Dan Woods talks with Dr. Patrick Hopkins, Assistant Professor of Low Strings and Director of Orchestra. Dr. Hopkins shares about what brought him to Southeast Missouri State and the Symphony Orchestra.
Woods:
This is KRCU Going Public. I'm Dan Woods. We're talking today with one of the new faculty members in the Department of Music at Southeast Missouri State, Dr Patrick Hopkins. He's the Assistant Professor of Low Strings and Director of Orchestra. He came to Southeast at the beginning of the 2024 fall semester. Patrick, welcome to the program.
Hopkins:
Thanks for having me.
Woods:
Good to have you here. So, first of all, since you're new to the university, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hopkins:
So, I moved here about two months ago from McAllen, Texas, which is about as far south as you can go in Texas, about 10 miles from Mexico. I was there for six years working at a community college called South Texas College doing pretty much what I'm doing here, just on a smaller scale. Before that, I was in New York City for about 11 years, doing school and freelancing as a cellist around there. Before that, I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, so I've been all over the place, really.
Woods:
Yeah. What drew you to Southeast?
Hopkins:
Well, when I was, you know, on the job market of looking at things, you know, I saw the ad here for Southeast, and obviously you can tell from that the program that they had going on the symphony itself, you know, right now…we're in our 24th year, so it's a longstanding tradition. But really what sold me, is when I came here. When I came here for my interview and I got to see the town, I got to see the incredible facilities we have at SEMO over on the river campus, places like Shuck and Bedell…the performance spaces, especially Shuck. I think that's top three places I’ve played in my life, acoustically. I played two notes in there and thought to myself, okay, I could get used to this. So, you know…and really, as I've been here getting to know community members and our symphony family…really, everyone has been so welcoming. Everyone really has the the music first and foremost and really care about bringing that out and putting the best product forward. So, it's really been a seamless transition for me and very easy thing to get adjusted to and get settled.
Woods:
So, what…this is your first semester with us…Based on what you've learned about the symphony, our students and our program, what kind of vision do you have for the symphony?
Hopkins:
Well, obviously, to just keep programming larger scale pieces. I mean I started out, I guess it was two weeks ago now give or take, we did Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, which is itself a large piece, not to mention the other two we played on the program. The concert, especially the students, surpassed all of my expectations. And I think I told them the next rehearsal; you all made a problem for yourself because now this is what I expect. So, you know, just having that, I mean…I think that gives us the ability in the future to really grow and present larger scale symphonic works, Strauss tone poems, Mahler symphonies, things like that. So, in my eyes though, that's the type of repertoire I'd like to perform and kind of take us into that world a little bit.
Woods:
And when you're trying to teach students, working with them to be the best they can be, what challenges are there? What opportunities do you see? And I guess playing more complicated pieces and bigger pieces are a path on that journey to ultimate success.
Hopkins:
Exactly. Well, the good thing, you know, about studying music like our students here at SEMO, they have a lot more time to put together a concert, more time than they will ever have in the professional world. You know, even places I go to play orchestras, we have three, maybe four rehearsals maximum. We have a month or two to really dive into the music, dive into the process. They have a chance to really learn the repertoire in a way that a lot of times you're expected to do on your own before you show up for the first rehearsal. So, I think, you know, having this process and them having the chance to really explore a piece of music in a way, you know, learn these skills that you'll have to do on their own a lot of the time is, you know, something that's irreplaceable. Having said that, I find my goal is to guide them through that process and, you know, what would be expected of them out in, you know, the professional world so they can succeed. And you know, if they're falling off of that track, which sometimes, you know, the the downside of having a lot of time to rehearse is, you know, especially earlier in the process, they think, “Oh, the concert’s a month away. I'll be fine.” And then, all of a sudden the concert’s a week away, you know. So, it's, you know, having that slow progression over time and consistently getting better and improving on a day to day basis is really, I think, where we've been spending a lot of our time and trying to, you know, really put together the best possible performance that we can with the time that we have. And I think the students have been enjoying that process, you know, and really being able to dive into a piece of music and learn it inside out, even if you're, let's say, a clarinet player, knowing what the violins are playing at all times. So if you line up with them, being able to really, you know, put a very cohesive performance together.
Woods:
What kind of skills do you want the students to learn that are involved in music? I mean, what are some things that they…even if they maybe don't continue with it right for a career? What thing will they pick up or learn going through that process?
Hopkins:
Well, I think the biggest one that applies to any discipline is people skills—learning how to interact with other people, whether that's positively or maybe there's an issue that you want to bring up with something, learning how to address something constructively, rather than, you know, accusing them or something like that. But I find in music, especially, we're constantly working with others. You know, playing…whether, even if it's not talking, it's communicating through music. And having said that, listening skills, you know, learning to be aware of your surroundings, not totally focused on what's directly in front of you, being able to fit into a group of sometimes 50-60 people, and finding your part where you get to come out, where you are maybe more supportive role. So really, you know, as a musician, I would say one of the biggest skills we learn is listening skills, and also, just, you know, learning to work with other people in constructive ways.
Woods:
So, what got you interested in music personally?
Hopkins:
Well, my background, you know, it seemed like a natural place for me to go. Both my parents are professional musicians. So, in that sense, I was lucky enough to be, you know, around it. I've been going to symphony concerts my entire life. Both my parents taught at the University of Alaska for 35 years. I would go to symphonies there. My dad was a choir guy. He directed the choirs. I would go to opera performances. I remember even when I was a little kid, my mom would be playing in the pit, my dad would be conducting, and I'd be over in the corner reading a book, because, you know, I was too little to be left on my own. And, so, to me it always seemed natural. When the time came to decide what I wanted to do…you know, when I was going to college, I couldn't think of anything I really wanted to be a part of, you know, other than music. And even, you know, my parents asked me, “What do you want to do?” Well, I want to do music. And they said, “Well, why don’t you be a doctor,” or something like that.
Woods:
So, they didn’t necessarily push you down a path?
Hopkins:
No, not at all. I mean, they always, you know, gave us…me and I have two brothers—we were all cellists actually—the opportunity to always be around music and experience those things. But I…and both my brothers are not cellists. I am a cellist, so I'm the one who stuck with it. But I it always just seemed like I couldn't imagine my life without it. So, I count myself very lucky that I get to do this…something that a lot of people consider a hobby as my job. I mean, I don't consider it really work. I love what I do. It's fantastic.
Woods:
We’ve got about a minute, so one more thing. If I were to have you back on the show in a year, a year from now, what would you like to be able to tell me at that point about the program and the symphony?
Hopkins:
Well, I'd like to be telling you how much our orchestra has grown, you know, in terms of numbers and, you know, maybe doing some exciting new rep. Even in the planning right now, I have some ideas of what I want to do in my mind. I'm not going to tell you yet, but I kind of want to see how we progress through the year. But, you know, it's exciting to see what the students are capable of and how hungry they are going forward,
Woods:
That’s great. We're out of time, but it's so good to visit with you. Thanks for being here.
Hopkins:
Thank you for having me. Thanks.
Woods:
We've been Going Public with Dr Patrick Hopkins, Assistant Professor of Low Strings and Director of Orchestra at Southeast. To hear more interviews, visit krcu.org, and don't forget to subscribe to the Going Public podcast. It's available wherever you get your podcasts.
