Whitaker leads two new ensembles

In Augustana’s two newest music ensembles, rehearsals look less like a traditional class and more like an open studio session. Singers, pianists, drummers and bassists trade grooves and test out original student compositions guided by Grammy-winning Artist-in-Residence Matthew Whitaker.

Whitaker proposed the two new groups — a rhythm ensemble and a composition ensemble — to Matthew Erickson, interim dean of the School of Music, after informal auditions at the start of the school year revealed surging demand. With a record-breaking 367 students enrolled in music ensembles this semester, Erickson said, Whitaker stepped in to teach students the same way he learned at the Juilliard School: by ear.

The new groups join Blues and Gold, an existing jazz combo led by Brian Hanegan, director of jazz studies. Although Whitaker volunteered to teach the groups, Hanegan said the school also wanted to open up ensemble space for the influx of students and provide “outlets for those students to have more access to Matthew.”

Both new ensembles remain unnamed as they continue “evolving in real time,” Hanegan said, adding that students are getting the chance to learn from “an absolute savant of music of the highest order.”

“He’s not a computer, but his creativity is seemingly endless,” Hanegan said.

Whitaker first visited Augustana to perform in 2024, drawing a crowd of students the day after his concert when he gave an impromptu lesson. Then-dean Peter Folliard reached out, and Whitaker became the university’s first artist-in-residence in August 2025 — making history as the university’s youngest and only blind faculty member.

According to Whitaker, rehearsals focus on collaboration, interaction and building a strong musical foundation.

Junior Richard Haeder, a member of the rhythm ensemble, said he joined specifically to learn from Whitaker rather than to earn academic credit, describing Whitaker as “one of the most brilliant musicians in the world.”

“He teaches you from where you’re at and doesn’t expect you to be at his skill level right away,” Haeder said.

Haeder said because of that approach, the rhythm ensemble brings together students who have never played in a group alongside seasoned musicians with years of stage experience. He added that learning to collaborate across different skill levels is a valuable skill in itself.

In the composition ensemble, aspiring composers bring in original pieces to play and get feedback from Whitaker. Junior Adam Brachman, who released a collection of his own piano compositions last year, said the ensemble has already rehearsed one of his pieces. Like Haeder, Brachman said he joined out of a passion for music and the chance to workshop with Whitaker.

“Anyone who knows the very basics of music and has passion for the subject can join these ensembles,” Hanegan said. “Kids of any skill level, or none at all, can join something and start having instant success.”

Hanegan hopes the new ensembles will stabilize and spark additional groups in the future as the School of Music continues to grow with Whitaker at Augustana.

“It’s a remarkable time to be here,” Hanegan said.

Whitaker advises students not to be shy about signing up.

“At the end of the day, it's going to be a fun time,” Whitaker said.