Kephart wins teaching award

Don "Coach" Kephart received the 2005 Excellence in Teaching Award for his passion for music education, his dedication to the improvement of the music program, and his caring approach in relating to students.

Kephart came to Geneva as the college’s first director of bands in 1983 with the goal of building a band program. When he was hired, he spent 30 percent of his time as a teacher and the rest was devoted to admissions. But as the band program grew, Kephart shifted to music full time.

Today Kephart directs the marching band, symphonic concert band, and jazz band, which performs an annual big band swing concert. He is also the chair of the music department and an assistant professor of music. He teaches seven to eight classes a year, gives 24 credits of brass lessons a semester, advises students, and recruits new students for the department.

His aim in the music department is to “keep as many musical gifts flowing as possible” by strengthening and encouraging the talents of Geneva students, he says. As a teacher of music education, he wants his students to be excited about drawing out the gifts of the children they will teach.

His lessons are not falling on deaf ears. “Coach presents an ideal of how I would like to be when I become the teacher God has called me to be,” said one student who nominated Kephart for the award.