Polyphony Washington and Lee University  �  Department of Music  �  Summer 2019 FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD
Polyphony Polyphony is the annual news magazine
“I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I have been.â€? —Winnie the Pooh
of the Washington and Lee University Department of Music.
This quote from the film, “Christopher Robin�, resonated in my mind long after the show was over. Such utterances by the “bear of very little brain� are part of the charm of Pooh stories because they are innocent and obvious yet pithy and philosophical. When I meet with prospective students, I ask them what they see themselves doing after they graduate. Often, they regale me with detailed career plans that are heartily affirmed by the beaming parents at their sides. However, sometimes the response is “I don’t know,� which is less likely to be accompanied by beaming affirmations. My reply is always the same: “I’m not doing what I set out to do when I started college.� I go on to extol the virtue of W&L’s prohibition of the declaring of majors by newly minted collegians so they can explore options and interests, whims and dreams. In September of each year I meet my first-year advisees, who are usually overwhelmed by the amount of information they’re receiving during Orientation Week. Every now and then, some display the pallor of absolute terror. Walking away from where you’ve been can have that effect on you. However, the overwhelming majority soon accustom themselves to the expectations and experiences of life and learning at W&L, and I find great reward in meeting with them subsequently during that first year. They’re on the way to where they’re going. I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the Public Functions Committee for the last five years. Because W&L retains such a high percentage of students from their first year to graduation, I see most of my first-year advisees at Commencement as I help them line up. They’re walking away again, this time from the haven that W&L has become. During their time here, we have watched them mature as they reasoned through the challenges and reckoned with the responsibilities thrust upon them. (continued on page 3)
Head, Department of Music    Gregory Parker Administrative Assistant   Kati Grow Contributing Writers and Editors
  Anna Billias, Christopher Dobbins,   Timothy Gaylard, Morgan Luttig ’14,   Shane Lynch, Gregory Parker, Terry Vosbein,   Shuko Watanabe Petty
Contributing Photographers   Emma Coleman ’21, Patrick Hinely ’73,   Kati Grow, Ray Kirkland, Morgan Luttig ’14,   Shelby Mack, Sam Olds, Gregory Parker,   Lori Parker, Kevin Remington,   Elizabeth Underwood ’20, Ricardo Wilson
Washington and Lee University Department of Music 204 W. Washington Street Lexington, VA 24450 540-458-8852
music@wlu.edu • www.wlu.edu/music