‘A nationally respected level’

Creston native Peter Eklund has been honored with the National Federation of High Schools Section IV Outstanding Music Educator award after being nominated by the Iowa High School Music Association.

Eklund is currently professor of music and director of choral activities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music and has conducted academic choirs in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Notre Dame, as well as conducting honor and all-state choirs for Iowa and numerous other states.

“I’ve conducted everywhere from Iowa to South Dakota to Alaska,” said Eklund.

Music had been a part of Eklund’s family life. Growing up, Eklund’s grandfather formed a local entertainment series in Creston that hosted performances by renown big band musicians in the Creston high school auditorium.

“I am really appreciative of my experiences I had in Creston,” said Eklund.

Eklund says he was heavily influenced early on by the Congregational church and music director Mary Louise Petznick, who also taught Eklund how to play piano.

“She was a real stickler,” said Eklund. “She set sights really high. I do believe that rubbed off on me.”

While attending school, Eklund didn’t intend to continue participating in choir.

“When I was a sixth grader, I heard the seventh grade choir, and they sang in parts,” said Eklund. “I didn’t know what parts were. I didn’t know how to do that, so I didn’t sign up for seventh grade choir.”

Eklund said his mind was changed after interacting with the school music instructor James Kimmel.

“He took the entire study hall into his room and pretty soon he would have his guitar out and we were singing folk songs,” said Eklund. “Just about all of us sang for the next six years. Jim has remained a dear friend ever since.”

Eklund graduated from high school in 1975, going onto major in chemistry and engineering at the University of Iowa while still being involved in music. As time went on, Eklund began to shift focus.

“While I was good at chemistry and engineering, I was drawn to the music building more and more,” said Eklund.

After switching his major to music and graduating with his bachelor’s, Eklund was offered a position at the University of Iowa to write arrangements and drills for the Hawkeye Marching Band while simultaneously working towards his master’s degree. Simultaneously, Eklund was working part-time as choir director at South East Junior High in Iowa City, taking the position full time after receiving his degree.

Eklund left Iowa City for a position as the music director at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids. During this tenure, Eklund conducted many acclaimed choirs and garnered a reputation for himself.

“All of our choirs had national honors performing for regional and national associations,” said Eklund. “We set some pretty high standards. You could only have 28 students accepted into All-State and one year we had all 28 accepted, which is extremely rare.”

After 15 years at Jefferson High School, Eklund accepted the position at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and ushered in changes to the university’s music program.

“I said I would only come here if it could be a comprehensive program,” said Eklund. “Right away I was able to start a doctoral program in choral conducting. We re-energized the men’s chorus, now having a chorus of 80. The University Singers, my top choir, are going to France as ambassadors for the university. Everything we do, we try to do at a nationally respected level.”

Music is something Eklund says everyone should partake in regardless of levels of experience.

“You don’t learn to talk by reading, we learn by listening first,” said Eklund. “We learned to read later. That’s how music should be learned. Learn what it sounds like, sit down and do it, and learn to read it later.”

In November, Eklund received the Outstanding Music Educator award for the National Federation of High Schools United States Section IV — which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. Eklund was nominated by the Iowa High School Music Association.

“The association nominated me for my ‘continued influence in Iowa high school music’,” said Eklund. “I continue to try and stay involved with the high school kids.”

The eight region winners of the NFHS Outstanding Music Educator award will be eligible to receive a national award that will be announced at a later date.