My second-grade teacher often had us present short reports to the class. On one occasion she told my parents when I stood in front of the class, I looked like a little professor giving a lecture. She said I seemed to have a gift for sharing what I had learned, like I was drawn to it. Maybe this moment planted a seed in my mind. I began to think of teaching as a possible calling. In grade school, I helped classmates with their work. In fifth grade, I began to study the trumpet. In high school I excelled in physics, chemistry, and math – so much so my dad, who was an engineer, hoped I would follow in his footsteps in college.
But, wanting to set out on my own path, I ended up majoring in music with natural sciences as a secondary area. While I was in college, I taught trumpet several hours each week, helped start a brass quintet, and led the second jazz band. Later, I earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in music. While I know he would have preferred me to become an engineer, I will be eternally grateful for my father’s support in my musical endeavors. He told me it didn’t matter to him what I majored in – working hard and doing my best were what mattered most to him. It turns out this kind of support is worth much more than money.
It also turns out one of the most important things a teacher can do is plant seeds about what her students might someday become. Many of my teachers said things like, “one of you might invent ____,” or “one of you could discover ____,” or to a particular student, “you could become a scientist, doctor, teacher, nurse, writer, astronaut, etc.” These kinds of statements were generally a segue into, “and to do that, you’ll need to learn” math, physics, chemistry, biology, literature, psychology, or whatever subject was relevant to the career idea they just planted in a young student’s mind. These teachers tried to give students a reason to study other than getting money or fame. They didn’t talk about becoming a professional athlete or rock star, or any other occupation associated with a lot of money or adoring fans, but about the possibility of doing something important, something a small-town kid might not think about.
For many years I had the opportunity to teach a college critical thinking class. One of the assignments was to read and discuss Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” I often took the opportunity to share my hope with the class: after taking courses like this one and earning a college degree they too would have such command of their thoughts and the English language they would be able to write something as powerful, passionate, and articulate as Dr. King’s famous letter. One day one of my more vocal students spoke up immediately and said, “Well, you really do have a dream, Dr. Murray!” Yet, if just one of those students took my remarks to heart, there may be a writer and possibly an activist out there who could change the world.
I was involved with higher education for 44 years; 6 years as a full-time student and 38 years as a teacher. In that time, I taught over 20 different courses, some of which I designed. I was an academic jack-of-all-trades, teaching trumpet, various ensembles, music courses for majors and non-majors, and a course in musical acoustics. I am also a dinosaur, one of the last remaining professors who spent 30 or more years at the same institution. It was often a challenge to attempt to meet the educational needs of young people. Yet, I truly appreciate those who were more interested in learning everything they could than in just getting a degree. If you are interested, more information about me can be found below.
Now that I am “retired,” I have embarked on a different way to share my knowledge and experience. This website is a medium for me to share stories, essays, and other musings with anyone who cares to read my works. If you have read this far, you should know I am grateful for your perseverance and trust. As you read my offerings, you may encounter thoughts that entertain, enlighten, exasperate, or enrage. No matter which of these “four E’s” you experience, my goal is still to teach. I sincerely hope you learn something valuable as your peer into my mind. Thank you for your kind attention.
Biographical Sketch:
Mark Murray is an Emeritus Professor of Music, after teaching at Anderson University for 37 years, until May of 2017. He holds a doctorate in music literature and trumpet performance from Indiana University, where he was a student of Charles Gorham and Louis Davidson. He was awarded the Indiana University Performer’s Certificate, and was the winner of the Brass Concerto Competition at Indiana University. While at I.U., he performed in the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Domenic Spera and as first trumpet in many symphony orchestra and opera performances.
He is comfortable performing in a variety of musical idioms, and has performed with artists such as the Temptations, Lou Rawls, Roger Williams, Ann Jillian, Carol Channing, Sandi Patty, Peter Nero and the Jan Garber Orchestra. Besides being a freelance musician, he played principal trumpet with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years and was a member of the Monument City Brass Quintet and “Rinati.” For over a decade, he was a performer, arranger, and program developer for “Book Readers and Horn Blowers,” a not-for-profit organization that presented books and music to children. He is currently a freelance musician and plays with Alpha Brass, a musical outreach of the Anderson First United Methodist Church.
Dr. Murray has performed as a soloist with the Duke University Symphony Orchestra, the Duke University Wind Symphony, the IU Symphony Orchestra, the Susquehanna Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Anderson Symphony Orchestra, and the Anderson University Wind Ensemble, as well as both the Muncie and Anderson Community Bands. He and his wife, Michele, have recorded a CD entitled “Slow Waltz for Trumpet and Piano,” a collection of lyrical pieces by Albinoni, Bach, Debussy, Faure, Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Peeters, Ravel, and Schubert. He joined the faculty of AU in 1980 after completing his master’s degree at I.U. and teaching at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. His teaching assignment at AU included Applied Trumpet, Recording Techniques, Orchestration, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Arranging, Jazz Combo, Music in Society (Jazz History), Musical Acoustics, Music, the Arts and Culture, and Critical Thinking Seminar. In addition, Dr. Murray served as the coordinator of the AU Recording Studio.
My Doctoral Document may be found here.
MurrayWorks 