Ted Christensen swings his arms lightly, then a little stronger while sporting a serious face as he leads the Inglemoor High symphonic band through a tune at the school’s recent graduation ceremony.
The longtime director smiles and nods to the student musicians afterward as the Viking seniors lined up in rows behind him are set for their time in the spotlight at the University of Washington Alaska Airlines Arena.
Christensen, who played piano as a youngster and later the clarinet, tenor saxophone and other instruments, wanted to direct musicians since he was a sophomore in high school.
“I wanted to communicate, transmit music to others,” said Christensen, who has directed musicians for 30 years. “Get the students thinking and feeling the same emotions; they might not get the opportunity to do that during the school day. Get them to work in a solidified group so I can communicate artistic principles.”
His bands have earned many awards over the years, and the Heritage Festivals of Salt Lake City, Utah, recently recognized Christensen as an outstanding music educator. For more than 25 years, Christensen and his music students have successfully participated at seven Heritage Festivals across the country.
“That’s a lot of miles we put on the kids. It’s neat they get to hear musicians from all over the country,” said Christensen, who has been at Inglemoor for 28 years. He currently is a Northshore School District music-program administrator and teaches more than 200 students in the wind-ensemble, orchestra and marching-band programs.
Over the years, he served as the president of the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) from 2000-2002 and adjudicates at nationally held Heritage Festivals’ events by invitation. Christensen is a recipient of the PTSA Golden Acorn Award, and in 2004, he was inducted into the WMEA Hall of Fame.
Christensen credits the Northshore School District administration and community for making his job, just like his students’ music, flow easily.
“You’ve got the district, the parents and the kids: you can’t go wrong with that kind of formula,” he said. “I’m just as excited today as I was 30 years ago.”
