Joseph E. Maddy
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Joseph Edgar Maddy (October 14, 1892 – April 18, 1966) was an American music educator and conductor.


Early life

He was born in
Wellington, Kansas Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,715. History 19th century Wellington was platted i ...
on October 14, 1892. Both of his parents were teachers. He attended Wichita College of Music in
Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...
, where he studied violin and later joined the
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Th ...
. He was also the first music supervisor of instrumental music in America in 1918 in
Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
. After a short time in Rochester, he was encouraged by Will Earhart to take a job at Morton High School in
Richmond, Indiana Richmond () is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana, United States. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 35,720. It is the principal c ...
to revive the outstanding school and community music program Earhart had developed there some years earlier. He remained in Richmond for four years.


Career

In 1924, Maddy was invited to Ann Arbor to be the supervisor of music in public schools and the Music Department head for the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, where he developed one of the few conducting courses in the country. and also conducted the Michigan All State High School Orchestra. While teaching in 1925, Maddy organized the first National High School Orchestra to play for the Music Supervisors National Conference (MSNC) in Detroit in 1926. In 1927, Maddy was invited to bring the National High School Orchestra of over 250 High School musicians from 39 states, to the MSNC in Dallas that year. While in Ann Arbor, Maddy also pursued other approaches to music education by developing teaching materials in collaboration with Thaddeus P. Giddings for a radio teaching program. The radio program taught band and orchestra instrumentation with instruction books distributed by NBC. By 1936 their radio program aired five times per week, and believed to have reached 225,000 student listeners. It was sustained until 1940, and employed professional musicians to help with technique demonstrations. In 1928, Maddy formed the National High School Orchestra and Band Camp, incorporated as the National High School Orchestra Camp on July 6, 1927. The camp exists today as the
Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen Center for the Arts ( '; also known as I.C.A. or Inty) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit corporation which operates Visual arts education, arts education institutions and Music venue, performance venues. Established in 1928 b ...
, and has spawned several complementary entities including Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen College of the Creative Arts and
Interlochen Public Radio Interlochen Public Radio (IPR), established in 1963, is the National Public Radio member network for Northern Michigan. It broadcasts classical music and news on five stations in the northwestern Lower Peninsula. It is operated by the Interloc ...
in
Interlochen, Michigan Interlochen ( ') is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 694, up from 583 at the 2010 census. The community is located w ...
.Interlochen Center for the Arts, History (of Interlochen), http://www.interlochen.org/content/history retrieved 1/18/2011 In 1941, Maddy became the
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) is an American orchestra based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is one of two symphony orchestras in Southeast Michigan alongside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1928, the A2SO plays most of its con ...
's fourth music director after conductor William Champion was called into service with the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
. In honor of Champion, Maddy led the orchestra in a song pageant, “Battle Songs of Freedom,” at the U. S. Navy Service School in
Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Dearborn borders Detroit to the south and west, roughly west of downtown Detroit. In the 2020 United States ...
in 1942. Maddy maintained strong ties to the National Music Camp at Interlochen and helped to establish the Langford youth scholarships along with symphony supporters. This scholarship enabled local students to attend the camp. By 1949, Maddy had grown the orchestra to a full-sized symphony with seventy-five musicians listed in the orchestra's attendance book. He was succeeded by Orien Dalley in 1951. Maddy published and collaborated on the Universal Teacher, Tritone Folio, the Willis Graded School Orchestra and Band Series, and the Modern School Graded Orchestra Books.


Later life

He was a member of the Epsilon chapter of
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (legally Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha, PMA, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for men with a special interest ...
, and a recipient of the
Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award The Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award is one of the highest honors awarded to members of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity for a lifelong achievement in uplifting the world through art and music. Its recipients include musical legends such as ...
. He was a National Patron of
Delta Omicron Delta Omicron () is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship. History Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity was founded on September 6, 1909 a ...
, an international professional music fraternity, and he received an honorary degree from
Earlham College Earlham College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quake ...
in 1965. Maddy died April 18, 1966, in
Traverse City, Michigan Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, Michigan, Grand Traverse County, although it partly extends into Leelanau County, Michigan, Leelanau County. The city's population was 15, ...
. Maddy is buried in Traverse City's Oakwood Cemetery.


Legacy

In 2020, M-137, a highway serving Interlochen Center for the Arts, was decommissioned by the
Michigan Department of Transportation The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a constitutional government principal department of the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interst ...
. Upon the roadway's handover to the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, the roadway was renamed to the "J. Maddy Parkway".


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maddy, Joseph E. 1892 births 1966 deaths American music educators People from Wellington, Kansas People from Richmond, Indiana People from Grand Traverse County, Michigan Interlochen summer faculty Schoolteachers from Indiana University of Michigan faculty Place of death missing 20th-century American educators