Dick Larson had a 42-year career in music instruction, which included service as a vocal music teacher, conductor and administrator at schools in Worthington, Redwood Falls, and Austin, Minnesota; Englewood, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Parker, Colorado. A 1961 graduate of Luther College in northeast Iowa, Dick earned a master of music education degree from the University of Colorado. He studied with conducting greats Robert Shaw, John Nelson, Richard Westenberg, and Hellmuth Rilling.
In 2004 Luther College named Dick the first recipient of the Weston H. Noble Award for distinguished achievement in the field of vocal music.
From 1966 to 1982, Dick served as the music coordinator for the Austin, Minnesota Public Schools. His Austin High School Choir won numerous honors and was twice invited to sing for the Minnesota Music Educators State Convention. He was also the music director and conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. I was in Larson's 10th grade choir for two years (as a 9th grader and as a 10th grader) and in the senior high choir in 11th and 12th grade. In 1976 when I was in 12th grade our choir was invited to travel to Washington D.C. to sing at various venues during the U.S. Bicentennial celebration.
I really enjoyed being part of a group effort.
I knew about high school choir since my older brother and sister
were involved in it. As an 8th grader, I also realized that there were lots of pretty girls
in choir - so I tried out. I harbored no illusions of being some sort of Star
Search wannabe. I had been exposed to singing most of my life already. As a 5 year old
in church, I created quite a buzz at the
Christmas concert because
of how embarrassingly (for my parents) loud I was. I took voice lessons in the
summers before 9th and 10th grade -
one by a very pretty ex-choir member, and more the following summer after that, given
by Mike Horan, himself a gifted teacher.
I auditioned for the high school's pop singing group the Austinaires and, mainly because
of the lack
of competition, made it both my junior and senior years. My friend told me that
after the junior audition, Dick Larson turned to him and said, "My God he has improved,
and to think I almost didn't let him in the choir last year". Dick said my voice sounded like
Burl Ives. Okay, as a result my lifelong ambition is to not *look* like Burl Ives as well
(here is 'ol Burl at right).
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