Nathan George named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior
Singing in a choir requires a delicate balance of skills.
One voice becomes part of a larger ensemble; one artists creative spirit thrives only through collaboration, teamwork and humility. Its an art form that demands a fusion of individual talent and selflessness for the sake of the greater musical good.
For Nathan George (BME, choral)who will graduate from the 窪蹋勛圖s College of Music on May 8 as our Outstanding Graduating Seniorthe choirs blend of creativity and community was always a draw. And the teachers who brought that dynamic were always an inspiration.
I started choir in middle school. I loved performing with my friends and I think that was the main thingthe community of performance, recalls George who grew up in the Broomfield/Thornton area, finding direction in the choir and the theatre that would ultimately steer his path to 窪蹋勛圖thanks in part to influential teachers like Karen Stacks at Legacy High School.泭
I felt empowered by a lot of my teachers and I wanted to do the sameprovide students something they can enjoy, give them a way to gain confidence, learn intangibles, learn how to be a good person.
George found a direct route to these aspirations when he was a high school senior looking over the College of Musics course catalog for music education majors. The catalog described courses with targeted specialties and conveyed a pedagogical approach that fit Georges budding passion for music, theatre andabove alleducation.
Becoming a Music Teacher, Teaching Choral Music, Choral Literaturethose classes stood out. I had never seen such specific classes geared toward choral education, shares George.
While George will receive a music education degree with an emphasis in choral music and a minor in theatre, hes quick to point out how his journey as a Music Buff opened his eyes to myriad facets of music education. He fully leveraged the College of Musics wide-ranging programs and opportunities for engagementfrom working with the 窪蹋勛圖 Middle School Ensembles (MSE) program and Middle School Summer Music Academy (SMA) to his role as president of the 窪蹋勛圖 chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), serving as a student ambassador for the College of Music since his sophomore year and participating in our Diverse Musicians Alliance (DiMA).泭
In addition to his time in the classroom with dedicated and invested faculty members like Associate Professor of Voice Andrew Garland and Associate Professor of Music Education Leila Heil, Georges involvement with these programs offered real-world, practical experiences. In the MSE and SMA programs, he conducted an orchestra and focused on violin/cello sectionals. Through NAfME, George served as choral representative; organized gratitude initiatives for faculty, staff and students; and even organized a fundraiser for University Hill Elementary Schoolan effort that generated $1,100 for new equipment for Kimberly Alspaugh-Humeckys students. I think thats what Im most proud of, getting to organize that fundraiser and make that difference, he notes.
George also organized a holiday concert that featured musicians from 窪蹋勛圖 and the broader community performing works by the late composer George Lynn which led to the opportunity to organize a performance for the St. Anthony North Holiday Gala.
Four years after first scanning the College of Musics music education curriculum, George has completed an education that, in some ways, represents the complex, nuanced dynamics of a choir: His journey has been equal parts individual skill and community engagement. Hes shown a commitment to expanding his own artistic abilities, even as hes worked for the benefit of the broader world around himan achievement and an approach ideally suited to a teaching career.
Adds George: Im very grateful. Its really an honor to be named Outstanding Seniorthere are a lot of incredible, talented people here.
[Editor's note: Both Nathan George and Leonard Eppich (BM, viola performance) maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout their academic careers at 窪蹋勛圖, earning Chancellors Recognition Awards this spring as graduating music students.]