POTSDAM – The City of Potsdam, New York, celebrated the naming of the Crane School of Music’s large ensemble rehearsal space during a special ceremony on Friday, September 13th.
Crane Room C119 was officially dedicated as the Joy Rehearsal Room in recognition of the generosity of Dr. Joy Anthony Douglas ’56 and her husband, Dr. Chester Douglas ’56 (Honorary). The couple are long-time supporters of music education, not only at Crane, but also in their own communities and careers.
“For generations of graduates, their careers as educators and administrators, business owners and entrepreneurs, writers and composers, musicians and performers began here at Crane.Today, we honor those graduates. We celebrate one of our students, Joy Anthony Douglas,” said Interim Dean of the Crane School of Music. Dr. David Heuser. “Joy has dedicated her life to bringing music to people through education, literature, performance and philanthropy.”
The space was completed last year as part of the Crane School of Music’s $21.5 million renovation and expansion and will be permanently designated as the Joy Rehearsal Room, honoring the couple’s longtime support of Crane and Joy’s passion for music. will be known to. Especially education.
“‘Joy’ is a fitting name for this space,” said Dr. Nils Kricken, associate professor of choral conducting. “I may be biased as someone in charge of the ensemble and choir in this building, but I like to think of these rooms as Crane’s laboratory, where the students interact with the rest of the building. We will apply the knowledge we have learned in the place, and we will come together and gather here with each other.” In this rehearsal process, when we enter this space, we have high hopes that it will live up to the name of this room. ”
Joy Douglas’s career as a music teacher, organist, choral conductor, and author is to inspire creativity and curiosity in young musicians. She established the Joy Douglas Visiting Master Teacher Program to honor the transformative opportunities she had working with visiting master teachers while at Crane. This fund allows visiting master teachers to share their insights and expertise with Crane School of Music students, faculty, and music educators in the surrounding area. Now, the couple has pledged an additional $200,000 gift to support Crane’s greatest needs.
In addition to being a graduate of Crane University, Joy holds a master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Michigan. She served as a public school music teacher and later taught music education at Boston University School of Fine Arts. She serves on the board of Chorus America, is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, and is a lifetime member of the National Music Education Association. She is the author of three books: “The Hum and the Buzz,” “Calvin,” and “Where the Music Comes From.”
“Today, we celebrate Joy and Chet Douglas and their decades of support for the university and Crane,” said Potsdam University Foundation Trustee Brooks Washburn (’23 emeritus). “Architecturally speaking, this is a healthier environment for students to learn. It’s important to have spaces like this that support students during practice. Races are won, not during them. This is practice leading up to the race.”
“Naming a space on campus, especially one this great, is a momentous occasion. It strengthens the legacy of SUNY Potsdam and honors those who have contributed to our past, present, and future. I really admire that,” the interim professor said. President Dr. Alan Hasker submitted the formal naming resolution, which had previously been approved by the SUNY Potsdam Board of Trustees.
After accepting the naming resolution, Joy shared some thoughts with the audience. I started with how I felt when I transferred to Crane from St. Lawrence University as an undergraduate.
“I want to say that when I arrived here, I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt that there were other people like me, and my life suddenly became full of music,” she said. said.
She told stories from her career, including a memory of playing a game with kindergartners and finding a group of eight boys who could tune in perfectly. And from there, she talked about how she guided them to performing as little kids for the next seven years. choral ensemble.
“We’re teachers, you know? We persist. But those teaching moments where kids take it to another level and let you know that are moments of joy. And I just… I wish that for everyone who teaches. It’s also the joy of music,” Joy said.
For more information about donating to SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/giving.
