Andrew Mast, assistant professor of music, is only the third director of bands
at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in the past 50-plus years. Since 2004
he has wielded the baton passed down by Fred “Prof” Schroeder,
who held the post from 1951 to 1978, and Robert
Levy, professor emeritus
of music, who was leader of the bands from 1979 to 2004.
In addition to conducting
the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band, Mast teaches courses in conducting,
band history, and music education, including an instrumental music methods
class for students who are about to begin student teaching. Lawrence Conservatory
faculty members are typically in high demand as guest conductors, competition
adjudicators, and consultants, and Mast is no exception; he has conducted
honor bands and festivals throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Kentucky
and regularly works with area high school band programs. The Wind Ensemble,
along with the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble, was selected to perform
during the Wisconsin Music Educators Association annual conference in October
2005.
In May 2006, Mast was invited to the Czech Republic to conduct the
wind ensemble of the Pilzen Conservatory as part of their Liberation Day
festivities. In addition to all that, he is co-founder and president of the
Vincent Persichetti Society, a nascent organization dedicated to preserving
and honoring the research, performance, and recordings of Persichetti (1915–87),
one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century, and has done extensive
research in the Persichetti archives of the New York Public Library.
Pictured with Professor Mast in Harper Hall are Keegan White ’07 and Sarah Tochiki ’07.