Former MHS Music teacher inducted into Educator, Bandmaster Halls of Fame
The Utah Music Educator’s Association (UMEA) inducted former MHS music teacher Wayne Erickson into the UMEA Hall of Fame on February 3, 2017 at their annual in-service conference in St. George.
The day before, he was inducted into the Utah Bandmaster’s Hall of Fame.
Wayne was born in Price, UT. He was educated in the Carbon County Public Schools and graduated from Carbon High School. He attended the College of Eastern Utah, earning an AS in Music.
His Bachelor of Music degree is from Utah State University, where he played in the Symphonic Band and sang in the Chorale and Chamber Choirs. His Master of Music degree is from Brigham Young University.
Wayne has additional graduate work at University of Northern Colorado, Michigan State University and the University of Texas at Austin
Wayne both started his teaching career and ended it at Monticello High School. In 1973, the Monticello High School Band was named the Best American Band at the Calgary Stampede.
The MHS Band grew from 17 members to 98 members over the space of three years. He then moved to Carbon High School, where his band was honored to play on the evening honors concert at the USU Band Festivals in 1974 and 1975.
While attending BYU in pursuit of a master degree, he was the band director at Provo High School. His band was named the Sweepstakes Award winner at the Durango Fine Arts Festival in 1978 and 1979.
In 1979, Wayne accepted a position at Snow College as the Director of Bands. During this time, he served as UMEA Vice President of Bands and was on the committees that established the State Solo and Ensemble Festival and the State Band Festival. He was inducted into the Snow College Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
Wayne was hired as the music teacher at Emery County High School in 1985. The Emery Symphonic Band and A Cappella Choir were named the outstanding groups at the region festivals in 1985 and 1986. The band also earned superior ratings at the state band festival those two years.
The opportunity of a lifetime presented itself in 1987 when Wayne was hired as the first contract music faculty at what was then Utah Valley Community College.
For the next 22 years, he oversaw tremendous growth in the music program, developing the AS/AA and BS music education curricula, hiring faculty, developing scholarship opportunities, and building a strong music program.
He served as Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts department, then of the Performing Arts department and eventually the Music Department.
In 1994, the UVSC Symphony Band was selected to perform at the College Band Director’s National Conference in Reno, NV. That year he was awarded the “Superior Accomplishment” award from UMEA.
In 2009, he was awarded the Ragan Theater Merit Award. Other service opportunities included being a Faculty Senator and as a member of the Strategic Directions Committee.
When Wayne retired from UVU in 2009, the music program consisted of seven contract faculty.
After his retirement from UVU, Wayne was employed as the music teacher at Monticello HS in San Juan School District.
Some of his students are the grandchildren of people he had taught at that school in the early 1970’s. His Symphonic Band and A Cappella Choir earned superior ratings at region and state festivals.
Wayne was honored as Teacher of the Year in 2011. He retired again in 2014 but was rehired as a mentor for the district’s music teachers. Wayne also teaches part-time on the Blanding campus of USU-Eastern.
He served as UMEA President from 1999 to 2001 and as President of the College Band Director’s Association-Western Division from 2003 to 2005. He has been active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the western states. Perhaps the musical highlight of his career was in Abravanel Hall as the conductor of the 2008 Utah All-state Band,
Wayne and his wife Laurie are the parents of nine children. Eight of his children played and sang in groups he conducted (not always a fun experience for him). He enjoys time with his 13 grandchildren and his great-grandson Kai, passionately bow hunting, fishing and jeeping in Utah and Colorado.