Musical performance as experiential learning

Director of Bands and professor of music Nicholas Enrico Williams oversees five ensembles for the Hugh Hodgson School of Music as open routes to creative discovery for student performers.

What began as a dream to be a music school faculty member has matured into a passion for achievement and bringing out the best in musicians on stage:

Now in his fourth year as a professor and director of bands for the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Williams has not only achieved that goal but has also been recognized for his contributions. This year, he received the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, honoring concert band directors whose ensembles excel or who significantly advance the field of band music.  

Williams earned his Bachelor of Music in music education, Master of Music in performance-conducting, and Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of North Texas. He spent 16 years there as assistant director of wind studies, conducting the Wind Ensemble, Brass Band, Concert Band and serving as director of athletic bands. Later, he held the position of director of wind bands at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in Australia prior to joining UGA in October 2022. 

At UGA, Williams oversees five curricular ensembles that perform throughout the academic season, including the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, which he also conducts. In addition, he serves as a key instructor for graduate students specializing in wind band conducting and collaborates with the director of athletic bands, who leads the renowned Redcoat Marching Band.  

“Musical performance is one of the most constant applications of experiential learning,” Williams said. “What the students do in real time — through collaboration, hands-on musical activities — creates an extemporaneous opportunity to create something new or to re-create something that has been conceptualized, all while presenting that moment to each other and to the audience.” 

Continue reading...

Image: Nicholas Enrico Williams. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)