By Ed Pierce
For Windham High School’s Dr. Richard Nickerson, music is an essential aspect of our shared humanity, and it can change the world by connecting people of all cultures and beliefs.
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| Dr. Richard Nickerson is the conductor of the Windham Chamber Singers and the choral director at Windham High School. He is also the RSU 14 District Coordinator for music. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
If that wasn’t enough, in addition to his curricular responsibilities, Nickerson conducts the Windham Chamber Singers and serves as Music Director for the school musical.
According to Nickerson, the best thing about his job is that he gets to work every day with the best students in the world.
“I get to see the world through their eyes,” he said. “Probably my favorite event is the American Family Holiday concert in December with the Chamber Singers. We are very proud of the local tradition that we have created in our community.”
He says the biggest challenge of his job is that there is no single biggest challenge.
“The challenges change daily,” Nickerson said. “Just when you have one thing figured out, another challenge will appear. That likely means that the biggest challenge is not letting myself get overwhelmed. I’m still working on that.”
Born in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada, Nickerson graduated from Houlton High School in Aroostook County. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and a master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine and obtained a Doctor of Music Arts degree from the Conservatory of Music-University of Missouri-Kansas City. He also did additional graduate work at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington and at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.
Prior to arriving in Windham, Nickerson taught for a year in Bangor. He also served for eight years as the Artistic Director for the Boy Singers of Maine and spent eight years as the Chorus Master for the Magic of Christmas Chorus with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he’s also the Artistic Director for the Maine Music Society, an adult choir based in Lewiston.
“I was aware of the choral program at Windham High School because my college choir had stopped in Windham as part of our spring tour in 1986,” he said. “When the job opened up, I was skeptical about applying because, although I knew there was a rich musical history, it meant that I would be following a very popular teacher, which can be difficult. The original position was half high school and half middle school. This meant I would be responsible for creating my own feeder program which was very appealing. I also liked the proximity to Portland because of the many cultural offerings.”
Nickerson says the greatest misconception people may have about his work is that many believe that his work with the Windham Chamber Singers is the only thing I do.
“The reason for this misconception is because the chamber singers are so visible in the community and that’s what most people associate with my work,” he said. “This is my dream job. There was a period in my life when I was thinking about moving on, but I realized that the grass is not always greener, and I am very happy. I remember once hearing that if you find a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Every morning when I walk into the choir room at Windham High School, I remind myself how lucky I am to be able to live my dream each and every day. I came to Windham as a stepping stone to build my career, and I ended up building a life.”
Along the way there have been many memorable moments, but Nickerson said it’s hard to top the events of 1996.
“The Chamber Singers were invited to compete in the International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. To cover expenses, we recorded and produced a Christmas album,” Nickerson said. “If we could sell 10,000 copies in five weeks, all of the singers would be able to attend the festival at no personal cost. Keep in mind, this was before the internet. The level of support that we received from our community was unprecedented. It started in Windham, then expanded throughout the entire state and beyond. Not only did we sell the 10,000 copies, we ended up winning the festival. This experience opened a world of opportunities for us that included performances in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the White House.”
He says his wife is the “choir mom” and is incredibly supportive of his work.
“She understands that much of the work I do happens outside the school day and, not only supports me, but she assists me,” Nickerson said. “I couldn’t do what I do without her.”
The most important thing Nickerson says he’s learned while working for Windham High School is that every waking moment is an adventure in learning. “ I have learned so many things that I could write a book,” he said. “In fact, I am in the final process of finishing a book focusing on lessons I have learned from my students. It’s a collection of lessons, stories and memories. I plan to release it when I retire.” <
“The challenges change daily,” Nickerson said. “Just when you have one thing figured out, another challenge will appear. That likely means that the biggest challenge is not letting myself get overwhelmed. I’m still working on that.”
Born in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada, Nickerson graduated from Houlton High School in Aroostook County. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and a master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine and obtained a Doctor of Music Arts degree from the Conservatory of Music-University of Missouri-Kansas City. He also did additional graduate work at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington and at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.
Prior to arriving in Windham, Nickerson taught for a year in Bangor. He also served for eight years as the Artistic Director for the Boy Singers of Maine and spent eight years as the Chorus Master for the Magic of Christmas Chorus with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he’s also the Artistic Director for the Maine Music Society, an adult choir based in Lewiston.
“I was aware of the choral program at Windham High School because my college choir had stopped in Windham as part of our spring tour in 1986,” he said. “When the job opened up, I was skeptical about applying because, although I knew there was a rich musical history, it meant that I would be following a very popular teacher, which can be difficult. The original position was half high school and half middle school. This meant I would be responsible for creating my own feeder program which was very appealing. I also liked the proximity to Portland because of the many cultural offerings.”
Nickerson says the greatest misconception people may have about his work is that many believe that his work with the Windham Chamber Singers is the only thing I do.
“The reason for this misconception is because the chamber singers are so visible in the community and that’s what most people associate with my work,” he said. “This is my dream job. There was a period in my life when I was thinking about moving on, but I realized that the grass is not always greener, and I am very happy. I remember once hearing that if you find a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Every morning when I walk into the choir room at Windham High School, I remind myself how lucky I am to be able to live my dream each and every day. I came to Windham as a stepping stone to build my career, and I ended up building a life.”
Along the way there have been many memorable moments, but Nickerson said it’s hard to top the events of 1996.
“The Chamber Singers were invited to compete in the International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. To cover expenses, we recorded and produced a Christmas album,” Nickerson said. “If we could sell 10,000 copies in five weeks, all of the singers would be able to attend the festival at no personal cost. Keep in mind, this was before the internet. The level of support that we received from our community was unprecedented. It started in Windham, then expanded throughout the entire state and beyond. Not only did we sell the 10,000 copies, we ended up winning the festival. This experience opened a world of opportunities for us that included performances in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the White House.”
He says his wife is the “choir mom” and is incredibly supportive of his work.
“She understands that much of the work I do happens outside the school day and, not only supports me, but she assists me,” Nickerson said. “I couldn’t do what I do without her.”
The most important thing Nickerson says he’s learned while working for Windham High School is that every waking moment is an adventure in learning. “ I have learned so many things that I could write a book,” he said. “In fact, I am in the final process of finishing a book focusing on lessons I have learned from my students. It’s a collection of lessons, stories and memories. I plan to release it when I retire.” <
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