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Gr aduate Studies in Music
A Dual Interview with Rebecca Raber and Patrick McGuire
Patrick is enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Mary in Bismarck, where Dr. Rebecca Raber is currently teaching. Rebecca Raber Tell us just a bit about yourself, your experience/ involvement with the graduate studies program, and your favorite part of it. I have been teaching for 28 years now, mostly choral music. After coming to the University of Mary, we worked to launch the MA in Music degree, beginning it in the summer of 2020 with a group of 9 students. This summer we added another 13. They are so wonderful to work with, and it’s such a pleasure to see them working together in community and collegiality. What was it like putting the graduate program together? Well, I was only a small part of the initial process. Most of the good work behind the scenes was done by Tom Porter, who is a grad of UMary and now the Department Chair. His determination and vision for this program was a driving force behind the success we’ve had. I helped to recruit prospects for the MA in Music along with my husband, Michael (in enrollment). We had many a phone conversation together with prospective students during trips home for lunch or in the evenings on the couch! It was really fun, actually, to think of people who might benefit or flourish in taking the next step in their career…contacting old friends and colleagues. Also, meeting many brand new people was so much fun! What has been the most rewarding part of teaching at the graduate level? The moment when you see the students shift from “this is a lot of work” to “I did it, and I understand now” is the most gratifying part. They can all do it. It IS a lot of work, but that is graduate school. You are being tested…not just about motets and Masses, but also how well you budget your time, how well you organize, and if you can remain positive and productive under pressure. Most graduate students turn around and teach others, so all of these little skills “behind the scenes” are super important. Why do you think someone could benefit from a graduate degree in music? For many, it’s advancing their career in concrete terms: a higher salary, an elevated teaching position. For all, I would hope that attending graduate school would be prompted by the desire to learn more, to be a better teacher for their students! That’s what attracted me and kept me going when I was working full time and tak-
