Leah Gershman, Staff Writer
Dr. Evan Lynch, who has recently reached his 10th year of teaching, has much to celebrate as a professor within the music department at Denison.
He spends a lot of time in his element – teaching classes such as introduction to classical music, giving private lessons for the clarinet, instructing a clarinet and a woodwind ensemble class, and in the past he has also taught an introduction to world music course.
Lynch explained how he values the “small tight knit community” fostered within the liberal arts education, “where the vast majority of students have a built in appreciation for the arts,” he said.
His excitement rocketed when the Michael D. Eisner Center, the performing arts facility on campus which provides students with resources and space to practice music, was built in his early years at Denison.
The support for the arts throughout campus from the students, faculty, and administration is what stands out to him regarding the liberal arts experience here at Denison.
Growing up in Arizona, Lynch started playing the clarinet when he was in fourth grade. From a young age, he was already deeply involved in playing instruments – he tried out the trumpet, saxophone, and drums before settling on the clarinet.
“My whole life centers around music, I grew up in a pretty musically talented family,” Lynch said.
From his youth all the way to his current profession, he’s been exposed to music and has grown to love it.
“[Since] I got serious in high school about music, it’s been my driving force,” he said.
Lynch got his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, his master’s at Auburn University, and his doctorate from Ohio State University. He didn’t have much experience with the ways of a liberal arts education in his past and now greatly appreciates the environment he works in at Denison.
Outside of Denison, Lynch continues to still work and actively engage with music. As a freelance musician who has been living in Ohio for 14 years, he has built a strong network performing with orchestras, with chamber music groups and churches, as well as playing some solo works.
He performs “in all sorts of venues and groups,” especially during the busy concert season which he said takes place during the fall and spring. This time of year for Lynch involves “heavy concert music playing,” where he’s performing in about two concerts a week.
Lynch’s love for music is evident in all that he is involved in on campus and outside in his other works. For example, on Oct. 10, he was featured in Denison’s Spotlights and Serenades Symphony Orchestra concert where he performed a Clarinet Concerto to a Mozart piece.
His role as a professor is unique as students in his Classical Music course can witness and apply the content he is teaching in class to the real world by listening to not only their fellow students but also Lynch himself perform.
Since his beginning stages of music at eight years old to the present day, Lynch still continues to perform and motivate students to express themselves through music. His work at Denison and as a freelance musician reflects his dedication and passion for the musical world.