Dr. Stephen Kingsbury
Chair, Dept. of Fine Arts
Director of Choral and Vocal Studies
Associate Professor of Music

Dr. Stephen Kingsbury graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts: Music Pre-teaching degree in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Teaching: Secondary Education degree in 1997. Then, in 1999, he received a Master of Music: Conducting Performance, from Boston University. Finally, in 2003, Kingsbury received a Doctor of Musical Arts: Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Illinois.

Kingsbury knows that Northwestern has a great sense of community and that aspect is one of his favorite things about the university.

“Northwestern is a much smaller university than any that I attended as a student, or any that I worked at prior to joining the NWOSU faculty,” he said. “On the surface, that may appear to be a disadvantage, but I believe it is one of our greatest strengths. Our intimate atmosphere allows each student an extremely high degree of personalized instruction that is simply not available at a larger institution.”

FAVORITES
Movie: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, When Harry Met Sally, The Matrix trilogy, The Princess Bride and any of the Star Trek or Star Wars movies

TV Show: Battlestar Galactica, The Simpsons, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Mythbusters, Futurama, Good Eats, Jimmy Neutron

Color: Blue

Book: Lord of the Rings, the Dune series, the Foundation series, Harry Potter

Type of music: Just about anything, from Pink Floyd to Sarah McLachlan. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. On the classical side, I love Brahms, Mahler, Ives, Purcell, Josquin, Bach, Beethoven, Vaughan, Williams, Holst, MacMillan, etc. (There are too many to list them all!)

Food: Sushi, Indian, Pizza

Hobbies: Beyond music (which I think of as both a hobby and a profession, and which takes up most of my time) I like to play golf, although I’m pretty bad. I like to go hiking and camping and I like simply puttering around the house fixing things and working in the garden.

Q: What Does Being a Ranger Mean to You?
A: “To me, being a ranger means having the determination and strength of character to persevere under difficult circumstances.”

Q: What is it about Northwestern that makes you want to teach the students here?
A: Our students are talented, smart and hard-working. They understand the value of a college education in today’s society, and they work hard in pursuit of that goal. It is an absolute pleasure to work with students like that.

Q: If you had a chance to tell a future student why they should choose Northwestern, what would you say? What would be your compelling short story?
A: Students who choose to study music at Northwestern have all the opportunities that can be found at a major university combined with the friendliness and warmth of a small college. Students who are interested in studying music can major in one of several academically and artistically rigorous programs. Those students who are interested in pursuing a major other than music can still participate in high-level ensembles that are both enjoyable and artistically satisfying. Students who become involved with the music program at Northwestern have the opportunity to learn from faculty who are highly-qualified musicians and gifted teachers who are committed to the success of their students. Because of the intimate scale of the university and the Department of Fine Arts, we are able to offer students a high-degree of personalized instruction.

Q: Other comments about Northwestern, being able to teach here, etc., that might be good for a future student, and even a future employee, to see about you or this university?
A: This is a wonderful institution at which to work. We have talented and motivated students, a caring, committed faculty and an administration that works tirelessly in improving the university and the opportunities to which our students have access.

Q: While here at Northwestern, share some of the rewards you’ve received through teaching, anywhere from teaching awards to making a difference in the life of a student.
A: For me, the rewards of teaching at Northwestern have been in being able to see the faces of my students as they are challenged to view things from a different perspective, or as they learn to do something they didn’t think they would be able to do.