Maestros of Ministry: Their Legacy in the Department of Music and Worship

x ii  |  MAESTROS of MINI STRY While the 1953–1955 academic catalog offered music courses in service of the Education degree programs as it had done historically, the 1955– 1957 catalog reflected Ambrose’s influence by listing a greatly increased number of course offerings and announcing for the very first time a degree in Music. According to David Matson’s assessment, Ambrose was the first “real” music professor, with the “real” start of the Music Department coming in 1955. This corresponds with the expansion of the course offer- ings to support a complete undergraduate degree in music. Matson states that in these early years, the “purpose of the department was to prepare students to be public school teachers, private music teachers, [and] church music leaders.” Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s the Department continued to grow with both B.S. and B.A. offerings in Music. During this time Dr. Warren Webber joined the Music Department as the first faculty member to hold a doctorate in Music. He strengthened the move toward higher academic standards. Courses such as Music History, Counterpoint, and Instrumental Methods were added to the growing suite of offerings. Introducing the Maestros Enter the first of our maestros in 1965, Dr. David Matson. Matson’s long tenure as faculty member and Chair of the Department lasted until 2009, when he formally retired from Cedarville University. As Department Chair for twenty years, his leadership and administrative skills, with which God blessed him, proved to be an invaluable asset in the growth of the Department. His key hires proved to be under the wise hand of God as He sovereignly brought His servants into play for major developmental stages of the Department’s growth. Next, Dr. Lyle Anderson began teaching at Cedarville in 1970 as soon as he graduated with his Bachelor’s degree. He earned his doctorate at The Ohio State University (OSU) in tandem with his continued teaching. His high