February 14, 2020

Humphries Named Outstanding Music Educator

Carlos Argueta

A Manchester University faculty member has recently been honored for his dedication and outstanding performance as a music educator at the university level in Indiana. Dr. Scott Humphries was named Outstanding Collegiate Music Educator by the Indiana Music Education Association. He was nominated by Harley Ramsey, a student at Manchester currently majoring in instrumental music education.

Humphries has been at Manchester for 12 years, where he is not only assistant professor of music and director of Instrumental Studies and Music Education but is also the conductor of the university’s band, the Manchester Symphony Orchestra.

Humphries was acknowledged on Jan. 17 at the Embassy Theater, in Fort Wayne, where he received his award in front of a crowd of other distinguished music educators. “It means a great deal because it was student nominated,” Humphries said. “I did not know a student had nominated me for the award until I received an email saying I was one of the finalists for the award.”

The ceremony was a grand event where winners from different categories were celebrated and given their recognition. In addition, a concert was performed by an intercollegiate band right after. “I turned bright red,” Humphries said. “They read out the accomplishments and things I have done; they also read what the student wrote, and it was all very touching,” he said.

Although receiving this award was a tremendous honor for Humphries, the man remains ever humble, as he says his most memorable moments at Manchester revolve around his students’ achievements, as well as any group recognition he has taken part of in the past. “I love the group accomplishments that my students have, and it is not about me,” he said. “The award is very nice, but I much prefer that my students accomplished things professionally than me.”

Manchester has been a memorable home for Humphries because of the students, the values Manchester promotes, and the loving community revolving around it. “I have had two opportunities to go elsewhere, and I have turned down both job offers because I believe in the mission of the university, and I really like our students,” Humphries said.

Because Manchester is his home, the best reward for Humphries is the impact he can leave on his students’ lives. With this award being student-nominated, his biggest takeaway from all this was the kind words one of his students wrote in a nomination form sent to the Indiana Music Education Association. “It is humbling, and I am glad that I have an impact on my students,” Humphries said. “That is why I teach, but overall, it is a bit humbling.”

In addition to receiving the award, Humphries will lead the new MU marching band coming in fall 2020. The band will be built from the ground up and is scheduled to make its debut at the Homecoming football game. “There is a lot of excitement for the new marching band, and I am really excited about it as well,” Humphries said. “Obviously, it makes you nervous to start something from scratch, but I am excited about to bring a marching band to MU.”

There is currently no official list of students signed up for the band, but if any student is interested in joining the marching band, there is information online on the Manchester University website.