Announcing the first Mary V. Dodge Award Presented to Dave Matthys on April 16, 2008

About the award

Photo of 1912-1917 Harney County Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra

Pictured above: Mary V. Dodge teaching her first orchestra, the Harney County Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra from 1912-1917. Later she moved to Portland to conduct the Irvington School Orchestra.

PYP invited students to nominate their school music teachers and their outstanding programs for the public recognition they deserve.

Does your school music teacher inspire students? Do they build community? Do they encourage and instill excellence and dedication? Then nominate your school music teacher for the first Mary V. Dodge Award for Outstanding Music in the Schools during the 2008-2009 school year. Check back again for updates.

This long overdue award is named after PYP’s founder, a music teacher from Portland’s Irvington School, who created the forerunner of today’s PYP with the most advanced students in her orchestra class. Because back then, just as it is today, it all starts in the schools.

The winning school will receive 100 free tickets for the winning teacher and their students to see one of PYP’s concerts in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall during the 2008-2009 season.
Required information: your name your phone number (for prize notification) your school name, teacher name, your music class, weekly schedule (including days and times).
Things to think about: Why do you want to nominate your teacher for this award? (Things to consider: what is your classroom environment like? What creative, unique, or valuable things does your teacher incorporate into their teaching? Do they involve others in teaching? How do they encourage learning from all students?)

This year's winning nominations:

Michael Lee (left), PYP Clarinet, and Alex Van Rysselberghe (right) submitted the winning nominations for their teacher, Dave Matthys, of Lake Oswego High School.

Mr. Matthys came to Lake Oswego High School five years ago as the new director of the band program. The second year he was at our school he took the band to the stwon our district band contest for the first time in school history. We took an unprecedented 4th place at the state competition last year. He basically builate competition for the first time ever. Last year and this year our band has t the band program at my school from nonexistence into a state music powerhouse. Hearing all of these achievements, you would think that Mr. Matthys is strict, or harshly demanding of his students. Instead, as anyone that knows him could tell you, Mr. Matthys is one of the nicest, gentlest teachers I've ever had. At the same time he inspires a love of music and dedication to the band program in everyone that takes his classes. He does not put any emphasis on competition for competition's sake, but rather on the satisfaction gained from performing at our very best. Music always comes first with Matthys, and our pursuit of perfection is accompanied by a sense of community and harmony within the band itself. Dave Matthys has been one of the most significant influences on me during my high school career, and I couldn't think of anyone better to fit the description for this award.
-Michael Lee

I'm Alex Van Rysselberghe, co-principal percussionist in PYP, and I nominate my school's (Lake Oswego High School) band director, Dave Matthys. He has been at LO for the past five years, in which he has miraculously turned a failing music program around. Before his arrival, the band was made of an unmotivated student body. It had almost no support from band parents. When Dave Matthys took the job, the very year he started was a year of new beginnings. For the first time in decades, the band went to state. He instantly connected with students, and gained their support, making the entire experience of learning music fun, interesting, team-oriented, and most of all enjoyable. Both students and parents quickly grew to like him with his laid-back style yet mature and professional manner. Over the years since, the program has only improved. Last year the band took fourth place in state and had the experience to play very different literature from which everyone learned and grew. This year he leads one of the states best high school bands. However, competition is not important to him as is the experience of learning and playing music as a large family. As he said earlier this year to me, which many of my friends quickly agreed with, "this years band has the highest percentage of enthusiaestic, music-loving students you will find at any high." He feels this is the most important factor to a good program: learning to play music and having fun doing it.

Mr. Matthys' teaching style is one that creates a welcoming environment for all skill levels yet still offers challenges to the most experienced students. He has years of experience that makes him a very knowledgeable teacher. His instruction as a conductor is also very team oriented, which I believe is most important. Not only does he promote the "family" aspect of the band , but he teaches in a way so that he is always working with us. Never does he talk down to everyone or act like a superior teacher or musician. Every step of every journey is one made as a group, in which he is no more or less important than the other students are.

I apologize for the lengthy email, but I highly recommend Mr. Matthys' consideration for this award. His work and dedication make him without a doubt deserving of nomination. Also, he has built one of the few programs in the state that, if given several free tickets to an orchestra concert, all of the students would want to go!
-Alex