This fall will mark the 28th year that Kenny Sheppard will greet new students at Southwestern University. He says that he is every bit as enthusiastic about teaching and making music as he was in his first year at Southwestern. Teaching young people has always been his priority and his passion.

Sheppard will take on a different teaching schedule this fall. While he will continue to conduct the Chorale and teach conducting classes, he will not conduct Southwestern University's Chamber Orchestra for the first time in 12 years. Instead, he will resume teaching studio voice lessons. "The Chamber Orchestra will be in the very capable hands of Dr. Lois Ferrari. I will miss working with the Orchestra very much, but I look forward to teaching studio voice again."

Sheppard says this move also will allow more time for his involvement with Chorus Austin, where he has served as artistic director since January.

Chorus Austin is an organization that promotes fine choral and orchestral music through performances and education in the city of Austin and surrounding communities. It is comprised of the Austin Civic Chorus, a 125-member ensemble that regularly performs with the Austin Symphony, and the Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble, a smaller group with 36 members. Sheppard says he was honored to be selected.

"It has been very exciting. I have especially enjoyed my association with Conductor Peter Bay and the Austin Symphony. This certainly has me working harder because I still have my duties at Southwestern that I can't let slide."

In February, Sheppard will conduct the Southwestern Chorale in a performance for the Texas Music Educator's Association in San Antonio. This invitation came through a competitive audition by recording. The invitation confirms the high level of performance by the Southwestern Chorale, given that only three Texas college choirs were selected to perform at this convention.

"I love the communal effort it takes when working on master works in music and trying to recreate the great thoughts of some of the greatest composers who ever lived," he says. "We take sheets of paper with symbols and try to reveal the intellectual, spiritual and emotional content and represent that in performance. Here at Southwestern, I've not only found joy in teaching those skills, but in seeing that the students are ready to tackle the great master works."

It was a personal need to work with such significant music that led Sheppard to Southwestern in 1974 after teaching junior and senior high for nine years. After earning his doctorate in fine arts from Texas Tech University, he taught at public schools in Odessa, Big Spring and McAllen. He believes this was invaluable experience as much of his current job focuses on preparing future music teachers.

Every summer since 1988, he has helped prepare current choral teachers through the Conductor's Institute held on Southwestern's campus. It annually provides an opportunity for choral directors from all over the country to get experience conducting a professional orchestra.

"Because many of the great works use symphonic music with choral, conductors must learn to direct both. This program acts as a master's class for that purpose."

A native of Olney, Texas, Sheppard grew up in a musical family. He learned to play the piano at a young age and always sang in his church and school choirs. He also was active in athletics, playing football and boxing throughout high school. At one point, he even considered a career coaching football. But the broken nose he suffered boxing has long since healed, and he swears he hasn't followed football since the late 60's. By the time he left Olney to attend Hardin-Simmons University, he knew that music was his calling.

The current success of Southwestern's music program is a tribute to Sheppard's dedication, and he has always emphasized its context within a larger liberal arts education. "Musicians need to know more than intervals and rhythm because all great art is about something. It is to the advantage of the student to have a regimen of studying great ideas in a variety of disciplines."