REXBURG—The BYU-Idaho Department of Music is holding a special concert in honor of retiring professor Dr. Mark Watkins. The concert will feature an alumni big band, alumni saxophone ensembles and Watkins’ professional saxophone quartet “FOUR.”
This special concert is unlike most put on by the university’s Department of Music.
“Well, I think the biggest deal is that it's an alumni concert,” Watkins said. “The people performing are former and current students, mostly former students. I've got there's some students from 25 years ago that are going to be here to play and it's going to be great for me to be able to see them again and it's going to be wonderful to hear them play.”
During the tribute concert, different groups will play classical and jazz pieces, many of which have been arranged or written by Watkins.
Watkins’ retirement comes after 42 years of teaching music. The last 27 of those years Watkins spent teaching at BYU-Idaho, teaching 35 different college-level courses and ensembles.
“Working with students is a joy. It's why we're all here, to help people,” Watkins said. “The faculty, they work hard to develop skills that are sufficient to help people. And then we work at the university and come here because we want to work with these kids and we might help them along and help them develop professionally and get jobs and help them to develop spiritually and be strong in the church and all of that.”
Although Dr. Watkins says he will miss working with students, in retirement, he looks forward to spending time with family, working on personal projects and traveling.
The Watkins Tribute Concert will be held on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Hall of the Eliza R. Snow Building at BYU-Idaho. It’s free to attend.