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Larsen Named Utah’s Outstanding Music Educator By TaLeah Faumui At the annual conference of the Utah Music Educators Association (UMEA) in February, Dr. Vance Larsen, Snow College professor of music, received the Outstanding Music Educator Award. This award is presented to a music educator who has provided meritorious service, assistance, and inspiration to students, to the state, and to music teachers. As a dedicated music educator for over three decades, Dr. Larsen is very deserving of this award.
Larsen is a third-generation Snow College alumnus and has been a music educator for over 30 years. He has served as both director of the Horne School of Music and dean of the Snow College Division of Fine Arts. During his time in these leadership positions, the College’s music program has seen significant growth in enrollment and quality. His initiative was key in accrediting the Bachelor of Music
Dr. Larsen conducts the Snow College Wind Symphony and Commercial Music Ensemble during a recent Founders Day Concert.
with emphasis in Commercial Music degree, making it the first four-year degree offered at Snow. Larsen continues to be an impactful educator in the classroom as he teaches courses in jazz and popular music, rock music history, and advanced conducting, just to name a few. About receiving the Outstanding Music Educator Award, Larsen said, “I am kind of philosophical about this because I know there are many outstanding music educators in Utah, but it’s a very nice acknowledgement of the work I do and have done at Snow College. I appreciate Vance Larsen their considering me for this Outstanding Music Educator Award and acknowledging that good things happen and are happening at Snow College, and I hope that good things will continue to happen at Snow College.” The UMEA is an organization dedicated to advancing music education by encouraging the study, appreciation, performance and promotion of music in Utah. Each year, the UMEA presents awards in many different categories to outstanding music educators in the state. The categories include elementary, junior high, and senior high school music awards; the Service to Music Education Award; and the Outstanding Music Educator Award.
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