Choral Director Named Artist in Residence at National Park

Equipped with a keyboard and ukulele, music teacher Matt Harrison will embark on a month-long creative journey in Glacier National Park this summer.

Mr. Harrison has been named Artist in Residence for the month of June following a nationwide search that saw nearly 200 artists apply for the opportunity – a record number of applicants, according to park officials.

The Artist-in-Residence Program at Glacier National Park offers professional artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape. Mr. Harrison will serve as the first-ever vocal music artist in the 100-plus years the program has been in existence.

“I want to gain perspective and focus my energies into creating something that inspires others to think about why nature is important,” wrote Mr. Harrison in his application. “As an educator, I hope that investing precious summer months in a residency will provide a wealth of experiences to bring back to my classroom.”

The artist in residence is housed in a furnished cabin on the shores of Lake McDonald. To further drive inspiration and creativity, the cabin is not wired for cell phone service or internet. In other words, Mr. Harrison will be unplugged!

And from that unplugged environment, his objective is to write, arrange, and transcribe materials that are pedagogically relevant to choral classrooms around the country. Specifically, Mr. Harrison hopes that his literature “transports people to the vistas that I am sure to experience.”

“The Lake McDonald cabin would serve as a recording studio, complete with professional equipment. On hand would be my hiking instruments – melodica, harmonica, ukulele; and my less mobile Yamaha Motif Keyboard. Ultimately, creating publishable, accessible choral manuscripts appealing to all ages would be the premise of the residency,” he explained.

A key component of the artist-in-residence program is public presentations, including one within the artist’s own community. Mr. Harrison will collaborate with the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, which in turn will perform a number of his original works right in the park. He has also been in touch with the Natural Resources Department of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Locally, he is in conversation with the Connecticut Children’s Chorus.

“In Glacier, I will experience seclusion like I never have before, but I know that I have many communities lifting me up in their thoughts,” said Mr. Harrison. “There is such beauty to celebrate, and our country is unique in its diverse landscapes. Preserving our resources for future generations is in everyone’s best interest,” said Mr. Harrison.