of music education and chorus here at the University of Victoria. Adam has only been at the university since July 2014, so let’s give him a warm welcome!
Adam did his B. Mus and his M. Mus at the University of British Columbia. From a young age, Adam knew he wanted to be a teacher, and a strong upbringing in music led him to the obvious choice of music educator. Adam and his brother and two sisters all took piano, organ and guitar lessons as children, and were avid participants in the musical portions of their church’s services. This early influence guided him to a highly musical life.
Aside from teaching, Adam also plays the organ at UVic’s convocation ceremonies, directs the Vancouver Island Chamber Choir, and is the Music Director at St. Barnabas Anglican Church. Adam is in high demand throughout North America for choral workshops, and frequently travels to work with choirs and conductors.
Adam is most distinctive as a musician for his unique conducting style. He believes strongly in the importance of body language when trying to coax a particular sound out of an ensemble. The body’s connection to music has been a focus of Adam’s studies. He earned a PhD at Florida State University in music education with a choral conducting emphasis under the mentorship of Rodney Eichenberger, a legendary figure in the choral world.
Adam tries to find the positive in every day. He feels that in every interaction with his students, there should be “at least one moment that you feel most fulfilled.” He takes the good with the bad, and appreciates that not every rehearsal is going to be perfect. What Adam enjoys most about teaching the University Chorus is observing the choir’s progress from barely being able to read the music to singing beautifully.
Adam began his career as a music educator in the public school systems of Surrey and Vancouver. After teaching there for 15 years, he obtained his doctorate degree and began teaching at Georgia Southern University. He went on to teach in Springfield, Ohio at Wittenburg University, then at California State University, Long Beach. Adam ultimately decided to teach at the university level because he knew that educating music educators would allow him to influence more people.
“Instead of teaching a thousand children, all you need is to teach ten music education preparation students, and you’ll be teaching ten thousand children,” said Adam. “And if you teach them really well, then you’ll be teaching—hopefully well—ten thousand students, eventually.”
Adam recently conducted the University Chorus at the School of Music’s Christmas choir concert on December 4. The Chorus will next perform on March 5 at the Farquhar Auditorium.