Meet Our Professors: Dr. Lynn Vartan, Music
Posted: July 14, 2017 | Author: Cami Mathews | Read Time: 2 minutes
Known for her energetic performances, percussionist Dr. Lynn Vartan is an international performer and educator. With a portfolio of professional experience, she enjoys sharing practical knowledge in her teaching at Southern Utah University.
Dr. Vartan began building her solo freelance career while attending graduate school in southern California. After earning both her master's and doctoral degrees in music at University of Southern California, she knew she wanted to find the perfect place to settle down and teach. She began looking for a university setting where she could create a percussion program and still have freedom to travel and continue to share her music.
Today, Dr. Vartan is the director of percussion and the director of APEX Event Series at SUU. She teaches the following classes:
- MUSC 3240 Percussion Ensemble
- MUSC 3241 Advanced Percussion Ensemble
- MUSC 3242 Drumline
- CONVO 2010 Passport to SUU
- Percussion Literature
- Percussion Pedagogy
Over the years, Dr. Vartan has been part of many memorable experiences, such as working with the Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber music. She also performed in a massive outdoor venue while on a cultural exchange trip to Cambodia. But her most unforgettable career experiences have come from teaching students at SUU.
“I think the amount of change and growth that can happen in a student is amazing to see,” said Dr. Vartan. “To have students come in and know very little about the world of percussion, and then go through the discovery process for four years, is pretty amazing.”
Dr. Vartan continues to teach, travel, and look for the next challenge. Most recently she traveled with the World Percussion Group, a mix of coaches and young professionals who performed across Europe. This group was comprised of people from across the world, including the United States, Germany, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Dr. Vartan is also the first American percussionist to design and launch her own signature line of marimba mallets for Marimba One. The premise of her Lynn Vartan Artist Series Mallets revolves around a “just right” fit ideal for any grip, piece, ensemble or venue. The mallets are durable and warm sounding and designed to give clarity, articulation and depth in any setting.
Her next project at SUU is to build up the APEX Event Series, formerly known as the Convocation Series. Dr. Vartan and a group of students are working together to create a monthly education series for students that will be both entertaining and informative.
For more information on Dr. Vartan’s professional career, visit her website. For information on SUU’s Percussion Studio, visit the Department of Music.
This article was published more than 5 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Faculty College of Performing and Visual Arts
