Augustana leads the way in mentoring music students

The Augustana Choir will be front and center this month when educators talk about how music students can find college and career mentors.

Organizers of the annual Illinois Music Education Association conference invited Dr. Jon Hurty and his Augustana Choir to lead the presentation on making connections. The conference will be Jan. 26 in Peoria.

The 3,500-member association represents every level of music education, and so will the Augustana presentation. Dr. Hurty works with first-year college students, and he’ll be accompanied by Augustana alumni who direct high school choirs of their own in the Chicago area.

Nick Juknelis is the choir conductor at Lake Zurich High School. Tim Koll is the conductor at Conant High School. Koll was a student of Juknelis before coming to Augustana. And both were students of Dr. Hurty’s.

“Tim came to Augustana largely as a result of Nick’s influence as an Augustana alumni,” said Hurty.

The Augustana Choir has a large and active alumni group that stays in touch. For example, Dr. Hurty said Juknelis and Koll both were happy to partner with him by hosting the Augustana Choir for joint performances during the choir’s Midwest tour last year.

Hurty said this year’s music association’s conference will be an important recruiting event, as well as great exposure to the larger Illinois choral community.

The Augustana Choir will perform "Time and Tradition: The Connection Between Collegiate and High School Ensembles"  at 1:15 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 400 NE Perry Ave., Peoria. The college choir will be joined by the Lake Zurich High School Concert Choir and Conant High School Chamber Choir.