|
Bob
Whitney – SMAHC Prairie Disciple for 2007
We are proud to present
Bob Whitney
as the SMAHC
Prairie Disciple
for 2007. Bob is a great
supporter of the arts as well as a remarkable musician. He
Bob hails from NW Iowa, near Sioux City where he grew up on a farm. Bob spent his early years enjoying work and play on the farm. When he was around 5 years old, he began what would be a long career of music practice and performance. He began studying piano and later, the saxophone. In 8th grade, his mother gave him a birthday present of a year’s guitar lessons. He couldn’t get enough of the guitar and would practice hours on end.
Bob attended Dana College in Blair, Nebraska to study music. He fell in love with the mystery and sound of the oboe and switched his study from the saxophone to the oboe. He became very adept at playing various music instruments and today, he plays the guitar, violin, saxophone, oboe, flute, and piano. He received his Bachelor degree in music and in 1995, he received a Master of Music degree from St. Cloud State University .
Bob worked for a number of years in advertising. He & his wife Jeanne purchased and operated Ye Olde Mill Inn, a seasonal resort on Green Lake for 15 years, where they conducted nightly sing-alongs for campers and lake residents. In 1995, they purchased Nelson Music, moved it to the present location and renamed it Whitney Music.
Bob is currently involved in several music organizations as a performer, including the Prairie Winds Band and the Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra. He was the Musical Director of orchestra for many years. He is also a member of two smaller groups, the Green Lake Blue Grass Band as guitar and fiddle player and the Off The Cuff jazz combo where he plays saxophone and guitar.
His contributions to arts organizations in the Willmar have been many. He helped organize a multi-cultural guitar chorus in the Willmar area which performed a concert with a guest guitarist. He has been active as a board member on the West Central Concert Series and is a faithful supporter of the Celebrate Art! Celebrate Coffee! festival. He was instrumental in the organizational development of the Willmar Area Symphony Orchestra. He served as their president and wrote grants to help them receive their 501(c)(3) status and develop a fund raising campaign. He volunteers regularly for groups interested in arts development. He joined the SMAHC Board in 1996 and was a very active board member for 8 years serving on the long range planning committee, the executive committee and the grant guideline review committee. Bob Whitney truly epitomizes the spirit of the “Prairie Disciple Award.”
Bob has been inspired and encouraged by many people in his life, including his parents, his high school and college teachers, friends and area musicians. He sited Dr. Chet Sommers and Dave Eliason as two examples of how musical leaders make you stretch your talents and abilities. Bob has also encouraged many who have come across his path. He teaches woodwind instruments as well as guitar and violin. And he has been a great advocate to many through his involvement in the arts.
Bob is a devoted family man. His wife Jeanne serves on the SMAHC Arts in Education and Communities grant panel. They have three children, Ann, Jonathon, and Clair, two grandchildren, Mae Anna and Autumn, and are expecting two more grandchildren in the Fall.
Read more about Bob Whitney – “A Q & A with Bob Whitney”
Be sure to join us on October 13 at the SMAHC Annual Celebration when we honor Bob Whitney and present him with the award.
|
has been an inspiration to many people in the Willmar area and
throughout the SMAHC region. He has touched many over the years
with his strong advocacy for the arts.