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August 26, 2008

Houser returns to Appanoose County

By the time Pam Houser was in eighth grade she knew she wanted to be a band director. After graduation from Centerville High School Pam attended the University of Iowa on a full scholarship where she earned a bachelor of music degree.

And now after being a high school band director for 32 years she has come home to retire to Ponds and Prairies, a development near Exline built by Morgan Cline.

“I have had the pleasure to experience many wonderful opportunities in my career as a high school band director and I bring these experiences back home in retirement to share with the young people in our community. I hope to be able to substitute teach in the area schools and I have been asked to assist local students,” commented Houser.

Bands under her direction have received awards at the local, state and national level in the areas of marching band, concert band and jazz band. Travel experiences as director of bands include: National Independence Day Parade, Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, Penn.; World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tenn.; Peach Tree Parade in Atlanta, Ga.; five appearances at Disney World, Orlando, Fla.; World’s Fair in New Orleans, La.; Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif.; Red River Festival, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Toronto, Canada and the Fourth of July Parade, Fairfax, Va.

Concert bands directed by Houser have consistently received superior ratings in the Iowa High School Music Association State Festival. The Cascade High School band under her direction was the class 2A representative at the Iowa Bandmasters State Conference in 1995. In May 2008, her concert band received a perfect score at the Iowa High School Music Association State Large Group Festival.

Jazz bands under Houser’s direction have won district festivals as well as other invitational festivals. They were invited to the Iowa Jazz Championships seven times, after winning the district competition three times, In 1996, Houser was recognized by the National Jazz Educators Association as an Outstanding Jazz Educator.

Houser received the “Teacher of the Year” award from the Twilight Lodge of the Masons, a Spirit Lake lodge. Students have nominated her for the “Who’s Who of American Teachers” on two occasions. She was selected as an “Outstanding Educator” by the University of Chicago, and was recognized by the University of Iowa as an “Outstanding Alumni” in 2000.

She once had the opportunity to perform “Hail to the Chief” for former President Richard Nixon, conducted a jazz band at a reception for First Lady Roselyn Carter, and marched in the National Independence Day Parade during the administration of former President Clinton.

Most recently Houser taught the past five years in Spirit Lake. She has also taught at the Franciscan University in Clinton, Coe College, Clinton High School, West Branch High School, Cascade High School, Western Dubuque High School and Linn-Mar High School. She has served as a director at music camps at Southeast Missouri State University. She is often sought after to guest conduct honor bands and adjudicate across the state of Iowa. She has conducted 18 honor bands and encourages countless students at solo and large group contests each year.

Many of Houser’s students have continued their education in the area of music. She is most proud of the fact that 32 former students have received degrees in music education, publication and music performance. Many more are still in the process of earning their musical degrees. Houser considers that to be her legacy.

Her hobbies include fishing and photography. Houser has worked as a professional photographer at a studio in Spirit Lake. Her emphasis is in photojournalism wedding photography and she hopes to continue this interest once she has time to settle in and catch some fish. She shares her cabin at Ponds and Prairies with her Yorkshire terrier named “Satchmo Louis,” named after the great trumpet player Louis Armstrong.



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So, the question this week is, “Will it stay or will it go?” The United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. wants to close three Farm Service Agency offices in southern Iowa, which includes the FSA office in Centerville, and consolidate the operations in order to save money. Tuesday afternoon a meeting was held at Faith United Methodist Church to allow farmers and other producers who use the Centerville FSA office to make comments about the closing to John R. Whitaker, state executive director Iowa FSA. Many questioned if the meeting Tuesday was necessary because the decision had already been made.

A. Yes, because Washington will listen.
B. No, because the decision to close the Appanoose County FSA office has already been made.
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