CURRENT CAREERI am currently retired following 17 years in public school music; 3 years with First Midland Bank & Trust as Vice President for Marketing and Personnel; and 25 years with Interlochen Center for the Arts, the last five as president. I came out of retirement to spend five years as Executive Director of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the University of Michigan.
FAMILY
My wife, Joyce, daughters Karen and Jamie, and son, David. We also enjoy the accomplishments and adventures of 7 grandchildren.
FAVORITE DESSERT
Restrictions have eliminated desserts from my diet. That said if a dessert is intended to put the finishing touch to a great meal, I prefer sitting in my leather chair with a good book, a glass of wine, music in the background and Joyce in the chair beside me. It doesn’t get any “sweeter” than that!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY
Reading and listening to music. (Oh, I almost forgot the wine!)
FAVORITE MOVIE
Any Sherlock Holmes, especially those starring Basil Rathbone.
FAVORITE SONG
“Over the Rainbow” is Joyce and my favorite song since high school days.
SOMETHING ABOUT ME THAT NOBODY ELSE KNOWS
I have recently been informed that the International Headquarters of Taekwondo, Kukkiwon in Seoul SK has awarded me an honorary Black Belt. Stay tuned for more details!
LIFE ROLE MODEL
I have benefitted from several influential teachers but will mention only four: My mother, my father, my grandfather on my father’s side, and Dr. William D. Revelli, Conductor of Bands at the University of Michigan.
From my mother I learned the art of serving others and the beauty of serenity. Mother was a stay-at-home mom who devoted her hours to caring for our family of five as well as relatives who might stop by for the occasional lunch. She cared for her mother-in-law for years, even after my father passed away. Widowed for 40 years, she lived alone, watched over by my sister who lived just blocks away.
From my father I learned commitment and the joy that can be found in the teaching profession. A child prodigy on violin, he left high school in his senior year to attend the Detroit Institute of Arts. He began his teaching career giving private lessons in the home. Later he started a part-time music program in a neighboring school district. The program grew dramatically and soon needed a full-time teacher. This required my father to first finish high school and then get a bachelor’s degree. He did all of this (including a master’s degree!) while supporting a family of five. I have a vivid memory of attending summer school at a Detroit high school with him.
My father was a revered teacher. When he passed away unexpectedly at age 60 they named a new elementary school in his honor.
Grandpa Downing was a reader. Though he had no schooling past the 8th grade, he read all the classics. When he finished a book he wrote the date inside the front cover (a practice I follow today). He also introduced me to Sherlock Holmes.
William D. Revelli was a diminutive giant, small in stature but a towering presence on the podium. As a four-year member of his band I learned the art of rehearsing an ensemble and how to create a representative symphonic band sound.
MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT
My marriage to Joyce and our three children and seven grandchildren.
PROUDEST MOMENT
September 3, 2015 when Joyce and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary with family and festivity.
FUNNIEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME
Col. Arnald Gabriel was conductor of The United States Air Force Band when I invited him to Interlochen to conduct. Before the concert I visited him in the Conductor’s Room of Kresge Auditorium. When it was time for him to go on stage we discovered that I had inadvertently locked the door when I entered. Pounding didn’t do the job and it wasn’t until I summoned someone from the beach of Green Lake that help arrived.
SECRET AMBITION
My mother lived into her 100th year. I would like to match her record (or exceed it!).
IF I COULD BE ANYONE IN THE WORLD FOR ONE DAY…
I would like to be Donald Trump so I could withdraw from the Presidential race.
MOST FAMOUS PERSON….
My responsibilities at Interlochen allowed me to meet many famous performers. Among them were Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, Benny Goodman, Pete Fountain, James Galway, Josh Groban, Peter, Paul and Mary, Van Cliburn, John Williams and many, many more. That said the memory I most cherish was the occasion when I met Benjamin Tutu. He was in Lansing for a luncheon and I brought Interlochen students to provide the entertainment.
We had as our guests this week two students from the TBA CAREER TECH CENTER. The first was Hannah Tulppo. She's currently a senior at Benzie High School and is in the Allied Health Program at TBA. She intends to enroll at Ferris State and become a pediatric nurse. Our second student was Nate Olson. He's a senior at Traverse City Central High School and is in the Welding Program at TBA. We wish both much success.
Al Bonney presented our speaker, Nathan Reynolds. His talk was entitled "A year in Jerusalem: My Global Scholarship Experience." Nathan grew up and graduated from Cadillac High School. He then went to Western Michigan University. It was after this that he learned about the Ambassadorial Scholarship Program offered by Rotary International. He applied and felt fortunate to be selected. He discussed both his educational and personal experiences with a select group of students from countries throughout the world. He said it was most definitely an eye-opening experience. Nathan is currently working at the Cleveland Clinic. His goal is to get into Medical School. He has applied to several and will continue to apply until he gets in. With his background and his focus, it shouldn't take long. 
CURRENT CAREER – Arts management: Development Director at City Opera House.
Tuesday, July 19th at the Traverse City Golf and Country Club
