Music School history published

George M. Logan, English professor at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, came to IU on sabbatical leave as a visiting scholar in the Institute of Advanced Studies in 1994. While here, Logan decided to indulge his passion for classical music. \n"What I found at IU was that the music was even better and more plentiful than I had ever imagined," he said.\nHe said he began to wonder how one of the world's great cultural institutions, the IU School of Music, could be found here -- in a small town in southern Indiana. Logan then checked to see if a history of the school existed. \nIt did not.\nDuring a telephone conversation with Charles Webb, dean of the School of Music in 1995, Logan brought up the idea of writing a history of the school. \n"It was just a joke that turned into reality," Logan said. Webb responded enthusiastically, and, after thinking it over seriously, Logan decided to write the history.\nLogan began his work in 1996, and in November of 2000, "The Indiana University School of Music: A History" was released.\n"Students who read my book will learn about how the 'table got set for them,'" Logan said. "I hope that the students' knowledge and pride in their school will be enriched."\nIn Logan's book, he illustrates some of the exceptional events that have made the school what it is today. He describes how the Department of Music became the School of Music in 1921, allowing the school the room it needed to grow. He attributed the rise of the School of Music to the presidency of Herman B Wells, as well as the deanships of Wilfred Bain and Charles Webb.\n"Charles Webb opened up a world of doors for me," Logan said. "Webb realized that in order to make a great book, we had to be honest about our School of Music. He didn't keep anything from me, even though there are a number of fairly scandalous stories included in the rise of the school."\nWebb said Logan has painted a complete and accurate picture of the history of the school, beginning with the first time IU taught music and continuing through today. \n"It is a wonderful thing that for generations to come, there will be a valid documented history, in black and white, of how this school came about." Webb said. "The book shows what the IU School of Music means to the music world."\nMany of the now distinguished faculty were just joining the staff when music professor Henry Upper, former associate dean of the School of Music, came to IU as a student. \n"I know almost everyone mentioned in that book," Upper said. "Logan has captured the essence of the remarkable and unique transformation of the school, from its meager beginnings to the school we have today."\nUpper said he has a positive feeling about the direction the school is headed. \n"Heritage can show us the direction we have to go," Upper said. "All the many things that the school tried and could have become helps the current administrators to access what we need for the future from a unique historical vantage point"