FOKO: You have an incredible commitment to the arts. Why are the arts so important to you?
J.S. I was raised in a musical family and provided opportunities to develop my own talents and interests in the arts, particularly music. As a public school teacher and then administrator for over 40 years, I could always see how much the arts contributed to the education of the whole child. I have always given all of the arts my full support, especially when funding was tight. Teachers have often said how much it meant to them. As a retired educator I still want to support music and art in the community as they will enrich the lives of all who have the opportunity to participate in some manner.
FOKO: What drew you to the FOKO Board – what interests you most about our programs?
J.S. I enjoy learning more about the organ and the different artists. I feel like I am a novice at much of it so I enjoy listening to the discussions. I hope that by being on the board, I can contribute some of my experience in education and the arts to the promotion of FOKO programs. I am especially interested in the education of children and adults about our wonderful instrument and the joy it can bring to many. The talent and skills of the people on the board are also very impressive and it is an honor to know them.
FOKO: What is your own background in music?
J.S. As a child I sang in church choirs and school productions. My parents were both Gilbert and Sullivan performers and there were many musicians among their friends. I studied piano for about 12 years but was not very talented in that area. In high school I played bass fiddle in the orchestra and sang in the chorus and at church. I attended Simpson College in Iowa on a scholarship and majored in music my freshman year. My major was voice and that was my introduction to vocal lessons. Simpson is a church sponsored school and we sang in chapel three days a week as well as church on Sunday. After my freshman year, I transferred to the University of Iowa and majored in Speech and Hearing, often calling on my music background when working with students with voice problems. I have sung in church choirs and community choruses most of my adult life. My music education has continued by having the opportunity to have group lessons from Kathy Grammer and choral work with Ray Cornils.