These are a few of the titles which have been attached to the MUSIC PERSONNEL CONFERENCE over the years. It's history has been colorful, checkered, and controversial--and I suppose for those reasons, among others, not very well documented. The following is a late-night, off-hours attempt to begin to collect the history, with the hope that others will feel welcome to contribute items from their faded files and recollections. 

Our history begins in 1962 at WUOM, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The following information came from Ed Burroughs, former director and staff member who recalled that several" music-types" who had been attending NAEB meetings were disgusted that there were no sessions on music and that the NAEB ignored them and their interests. So they got permission from NAEB to organize, sort of "on their own", and now I quote from WUOM archives 

"Music Programming for Educational Radio", a conference planned and conducted by WUOM was held Nov. 6-7, 1962, in the WUOM studios with 45(!) registrants representing the educational radio stations in the Midwest. Special guests included Mr. Christian Lang, Chief Music Section, Norwegian Broadcasting Service; Abram Chasins, music critic, author, and pianist, New York; Harold Hill, "veep", NAEB, Washington DC and Leonard Feist, President, Associated Music Publishers, NY. Dean James Wallace and Associate Dean John Flower of the University School of Music addressed the conferees. The conference was the first of its type sponsored by the NAEB and resulted in requests from other educational stations for help in developing similar meetings in the regions." 

Ed recalled that the group soon became dissatisfied with the NAEB which ignored them, offered no support funds (sound familiar?) and which treated them like "mavericks" who didn't really belong. So, in subsequent years, they severed relations with NAEB and became the now famous "floating crap game." (Ed said he also recalled "sharp conversations" at the Minneapolis meeting about relations with NAEB.) 

I think it safe to say that Harry Welliver, Music Director of WUOM, was the chief founder and guiding light in those early years. (He was President of the MPC until 1967.) One story WHA's Cliff Roberts used to tell about Harry is that, since he was also a church organist, he insisted that meetings be held between Monday and Wednesday so he wouldn't miss the Sunday morning church service or Thursday night choir practice. (Later, when the MPC changed days, Harry either left early or didn't show up at all.) 

From an old MUSIC NOTES I found this: "In 1962, several midwestern music directors met to discuss mutual problems and possible solutions. Annual meetings were held." (Now you see from whence the title "midwest cabal".) 

The earliest dated MUSIC NOTES I have in my possession (Volume 2, Number 3), announced the fifth annual MPC held at the Allerton House in Monticello, Illinois. (All MUSIC NOTES during this period were edited by Harry Welliver.) He described the Allerton, owned and operated by UI "as close to an ideal conference site as one can imagine." (A descriptive folder was enclosed, which I do not have.) 

MUSIC NOTES included these items: For $5, one could join the newly-organized Association for Recorded Sound Collections at the Library of Congress (Donald L. Leavitt, Treasurer). The idea actually came from a graduate student working in the WUOM record library. Several meetings were held in '65, attended by Welliver. The goal was not to collect old recordings, but to compile a list of collections and their content. A "moral and artistic victory" was achieved in the obtaining of permission to broadcast all discs of the American Musical Heritage Society if the station joined the Society at $50/year! It's reported that Volume 2, Number 2 of MUSIC NOTES contained an account of the "successful Cincinnati meeting". 

WUOM hosted the sixth MPC--registration fee: $19.00 (Mon.-Wed.). Monday night's concert at Hill Auditorium offered the French National Orchestra with pianist Eugene Istomin! Tuesday's panels began with "Stimulating Listening: How it is Done," with Richard Goerz, WIAA Station Manager, Interlochen Arts Academy and Cyril Peters, WRVR Director of Cultural Programming. The afternoon session included "Archival Recordings: Should we Preserve Them?" with Ken Beachler, WKAR Music Director and Paul T. Jackson, Information-Materials Control Manager, The Richmond Organization, NY and Executive Secretary, Association for Recorded Sound Collections. David Stewart, National Council for the Arts, Washington, DC spoke on "Federal Programs and Educational Radio". There were other panels on rights and copyrights, and technical evaluation of recordings. 

The first six meetings of MPC were held in the Midwest, mainly because most of the educational stations were concentrated in that area. As it grew in size and strength, it was thought that it could meet in more remote parts of the country in alternate years for the convenience of broadcasters in those areas, and the success of the Austin conference in 1968 demonstrated the wisdom of that plan. 

The Seventh MPC was held in Texas at the Sheraton-Crest Inn and the UT Communication Center with Miss Eleanor Page, KUT Music Supervisor, as host. (They recommended a side trip to Hemisfair '68 in San Antonio.) Ken Cutler, Music Director, WILL, was the Conference Chairman. David Stewart, Director of Programs in Education and Media from NEA, was a guest speaker. Cliff Roberts led a session on "New Equipment"; Joe Gwathmey, Radio Production Supervisor, UT Communication Center(!), led "The Copyright Situation"; John Witherspoon, NER Board Chair, spoke on "NER Structure" and W. Sanders, head of International Productions, Belgian Radio/TV also spoke. David Harrison, Music Director, KSUI, led a "Computerized Programming" panel (in 1968!). Artists who performed were George Neikrug, vlc; Agnes Vadas, vln; Frank Speller, org; and Joyce Arce, pf. 

A very early tradition for the MPC was the final session called "Clearing the Air"--it appeared on every schedule. (In Cliff's memoirs are four photographs from the Austin conference including Eleanor Page, Cutler, Walsh, Cliff, and a couple others I can't identify. Pity we don't have other photos.) 

I attended my first MPC in 1969 when the eighth session was held in Madison at WHA. It was hosted by Music Supervisor, Cliff Roberts, who was quickly dubbed "Gadfly," (a name I was to inherit in subsequent years). WHA--"the oldest station in the nation"--was celebrating its 50th anniversary that year. The MPC President was Ken Cutler, WILL, who was also editor of MUSIC NOTES. Sessions were in the Wisconsin Center, and the approximately forty conferees were housed in Lowell Hall, a women's dormitory on Lake Mendota. 

Panelists included Tom Bird, Assistant Manager, WNCN; David Harrison, on computers, WSUI; and Paul Snook on "European Sources", WRVR, Riverside Radio. Guests that year were Sylvia Goldstein from Boosey and Hawkes; Charles L. Halteman, BMI; Donald Griffith, from Franco Colombo; John Coveney, Angel Records, (and we never saw him again) and a young woman, M. Scott Mampe (formerly of WRVR), who represented Mercury Records. From NER (yes, NER!) was Executive Director Robert Mott. Others included a young man from the UW Center System, Norman Kaderlan, who later did a stint at NPR, and the PD from WBFO, Henry Tennenbaum. Also attending were WRVR's Walter Sheppard; WCLV's Robert Conrad and Bill Munger; Norris Dryer, WUOT; Burton Paulu, KUOM and Mary Rousculp, WOSU. My notes also include "the man with the beard"--Myron Bennett, WGUC. Those noted by their absence were Harry Welliver, Eleanor Page and Carolyn Watts, WGUC. The entertainment was pianist Paul Badura-Skoda, artist-in-residence at the U.W. and the Pro Arte Quartet. 

I found an NAEB letterhead from l970 from Russell Walsh, Field Coordinator and that is when we returned to our first "umbrella" with a new title. We became the P.E.G. (Professional Emphasis Group) back with NAEB. 

In l970, the MPC made its longest geographical leap to date and met in Portland, OR to try to stimulate activity on the Western Front (and find out "who was out there"). Actually the conference was hosted by KOAC, Corvallis, even though held in Portland at the Ramada Inn. 

Russ Walsh and Jerry Yokom, NER Associate Executive Director, opened the session. Mary Ann Feldman, Program Annotator, Minneapolis SO and Walsh led a panel--"The Music Script: Why?" and later one titled "...: How?" Get this: "From Sea to Shining Sea" with Don Quayle, President, NPR and Al Hulsen, Radio Project Director, CPB. Another panel presented "Quality Programs with Local Resources" with Frank Woodman, KOAC and other Oregoners. Entertainment included the season opening concert by the Oregon SO and a tour of the Blitz (not Blatz!) Brewery. 

I did not attend the Portland conference, but I do have the following recollection from Cliff: one of the speakers was David Stewart from NEA who invited stations to apply for grants. Cliff asked if this would include radio drama--it did. Stewart subsequently went to CPB and Karl Schmidt at WHA in Madison made an application which, in l97l, became the first grant for an audio experimentation center. Ed Burroughs moved from Michigan to run the NCAE and the following year Earplay was funded. Since that 1970 meeting in Portland, almost $4 million in grants, through CPB and NEA, have gone to Earplay and the NCAE. 

Knoxville, "Winter of '71," was the 10th annual meeting held Nov. 30-Dec. 2 to be exact--the latest conference in the calendar year--at University Inn. The host was Norris Dryer, WUOT, and the Chairman was Myron Bennett, WGUC. 

There were about 25 attendees, including Fred Calland and Bill Siemering, NPR; Don Glass, WFIU, Bloomington IN; Al Hulson, CPB; Curt Oliver, KUOM, Minneapolis; Eleanor Page, KUT, Austin; Mary Rousculp, WOSU, Ohio State; Harry Welliver, WUOM; Don Wirtz, KUOW, Seattle; Dave Harrison, WKAR; Jerry Yokom, Associate Director, NER and yours truly, Linda Clauder, WHA. 

Curt became Editor of MUSIC NOTES and in Myron's introduction to issue Number 1 he wrote: "Our concerns cover all aspects of the music director's job, from programming concerts, and how to get records, to copyright and grant rights problems, and relations with NPR, CPB, and all other organizations we deal with" and continuing: 

"P.E.G. stands for Professional Emphasis Group,--we take our profession seriously. The organization and this newsletter are meant to improve our profession, and make it a little easier. We hope you will be with us." 

Al Hulson spoke on the possible music uses of CPB funds, and announced the awarding of the first Music Production Center grant to WGUC, Cincinnati. 

Fred Calland explained the nature and scope of his activities at NPR. A staff of three was assigned to the performing arts. (Have we come full circle?). 

The following proposals resulted from a "brainstorming" session of needs from national organizations (NPR, NAEB and CPB): 

   --A copyright information center 
   --A representative in Washington D.C. on an ad hoc copyright committee 
   --A legal advisor 
   --A negotiator for record purchase and distribution 
   --An NPR series on the history of American music for the Bicentennial 
  --A Black composers series 
   --Smaller-sized CPB grants for specials or single programs 
   --NPR should use low noise tape and improve dubbing procedures 
   --And, we need a music-affairs coordinator at NAEB (artist/composer 
     files, employment, copyright, G.R., etc) 

Finally, there was a consensus of concern about our relationship with NPR. Myron was encouraged to inquire about means of improving lines of communication between the NPR cultural staff and our colleagues in the field. An interesting list--some of which has come to pass--while other items are still on the list "to do.") 

The entertainment featured some of our country's earliest music and musical instruments, performed by the mountain people of east Tennessee and west North Carolina. 

I remember an all-night session (my initiation to what I learned was a "hospitality suite")--actually a good old gripe session. I took notes on the University Inn's laundry tickets and, thus, became the next year's Secretary. I also earned the title "Gadfly II." 

Copyright 1999-2009  Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio