Faculty
Clark Potter, Conductor
A native of Longview, Washington, Clark Potter began work as the viola professor at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in 1996, where he also teaches conducting and serves as principal viola of the Lincoln Symphony. Mr. Potter is an active performer as a solo recitalist and chamber musician, and he has premiered dozens of pieces for the viola in the last few years, including five pieces by living Nebraska composers performed on one recital. Mr. Potter is the director ofNEBratsche, the viola ensemble at UNL (for whom he is busy arranging music) and, after conducting the Junior Youth Orchestra of Lincoln, he is currently conducting the Lincoln Youth Symphony. He is also a member of the Third Chair Chamber Players and is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician at schools in Nebraska and around the region. He has conducted All-State Junior Orchestras in Oregon, Alabama and Iowa, and he has conducted honors orchestras in Salina and Hutchinson, KS, Reno, NV, and Rapid City, SD in the last two years.
Prior to his appointment at Nebraska, Mr. Potter taught nine years at Eastern Oregon University, where he was associate professor of strings and conductor of the Grande Ronde Symphony. He received his graduate degrees from Indiana University and California Institute of the Arts and his bachelor's degree from Western Washington University. He has studied with Charmian Gadd, Peter Marsh, James Dunham and Mimi Zweig.
During the summers, Mr. Potter is on the faculty of the University of Nebraska's Chamber Music Institute, and since 1997 he has performed in the Oregon Coast Music Festival Orchestra. He has been a guest artist at Rocky Ridge Music Center and an artist/teacher of viola and chamber music at the Young Musicians and Artists summer program in Salem, Oregon, the Puget Sound Chamber Music Workshop, Lutheran Summer Music program and the Csehy Summer School of Music in Philadelphia. He is active in the American String Teachers Association: he served six years on the board of the Nebraska chapter, he was president of the Oregon chapter, and he has written for the organization's national magazine. Mr. Potter has also dabbled in composition. He recently completed three pieces for young orchestras, and he has written music for two contemporary ballets, one full-length "cowboy" musical, several pieces for choir and pieces for smaller instrumental combinations, including a sextet for violas. For NEBratsche, he has arranged numerous pieces of various kinds.
In 2005 he was a featured soloist performing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Anton Miller and the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. In 2001 and 2002, Mr. Potter performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and the Landmark Theatre of Richmond, VA with folk legend Arlo Guthrie as a member of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C. During the summer of 2002 he toured Italy and Austria as principal violist of the Southwest Washington Chamber Orchestra. In addition, he is half way to his goal of performing as a soloist or chamber musician in each of the 50 states.
Clark would rather be at home than anywhere else in the world, however, enjoying time with his children (Shannon, 16, and Samuel, 12) and his wife, Jan. He is a big baseball fan, and his favorite hobby is to run and race on roads and trails year around.
Terry Rush assistant conductor
Ed Love woodwind coach
STRINGS COACH- Mr. Packard recently resigned from the LYS staff due to other commitments with his position as an LPS music teacher. LYS is currently searching for a coach for the string section. Watch this page for updates.
Terry R. Rush is the instrumental music director at Lincoln Southwest High School. He was the Director of Instrumental Music at Lincoln High School for twenty five years. His groups have traveled to Florida, Colorado, California, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and London, England as well as perfoming at the State Bandmasters Association State Convention numerous times.
Prior to teaching at Lincoln High School Mr. Rush taught at Pius X High School for five years. He has been a member of the Lincoln Symphony for 35 seasons and the Lincoln Municipal Band for 37 years serving as principal trombone as well as guest soloist. In 2001 Mr. Rush was appointed Assistant Director of the Lincoln Municipal Band. Mr. Rush serves as a low brass, jazz, marching and concert band clinician, has directed several conference honor bands as well as an adjudicator and guest soloist throughout the Midwest and has adjudicated for the Youth Music of the World International Band, Jazz Band and Orchestra Festival in Maastricht Holland in April of 1999. Mr. Rush was recently appointed by Youth Music of the World as Executive Director of the Nebraska All Star Band for the annual Paris and Chantilly Parades in France and Executive Director of the Nebraska Honor Chamber Orchestra to participate in the annual London New Years Day Parade and Music Festival. Mr. Rush is a past officer on the board of the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association. He is a past winner of the Donald A. Lenz Outstanding Nebraska Bandmaster, recipient of the John Philip Sousa Foundation National Legion of Honor Award and the Nebraska National Guard Medal of Freedom for his support to military music programs.
Mr. Rush and his wife Jacqueline, also a band director with Lincoln Public Schools, have three children, Ben 29, a Computer Developer and Programer, Stacey 27, is in the United States Army Music Program stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington and Robby 22 is enrolled at Southeast Community College. Mr. Rush is an avid cyclist, having raced for several years and is a Second Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.
Ed Love has taught instrumental music in Nebraska for 38 years. He currently teaches at Mickle Middle School as well as Belmont, Kahoa and Holmes elementary schools. A long-time professional performer, he plays with the Third Chair Chamber Players, Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and the Nebraska Symphony Chamber Orchestra as well as leading his own jazz quartet. Ed played second clarinet with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra for 25 years, principal clarinet with the Omaha Opera Orchestra for 8 years and bass clarinet with the Omaha Symphony for 10 years. He studied clarinet with Wesley Reist at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and, since then, has studied with George Silfies and Carmelo Galante. He has studied flute with Becky Van de Bogart and saxophone with Dr. Robert Fought. Ed's wife, Loretta, is also a musician, as is their daughter, Elizabeth.
