Dr. Jack Stamp, chair of the Department of Music and director of band studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has been selected as IUP's 2008–2009 University Professor.
This award—presented to an IUP faculty member who demonstrates an outstanding record of teaching, research and scholarly activity and service—was reinstituted at the university for the 2007–2008 academic year by Dr. Tony Atwater, IUP president, through the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Steve Hovan, professor of geoscience, received the award for 2007–2008. The award will continue to be presented on an annual basis.
“Teaching, learning and scholarship represent the heart and soul of the university's mission,” said Atwater. “Our faculty members reflect the very best of the teacher-scholar model, and it is most appropriate to honor the best of the best with this prestigious honor, which represents extraordinary instructional and intellectual success.”
The purpose of the University Professorship is to recognize, reward and encourage IUP faculty who are actively engaged in research and scholarly activity that advance the faculty member's discipline or the teaching of the discipline.
In addition to the lifetime title of University Professor, Stamp will receive a $5,000 grant through the Foundation for IUP to support his research activities.
Stamp joined the IUP faculty in 1990. He received his bachelor's degree in music education from IUP in 1976, his master's degree in percussion performance from East Carolina University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting from Michigan State University.
Stamp came to IUP from Campbell University, North Carolina, where he served as director of bands and chair of the division of fine arts. He also was a visiting instructor at Duke University and was the musical director and conductor for the WRAL/Triangle British Brass Band in Raleigh, N.C. He began his career as director of bands for John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington, N.C.
Stamp was selected in 1995 for the IUP Distinguished Alumni Award and in 2007 for the university's Distinguished Faculty Award for Creative Arts.
Stamp also has been honored with the Orpheus Award, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Zeta Tau Chapter) in 1995, with a citation of excellence from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association in 1999 and by the American Bandmasters Association in 2000.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Stamp has been invited to perform and has served as a guest conductor and composer both nationally and internationally. He is the author of many commissioned works and is currently working on several compositions.
He is the director and recording producer of Keystone Wind Ensemble, a university-alumni group. The Keystone Winds is continuing its “Composer's Voice” series with recordings of the band music of Robert Washburn, including live interviews. In addition, the Keystone Winds will record a disc of the music of pops composer Leroy Anderson, highlighting the “Anderson Centennial” with first recordings of many of his works.
During the upcoming year, Stamp plans to embark on two independent composition projects: a series of unaccompanied solo fanfares for each IUP wind and percussion faculty member, and a work for baritone voice and winds based on the poem “And The Time Is” by Samuel Hazo, poet laureate of Pennsylvania, which Hazo presented to Stamp.
“At this time in my career, I have found real joy in the mentoring process, both in conducting and composition,” Stamp said.
Stamp was approached by music education authority Dr. Larry Blocker of Troy State University, he said, to write a beginning text for students to learn to compose.
“National education standards as well as university music accrediting agencies require composition as a competency that both teacher and student should develop, and there is no such text currently available,” he said.
In reading books by leadership guru John C. Maxwell, Stamp said Maxwell's recent book Talent Is Never Enough, written from a business perspective, is very applicable to music, and he plans to work with Dennis Fisher, associate director of bands at the University of North Texas, to seek permission from Maxwell to write a music book that parallels Talent is Never Enough.
“Dr. Maxwell has several axioms that we believe are key to success in music as well as business, and it is our hope to author a book that parallels these axioms, helping students better prepare for careers in music,” Stamp said.