I don’t think that you can overstate the legacy of Dr. Steve Zegree and the influence he had on the lives and careers of so many performers, writers, producers, and music educators. Now, nearly five years after his untimely death, I still feel like you would need four-inch-high letters to really describe the impact he made on me and many others.
Happily, that’s exactly what’s happening today. Thanks to the hard work of Greg Jasperse, the Zegree family, the WMU School of Music, and many individual donors, Rehearsal A, the rehearsal room where Steve spent so many hours teaching and leading Gold Company members, will be renamed Rehearsal “Z”, with four-inch-high letters renaming it the Dr. Stephen Zegree Rehearsal Room.
I don’t think there can be a better place for his legacy than a rehearsal space – Steve taught consistently and passionately about the value of rehearsal and practice, and he prided himself on his efficiency in rehearsal. It’s a perfect spot to maintain his story. Future generations of students, including some of my own former students, will have daily reminders of that legacy, starting now.
In the naming ceremony today, there will be speeches and stories, reminiscences and reflections. I’ll be sad not to be there, but I’m pretty sure that Steve, of all people, would recognize that I’ll be in a rehearsal and concert with my own students, and nothing comes above that.
It’s enough to know that Steve Zegree’s legacy is safe. It’s safe in his many publications – two books and scores of scores, which remain the best entry points for conductors seeking to explore vocal jazz. It’s safe in the hands of Greg Jasperse, who named the most recent Gold Company album Legacy in a nod to Steve’s impact and who has kept Gold Company at the vanguard of collegiate vocal jazz in artistry and vocal excellence. And most of all his legacy safe in the hands of his many former students, who every day bring some of Steve’s fire into their rehearsals, performances, and leadership.