Meet Scott Davis ’91, MIT ’93, Whitworth’s new performing arts recruiter and director of the Whitworth Community Chorale. After a 31-year career as a high school music teacher in Clackamas, Ore., during which he guided many students toward Whitworth, Davis is excited to continue his connection with his alma mater.
Q. Tell us a little about your history with Whitworth.
A. I first considered Whitworth as a high school junior who was sure I was going to one of two other schools. Then I went to a Whitworth Choir concert in Portland and met the director afterward (Dr. Randi Ellefson at the time), and suddenly Whitworth was on my radar. I visited campus during my senior year and my world changed. I couldn’t believe how kind and friendly everyone was to me, a high school senior from out of state. I was planning on a chemistry major at the time because of how caring a professor I had met was. God had other academic plans, but he had confirmed Whitworth in my heart.
I finished as a double music major (vocal performance, arts administration/church music), worked for the Oregon Symphony for a gap year, and earned an MIT at Whitworth in 1993. Throughout my 31-year career as a high school music teacher in Clackamas, Ore., I have kept close ties with Whitworth and the music department, and have sent many students to become Pirates. It has been my joy to reflect Whitworth’s mind-and-heart core values in my classroom for the last three decades. Now that I have finished my public school career, my family moved to Colbert, and I get to continue my ties to Whitworth.
Q. What are your new roles at Whitworth?
A. I serve in two roles; one is new: I am a talent recruiter for the music and theatre departments. My other role is also newer: as the new director of the Whitworth Community Chorale. As a recruiter, my job is to use skills and networking I developed in my career to meet students, parents and teachers, to attend performance events, and build relationships with prospective high schoolers. My goal is to be authentic, caring and passionate about students opening their potential at Whitworth.
As an ensemble conductor, my goal is the same: to use skills, display love and spread Whitworth’s mission in our community. There is a sizeable and profound need for a multigenerational choir in Spokane’s north side. Alums, students, adult seniors, staff and neighbors are seeking human connection, and singing together provides one of the most human and spiritual connections we know. The best part of the chorale is that there are expert musicians in the choir singing next to people who are totally new to singing or who have not sung in a long time. We strive to extend grace, compassion and humor in rehearsals so that everyone feels safe, challenged and nearly satisfied, wanting more the following week.
Q. How does it feel to be back on campus?
A. In many ways, coming back to campus is what I’ve been doing for 30 years because of my road-trip relationship between Whitworth and Portland. It always is inviting and exciting. But it is more than the buildings and the gorgeous campus. Yes, our facilities continue to improve and grow impressively, and the campus may be the most beautiful campus in the Pacific Northwest (I have two daughters at Whitworth who visited several campuses in high school), but the people still have the same character as always: world-class faculty, outstanding administrators and board, and a student body that continues to live life and discover potential and purpose (entelechy, as we learned in Core) while loving and caring for others.
Q. Why are you excited to lead the community chorale?
A. My boyhood family culture pointed me in one of two directions: either medicine (my dad’s side) or education (both sides). I thought I was going in one direction but found myself falling in love with the other. I am now a fifth-generation teacher, where speaking into others’ lives while simultaneously learning from them is my calling. I can’t not do it. A teacher/conductor is similar a pastor or coach: I develop a vision for the end result and coach the “in between” until we arrive. As time goes by, if I’m doing my job effectively, the choir’s responsibility and input increase while mine decreases. By concert time, we are in full partnership as we perform and invite the audience to join us. It’s quite special to work toward a common goal.
Q. Who should consider signing up for the chorale next semester?
A. Ah, just like sciences, sports and the outdoors, the arts are for everyone, right? Any younger or older adult whose heart is yearning for relationship or who is even just curious about singing is a good candidate, as are those who are very experienced and even expert sight-readers. I specialize in teaching beginners how to sing, and the more experienced members will provide the example and mentoring while simultaneously being challenged. There will even be opportunities for solos. We want fear to quickly disappear, replaced by newfound joy.
Q. What is the theme of the music the chorale will be performing next semester?
A. Our theme revolves around the renewal of life that spring brings. It will be a truly happy spring concert full of hope and optimism. We’ll be partnering in concert with the Whitworth Community Band, making for a victorious evening of Whitworth community music.
Interested in joining the community chorale or concert band? Sign up here: https://www.whitworth.edu/community-ensembles/.
Worth a Look 