2018 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC 

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RICK KIRBY

Rick Kirby was born in Boston in 1945 and was educated in the New England area. After arriving in Wisconsin in 1974, he taught at several high schools and universities. He retired from public school teaching in 2001 to pursue a full time career as a composer and arranger. Before retirement, Mr. Kirby's last public school teaching position was at Waukesha West High School.

Mr. Kirby has arranged or composed for many marching bands, including groups from Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, Arizona, and California. He is presently the staff arranger for the award winning Sound of Sun Prairie Marching Band and the Wisconsin State Champion Waukesha West High School Marching Band. Mr. Kirby has also been involved in many commissioning projects for concert bands, jazz ensembles, chorus, and other ensembles. His music is published by Boosey and Hawkes, Daehn Publications, Hal Leonard, Arrangers' Publishing Company and his own publishing company, Spirit of the Music Publications.

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Kirby directed the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band from 2003 until his retirement in 2017.  Under his leadership, WASB was awarded the coveted Sudler Silver Scroll Award in 2017, presented only to the most outstanding community bands in the United States. He is currently Conductor Laureate and Composer-in-Residence of WASB. He was also associate conductor of the Youth Wind Orchestra of Wisconsin for seven years and directed the Carroll College Jazz Ensemble for ten years.

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Rick Kirby was the Wisconsin Music Educators Association's 2002 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. This award is given to a music educator for lifelong meritorious service, excellence, and dedication to music education in Wisconsin. He was also the Phi Beta Mu (Wisconsin chapter) Outstanding Band Director for 2007. Mr. Kirby won the Wisconsin Choral Directors’ Association Composition Contest in 1995 and was designated 1988 Director of the Year by the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Association of Jazz Educators.

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Most recently an article about his composition Different Voices was featured in Volume Seven of GIA Publication's series Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Rick lives in Delafield, Wisconsin with his wife Bette. He has two children and five grandchildren.

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2018 DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN - PROFESSIONAL IN THE ARTS

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DR. SCOTT EMMONS

Scott Emmons, professor of music education and Dean of the Peck School of the Arts, joined the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty in 1992. Dr. Emmons is a widely sought clinician in the field of technology for music educators. He is also one of the founders of the national New Horizons Band for Senior Adults program. Emmon's work is represented in over 30 books published by Silver Burdett Ginn, MENC, and GIA. He is also the author of articles published in the Music Educators Journal, Teaching Music Magazine, and the Wisconsin School Musician. Emmons holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Northwestern University, and Southwest State University (Minnesota). His public school experience includes band directing and teaching general music in both Wisconsin and Minnesota. He has served as a regional representative to the Music Educators National Conference and the state council of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association. Emmons has guest conducted and presented workshops throughout the United States, China and in Australia.

 

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2018 DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN-PATRONS OF THE ARTS

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TIM & SUSAN FRAUTSCHI

Tim and Susan Frautschi have shared a life-long passion for surrounding themselves with culture. As avid contemporary art collectors and seasoned travelers, they have generously contributed substantial amounts of time, talent and financial support to the Milwaukee arts community. Their thoughtful leadership on many nonprofit boards has helped make Milwaukee a more vibrant place in which to live and work. In recognition of their steadfast support, Tim and Sue were together awarded the Milwaukee Arts Board’s “Friends of the Arts Award” in 2013 and UPAF’s Olive Stiemke Annual Award for service to the arts.

 

Tim is a retired partner with Foley & Lardner, where he was a member of the firm's Tax & Individual Planning Department. He has been a director of the State Bar of Wisconsin's Taxation Section, and served as chairman of the Milwaukee Tax Club. Tim is a past president of the Milwaukee Junior Bar Association, a former director of the Milwaukee Bar Association, and a former member of the Governor's Commission on Court Reorganization. A graduate of Madison West High School, he pursued the study of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School at UW-Madison. Tim was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Coif, and was a member of the Board of Editors of the Wisconsin Law Review. Among his many leadership roles, he has served as board president of Present Music, Skylight Music Theater, Danceworks, and Next Act Theatre; and as a board member of the United Performing Arts Fund, Milwaukee Repertory Theater and American Players Theater. He is currently a board member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin and the Contemporary Art Society of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

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Sue has served the Milwaukee community for many years as a volunteer leader. She has been involved in numerous nonprofit organizations including serving as board president of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Contemporary Arts Society, Renaissance Theaterworks, and Skylight Music Theater; and as a board member of the United Performing Arts Fund, and the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin. At UPAF, she was one of the founders of the innovative Notable Woman affinity group, a program designed to help fulfill the critical need for arts education to support our next generation in reaching their full potential.

 

Sue was also Campaign Co-Chair of the 2001 UPAF Fund Campaign. Sue is currently a board member of the Friends of Lakeshore State Park and Renaissance Theaterworks. She is also a trained Docent for the Milwaukee Art Museum, where she has long been involved in various capacities. A graduate of Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Sue attended the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh and Utah State University where she earned her undergraduate degree. She subsequently completed a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts from UWM.

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