For Doctorate of Musical Arts [DMA] in Instrumental Conducting graduate Jack Joseph Hontz, there are many takeaways from Frost School of Music. But he says, "The one thing that I hope I always remember is that 'your musicianship is intrinsically linked to who you are as a person.' And the depth of musicianship will always be limited if you don't treat other people with respect and kindness. You can't be a great musician without being a good person.”
While he realizes that was not a new concept to him before he came to Frost, it is one that Hontz has seen illuminated at Frost, particularly from the person who led him to Frost—Professor Robert M. Carnochan, conductor of Frost Wind Ensemble, director of Wind Ensemble Activities, and chair of the Instrumental Performance program.
"Professor Carnochan embodies that trait and those characteristics. He is an incredibly genuine musician and conductor, but that's just a reflection of him as a person," observes Hontz. "And that is the lifelong goal that I will work on for however many years I'm still alive that I think I'll take away from my time here."
Hontz's appreciation for music began at a young age in his hometown of West Chester, a subdivision of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. But that's not surprising. Music runs in his family. Like his dad, his grandfather was a clarinetist and band director his whole career. They both went to West Chester University, where young Hontz also pursued a double major in music education and clarinet performance for his undergrad and a master's degree in instrumental conducting.
It wasn't until Hontz started teaching high school band at West Chester Henderson High School that he realized that the biggest limitation to his students was himself. In the summer of 2018,
he met Carnochan at West Chester University, where the Frost professor presented a one-week summer conducting masterclass. Watching Carnochan at work gave Hontz a new trajectory: a doctorate degree. Though his first semester at Frost was fall of 2020, working under Carnochan's tutelage during a challenging pandemic was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"Jack Hontz is one of the rare individuals whose intellect, intuition, raw talent, work ethic, humanistic depth, and the ability to connect with others all collide to make him the special musician he is," says Carnochan. "He is equally at home discussing world or music history, baseball stats (especially the Yankees), or the inherent value of all things Star Wars. His career is on a meteoric rise, and I cannot wait to watch his future unfold. Jack has been a joy to teach over the past three years, and his work for the Frost School of Music and all our students has been nothing short of stellar."
In the past three years, Hontz has received:
- 2022-23 Frost Graduate Student of the Year
- 2022-23 Shriner Award Recipient
- 2019 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Outstanding Young Educator
"I submitted Jack's name to the Frost administration for the Frost Graduate Student of the Year award," remarks Carnochan, who was pleased the submission was considered and accepted. "Jack's work spanned a huge portion of athletic bands, in addition to Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds. He was a crucial piece of the puzzle traversing the pandemic and the College Band Directors National Association performance, which included his own transcription of French composer Lili Boulanger's work."
As of late, Hontz has been scouting the apartments in the Huntsville, Alabama area, as he's accepted a new position as Visiting Assistant Professor of Wind Conducting at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.
He hopes to impart what he's learned at Frost to his prospecting students. "Understand that you can't be a great musician without being a great colleague, collaborator, and a great person, first and foremost. If you're not any of those things, your music-making will always be limited. Walk away from your encounters knowing that in future situations, the people you're around—your future students—will always be watching you as a role model, watching what you do. And your actions will inevitably rub off on and influence their future students, whether you intend to or not."
