Heidelberg University School of Music and Theatre 2026-2027 Mainstage Season I love working in a theatre! Not because I have acting chops (I don’t). Directing could have been my thing, as I love to take in the big picture, move the pieces around, respond to the creative ideas of others, etc. But I am a musician and a composer first and foremost; to this end, I have spent a lot of my time composing incidental music for stage productions. Modern technology makes this task muc

Carol Duskieker, Jeff Manchur, Doug McConnell Let it be forgotten, as a flower is forgotten, Forgotten as a fire that once was singing gold, Let it be forgotten for ever and ever, Time is a kind friend, he will make us old. -Sara Teasdale Some experiences will be remembered; others will be forgotten. Poet Sara Teasdale accepts forgotten memories as part of the life process. Once vivid, these memories somehow disappear into the fabric. But as we acknowledge reality, let us als

Earlier this spring, Augsburg/Fortress released my latest publication, an album of pieces for organ, composed for the Christmas season. Heavenly Joy includes nine works that offer pieces for the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons. Each hymn setting in this collection was composed for my wife Joan, who had first-performance dibs on each one! Now they are available for other organists to play, which is very satisfying to both of us. In our 45 years together, we have shared

News about a dear friend’s departure from this life is a difficult time. The news could come suddenly, or it might be expected. In this case, the passing of Bill Reyer, poet and teacher extraordinaire took all of us by surprise. Bill had just left his home in Tiffin to enjoy some time at his favorite place, the cabin at Burt Lake, Michigan; his partner Dave was with him. Bill and I had been in contact during that week concerning The Three Worlds, his latest published poetry

Poster design by Bri Clark It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing…..” - Macbeth , Act V, Scene 3 My recent projects for the Heidelberg School of Music and Theatre have been on the dark side, to say the least. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure explored the depths of a would-be leader, one who wished to deprive his subjects of basic freedoms. There was some comedy on the side to balance things out, but perhaps this is why scholars refer to

The Helios Trio records While I Run This Race, University of Wyoming November 7, 2025 is an important date for my work as a composer. On this day, While I Run This Race: Music of Hope, Dedication and Celebration will be released to the public by AMP Recordings ( https://www.amp-recordings.com ). CD copies are available for those who prefer traditional technology; digital copies and steaming opportunities will also be available through major services, including Bandcamp, Amaz

Earlier this spring, I was pleased to have a short piano work of mine performed by my good friend David Kirkendall as part of a solo...

Work continues on my CD/streaming project, While I Run This Race . Recording sessions were held in 2023 in several locations, including the University of Wyoming, Stone Soup Studios in Maumee, Ohio, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cincinnati. Mark Bunce, my recording engineer has supplied takes from all three of these recording sessions; together, we are compiling the best performances that we can produce for you to hear in the not-so-distant future! I enjoyed the record

LISTEN TO THE TEASDALE PROJECT: The RECORDINGS section from this website offers several songs from the Teasdale Project: · A...

Music prepared for Act V, Scene 1, Measure for Measure. All music for the production was produced using the Reason DAW program....