Former conductor honored

Former Ohio State concert band conductor Donald McGinnis once again led the OSU Wind Symphony he loved during a celebration of his 90th birthday.

Retired conductor of the Concert Band Dr. Donald E. McGinnis was honored Sunday in Weigel Auditorium for his 90th birthday celebration.

In a packed Weigel Auditorium Sunday, the OSU School of Music and guests from across the country honored McGinnis with a concert to commemorate his 40 years on the staff.

"Being at Ohio State was a blessing since I got to work with some of the best faculty and students in the world," McGinnis said.

OSU music professor Katherine Borst Jones said McGinnis made an enormous impact on the concert band.

"He put it on the map and took it to national prominence, making Ohio State's band one of the top in the country," Jones said.

McGinnis came to OSU in 1941 as instructor of woodwinds and an assistant director of the marching and concert bands. After serving about four years in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific, he returned to OSU in 1946. McGinnis was appointed director of the concert band in 1952 and held that position for 27 years.

McGinnis, who began playing the clarinet at age 11, credits his talents to his strong work ethic.

"I always loved to practice, even when I was playing by a kerosene lamp because we didn't have any electricity," McGinnis said of growing up in Wadsworth, Ohio.

McGinnis recalled how he stayed motivated when he worked four jobs in addition to band rehearsals while attending Oberlin Conservatory.

"Although I didn't get much sleep, I had to budget my time perfectly," McGinnis said. "There weren't any bars in Oberlin so I didn't waste any time there, and I just practiced every minute of every day."

Throughout his years as conductor, McGinnis continued to teach clarinet and flute, as well as classes on conducting. He was chairman of the performance division for many years and acting director of the School of Music in 1973-74. He also helped create the OSU Faculty Woodwind quintet.

After retirement from OSU, he was music director of the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra for eight years, and was a visiting professor at Capital University. He has been conductor, clinician, soloist and adjudicator in 45 states, Europe, Canada, Mexico and Japan.

During the concert, McGinnis was recognized for being named a Life President of the American Bandmasters Association in 2007.

"It's a great honor that I will try to uphold for the next 10 years," he said.

McGinnis continues to teach talented young clarinet and flute students. His influence can be seen at OSU, as several faculty members are his former students including James Hill, associate professor of saxophone, Burdette Green, associate professor of music and James Akins, associate professor of tuba and euphonium.

"The reason why I'm even at Ohio State is because of Dr. McGinnis," said Jones, who is also a flutist with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus. "So when I and other music instructors found out that his birthday was on a Sunday, our usual concert day, we knew that we had to do something for him," she said.

Some students were grateful to be a part of the celebration.

"The directors here hold Dr. McGinnis in the highest regard so I'm excited that we got to perform the 4th movement of McGinnis's 'Symphony for Band,' a composition a few decades ahead of it's time," said Quintin Hedrick, a junior in music education.

Also on the program, the OSU Wind Symphony played "In Exuberant Celebration," a piece by Roger Cichy written in honor of McGinnis and concluded with "Buckeye Ballads" by Richard Heine, the concert band version of all the popular marching band tunes.

Jones said she was excited to see all the band alumni join the current concert band on stage during the performance.

"Students got a chance to see true loyalty to a professor that is unparalleled because he's a legend," Jones said.

Heather Hope can be reached at hope.27@osu.edu.