Lyndon Lawless
Encyclopedia
Lyndon Lawless is an American
music educator. He is currently Director of Orchestras at Chattahoochee High School
in Alpharetta, Georgia
following a three-year sabbatical. In 2006, he stepped down as Director of the Orchestra Department at the Youth Performing Arts School
in Louisville, Kentucky
. During his ten-year stint (1996–2006) as teacher and conductor at that school, he developed the YPAS Philharmonia into a nationally acclaimed high school orchestra.
Lawless was born in 1945 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
where he spent his childhood. His father was a high school band and orchestra teacher. Lawless studied violin
, viola
, and clarinet
and was a member of the professional Tulsa Philharmonic viola section in his last two years of high school.
In 1963, he began his college career at the University of Michigan
School of Music in Ann Arbor where he performed in the band (clarinet) the first three years and in the orchestra (viola) during his final year. In 1967, Lawless graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education. From there he went on to teach public school orchestra for two years on Long Island.
In 1970, he returned to Ann Arbor to found a semi-professional chamber orchestra. This group eventually became a professional ensemble performing 17th and 18th century music on period instruments. During his 18-year career in Ann Arbor, Lawless developed this chamber orchestra, Ars Musica, into a touring ensemble
under prestigious New York management (Harold Shaw). At its height in 1985, the orchestra performed a fifty-concert season in concert halls from Chicago's Symphony Hall, to college and university series across the Midwest and Southeast, to three-concert series in both New York City and Washington, D.C.
Lawless' roles with Ars Musica encompassed artistic director, conductor, musical entrepreneur, and performer (on harpsichord
, viola
, and primarily baroque violin
).
Another chamber ensemble founded by Lawless, the American Baroque Ensemble, toured for 26 days in Japan
in the spring of 1988. In 1988, due to a dramatically escalating increase in the ongoing financial difficulties common to most non-profit artistic ventures, Lawless left the music business and began a seven-year career as bookkeeper and computer programmer for a small non-profit organization in Danville, Kentucky.
In the spring of 1996, at age 50, he became inspired by the film Mr. Holland's Opus
to return to music as a teacher and began post-graduate work at Eastern Kentucky University
at that time in order to gain a Kentucky teacher's certificate. Almost simultaneously, he was alerted by his EKU advisor that the orchestra job at YPAS was open. He applied and was appointed beginning with the 1996-97 school year.
He continued his work towards a Masters degree at EKU mostly during the summers and received his Master of Music in conducting in December 2000. During his tenure at YPAS, the school's top orchestra, Philharmonia, was invited to appear at the Kentucky Music Educators Conference, the Southern Division MENC Conference (1999 in Tampa), the national meeting of the MENC (2000 in Washington, D.C.), the Midwest Clinic (1999 and 2004 in Chicago), and the first national conference of the American String Teachers Association (2003 in Columbus). They have also had numerous performances recorded and broadcast by WUOL-FM in Louisville, appearing on National Public Radio's "From the Top
". In June 2005, the YPAS Philharmonia performed in Carnegie Hall
. As guest conductor, Lawless has conducted the Clark County (Las Vegas) High School Honor Orchestra, the Louisiana All-State Orchestra, and the Colorado All-State String Orchestra. He was also named the 2004 Kentucky High School Music Teacher of the Year and in 2007 received the Kentucky American String Teachers of America Distinguished Service Award.
In the early spring of 2007, Lawless took on a temporary position teaching at Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon
. He finished the last twelve weeks of the school year on emergency notice and took the school's Camerata and Symphony orchestras to the OSAA state competition, those groups each taking second place in their respective categories.
Lawless lives near Harrodsburg, Kentucky with his wife, Ruth. He is the father of two grown children, Peter and Timothy.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music educator. He is currently Director of Orchestras at Chattahoochee High School
Chattahoochee High School
Chattahoochee High School is a public high school in Johns Creek, Georgia within the Fulton County School System and has been recognized as one of America's Blue Ribbon schools. The school is currently ranked as the number one high school in the State of Georgia by ACT average composite scores...
in Alpharetta, Georgia
Alpharetta, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile...
following a three-year sabbatical. In 2006, he stepped down as Director of the Orchestra Department at the Youth Performing Arts School
Youth Performing Arts School
The Youth Performing Arts School is a performing arts school in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, that concentrates on various music, theatre and dance disciplines for high school students. Students who attend have a two-hour block of arts studies, with the balance of their classes at duPont Manual High...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. During his ten-year stint (1996–2006) as teacher and conductor at that school, he developed the YPAS Philharmonia into a nationally acclaimed high school orchestra.
Lawless was born in 1945 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
where he spent his childhood. His father was a high school band and orchestra teacher. Lawless studied violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and was a member of the professional Tulsa Philharmonic viola section in his last two years of high school.
In 1963, he began his college career at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
School of Music in Ann Arbor where he performed in the band (clarinet) the first three years and in the orchestra (viola) during his final year. In 1967, Lawless graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education. From there he went on to teach public school orchestra for two years on Long Island.
In 1970, he returned to Ann Arbor to found a semi-professional chamber orchestra. This group eventually became a professional ensemble performing 17th and 18th century music on period instruments. During his 18-year career in Ann Arbor, Lawless developed this chamber orchestra, Ars Musica, into a touring ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
under prestigious New York management (Harold Shaw). At its height in 1985, the orchestra performed a fifty-concert season in concert halls from Chicago's Symphony Hall, to college and university series across the Midwest and Southeast, to three-concert series in both New York City and Washington, D.C.
Lawless' roles with Ars Musica encompassed artistic director, conductor, musical entrepreneur, and performer (on harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and primarily baroque violin
Baroque violin
A baroque violin is, in common usage, any violin whose neck, fingerboard, bridge, and tailpiece are of the type used during the baroque period. Such an instrument may be an original built during the baroque and never changed to modern form; or a modern replica built as a baroque violin; or an...
).
Another chamber ensemble founded by Lawless, the American Baroque Ensemble, toured for 26 days in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the spring of 1988. In 1988, due to a dramatically escalating increase in the ongoing financial difficulties common to most non-profit artistic ventures, Lawless left the music business and began a seven-year career as bookkeeper and computer programmer for a small non-profit organization in Danville, Kentucky.
In the spring of 1996, at age 50, he became inspired by the film Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus is a 1995 American drama film directed by Stephen Herek, produced by Ted Field, Robert W. Cort, and Michael Nolin, and Executive Produced by Patrick Sheane Duncan. It stars Richard Dreyfuss in the title role, and the cast includes Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy...
to return to music as a teacher and began post-graduate work at Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
at that time in order to gain a Kentucky teacher's certificate. Almost simultaneously, he was alerted by his EKU advisor that the orchestra job at YPAS was open. He applied and was appointed beginning with the 1996-97 school year.
He continued his work towards a Masters degree at EKU mostly during the summers and received his Master of Music in conducting in December 2000. During his tenure at YPAS, the school's top orchestra, Philharmonia, was invited to appear at the Kentucky Music Educators Conference, the Southern Division MENC Conference (1999 in Tampa), the national meeting of the MENC (2000 in Washington, D.C.), the Midwest Clinic (1999 and 2004 in Chicago), and the first national conference of the American String Teachers Association (2003 in Columbus). They have also had numerous performances recorded and broadcast by WUOL-FM in Louisville, appearing on National Public Radio's "From the Top
From the Top
From the Top is a national program and initiative to develop and showcase young classical musicians. It is best known for its NPR radio and PBS television programs hosted by pianist Christopher O'Riley, which celebrate the passion, dedication and personal stories of America's best young classical...
". In June 2005, the YPAS Philharmonia performed in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. As guest conductor, Lawless has conducted the Clark County (Las Vegas) High School Honor Orchestra, the Louisiana All-State Orchestra, and the Colorado All-State String Orchestra. He was also named the 2004 Kentucky High School Music Teacher of the Year and in 2007 received the Kentucky American String Teachers of America Distinguished Service Award.
In the early spring of 2007, Lawless took on a temporary position teaching at Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. He finished the last twelve weeks of the school year on emergency notice and took the school's Camerata and Symphony orchestras to the OSAA state competition, those groups each taking second place in their respective categories.
Lawless lives near Harrodsburg, Kentucky with his wife, Ruth. He is the father of two grown children, Peter and Timothy.