Musicians for Life – Dr. David Ledgerwood
Dr. David Ledgerwood, chair of the MBU Music Department, started learning piano the summer after third grade. He was “plunking around on an old piano [they] had in the basement, and so [his] parents decided to give him lessons.” After earning four degrees in music, Dr. Ledgerwood looks back on his musical journey.
In high school, his choir director was a great motivation to him both spiritually and musically. “He had a great Christian testimony, and even though I wasn’t a Christian, I knew he was, and it meant a lot to me. I remember going to him and asking how he knew someone was flat. He told me I’d learn in time,” Dr. Ledgerwood laughs. “One of my friends said, ‘you need to investigate strings. Then you’ll find out how to tell if something’s flat.’ Little did I know that I would have eight string-playing children who would teach me a good sense of pitch.
“His father played the saxophone, and was a great motivation to him musically. “He was the kind of person that if you were with him five minutes, he would be singing,” Dr. Ledgerwood states. He also played saxophone.
“When I started college, I had two academic interests – music and history,” he remarks. “I liked the fact that music was something you could continue to grow in throughout your entire life, and I wanted that continual challenge.”
And for Dr. Ledgerwood, not only is it a continual challenge, but it started as more of a challenge than he was expecting. “When I auditioned for college, my note reading was really sloppy, and I was not accepted,” he says. “I auditioned again, and was not accepted, although they did say that I had improved. When I finally found a place that would accept me, I determined that that part of me had to be shored up, so I worked and practiced very hard to try to become the best pianist and musician I could be.”
Throughout his early college experiences, he learned a lot about self-discipline, the importance of working hard, and the expressive power of music. “I was there to learn, not party.”
In the middle of getting his first degree, Dr. Ledgerwood spent four years in the Air Force where he played for four different bands (Concert, Jazz, Rock, and Dixie). After finishing his degree, Dr. Ledgerwood began his first Master’s degree – Sacred Music. “My motivation was to get a Christian perspective of the arts from someone skilled, but also a Christian.” He studied under Dr. Frank Garlock. His piano instructor, Mrs. Garlock, encouraged him to begin writing music, which led him to get his second Master’s degree – Theory and Composition.
In November of 2016, Dr. Ledgerwood completed his D.M.A in Music Education. When asked why he continued his education, he replied, “I had told my kids that I didn’t want to coast. I wanted to continue to learn. The reason I learn is so that I can pass it on to someone else. Wisdom and knowledge are not self-serving quantities. They are meant to be passed on to the next generation. I felt that my doctorate did that.”
Looking back at his own musical journey, Dr. Ledgerwood gives advice for current and future music students.
“Determine to learn everything you can, and apply yourself.
Try to keep a biblical perspective of yourself and your art (sometimes that’s hard to do).
Try to be humble and realize you don’t know everything (it won’t take long to learn this.)
Continue to learn and grow– it’s a wonderful privilege.
“The idea of being able to continue to learn – that’s one of the blessings God has given us as humans.”
Now, as chair of the MBU Department of Music, he states, “I see my leadership role as a facilitator as opposed to a direction setter. When the members of the music department gather, their collective ideas are wonderful, and I feel if I can implement half of their ideas, we are moving forward.”
Finally, he remarks, “The Lord has been very gracious to allow us to be here for such a long time. My dad always said, ‘Don’t ever pick a job just for money. Do something that’s going to fulfill you.’ I’m grateful to be able to do music within a Christian ethos.”