12-01-99 Eastern Echo

The Music Man: Donald Hartmann (Great People at EMU series)

Floating fragments of voice and instruments create an otherworldly effect in the mostly deserted hallways of the Alexander Music building. Perhaps the students are cloistered in quiet classrooms on another floor, but on the third floor of this building the closed office doors of professors are not an indication of their absence, but rather of private lessons in progress. From one door I hear the lilting sounds of some kind of wind instrument, the melody is strikingly ethereal and I stand transfixed outside the door. The song stops in mid note, backs up and begins again, the performer obviously hearing some flaw in the presentation that my untrained ear cannot fathom. Farther down the hall I hear a young woman's voice singing in a language I guess to be Italian, her operatic performance full of power and mastery. I've ventured into this unfamiliar territory in search of Dr. Donald Hartmann, a professor in the music department whose specialty is Voice, nominated by student Kristin Wakulas for this series. Dr. Hartmann directs the Opera program and workshop at EMU, teaches lecture classes in Opera History and Vocal Pedagogy and gives one-on-one studio voice lessons. His office is decorated with pictures of himself in various guises, visual momentoes of the roles he's performed over the years. Alongside are pictures of famous and not-so-famous friends who have chosen careers in music. The walls are crowded. Hartmann lays waste to the old adage that "those who can't, teach." He recently performed the role of Dr. Bartolo from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" at the Arizona Opera house to rave reviews. A large binder holds playbills of the musicals Hartmann has performed in over the past few years-it is a hefty book. Dr. Hartmann has been teaching at EMU for 10 years, and was made a full professor just last year. He believes his professional success over the course his time spent at EMU is due to the area's culturally diverse atmosphere. Also a big bonus: living close to Metro Airport, which makes travel to opera houses all over the country convenient. Hartmann declares, "Professionally, these have been the best years of my life." He balances his teaching duties and the demands of a professional career with an aplomb worthy of a standing ovation. Student Kristin Walukas believes Hartmann's performing career helps him to be a better teacher. She says, "His performing occasionally takes him away from school. But when he comes back he has more insights to share on the business." Unlike "regular" professors, most of Hartmann's classes are one-on-one voice lessons which allows him a greater freedom to accept operatic roles during the school year. Generally, he is away from campus less than two weeks for performances. His students have been supportive of his endeavors. Hartmann comes from a self-described musically illiterate family, an outgoing boy who felt the pull of a different drummer leading him toward a career in music and performing. Even now you can see the non-conformist lurking behind the white shirt and tie he wears-with his suit he wears cowboy boots. He originally began his career as a pianist, but while working in Germany he caught the eye of a voice teacher working with the same company. She told him, none too delicately, "You should give up the piano, because you sing so much better than you play." From that point onward Hartmann dedicated himself to the pursuit of a career in voice, which led him to the dual career of teacher and performer. Hartmann's teaching philosophy is simple. He says, "I try to be encouraging. But I also cut through the BS and get right to the point." He feels that students who have chosen a career in voice need a professor who can push them to the limits of their abilities. He is not a cheerleader. Instead he prefers to offer them what might be considered tough love-the truth might sometimes hurt, but it can often lead them to discover weaknesses in their performance that they need to address. Says Kristin, a student who has received the tough love treatment, "He always treats us like professional musicians, pushing us to do our best." He is a man that speaks his mind. One thing he'd like to see is more people, students and administrators, attending events sponsored by the music department. "If the president, the provost, the dean, the head of the graduate school, whomever, if these people would come to music events-what a difference that would make." Hartmann has only praise for his colleagues in the music department. "Professor Miller and the orchestra have done some incredible work. Professor Iannaccone is an internationally known composer and conductor. These are only a couple of the people [at Eastern] doing outstanding work." And outstanding work is what Kristin Walukas believes Dr. Hartmann does in his capacities of teacher, performer and role model. She says, "There are several people studying with him who came to this school specifically to work with him and would have gone elsewhere without him." That, in itself, is an illustration of his worth to the university. Making my way out of the building I again hear the sound of music, the mysterious performers hidden away in an office somewhere down the hall. This is, indeed, another world-far removed from the crashing cacophony that hundreds of students make as they navigate the narrow hallways of Pray-Harrold. It's not a long walk from there, perhaps I'll be back.