Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Vanden Berg.
Scott, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a small town in the small town of Ireton, Iowa and learned to love music with the support of a loving family and caring music educators. It was in my time at Dordt College (now Dordt University) that I realized I could make a career of sharing the music I loved with others. I got my first job teaching music at a small school in Sunnyside, Washington where I taught 5th through 12th grade band and choir in addition to a few other things. I then moved to teach at Valley Christian Schools in Cerritos, California and studied at California State University, Long Beach to get my masters in orchestral conducting. I met my wife in California and we moved to Michigan to be closer to family. It is in this community in Holland, Michigan for the past 20 years that I have broadened the scope of developing communities of musicians to include musicians of all ages and the broader community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Every time you move into a new community it takes time to get to know people and to adjust to the location. I can now see the blessing of having worked in these diverse settings, a small rural town in eastern Washington, in a the greater Los Angeles area, and now in West Michigan. Not only did I get to know and love a diverse group of people, I think this has given me a desire to be welcoming and to lead and be a part of institutions that are intentionally welcoming.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
For the past thirty years, I have led band, orchestra, and choir programs in educational settings (Sunnyside Christian Schools, Valley Christian Schools, and Holland Christian Schools), ecclesial settings (14th Street CRC, Central Wesleyan Church, Holland Bach Society), and civic settings (Holland Legion Band, Calvin Community Symphony). I am committed to the vital importance of the music arts in education, church and our world.
The founding of the Holland Bach Society was a project born our of COVID and was formed in part because of the time that had to be spent away from communal music making. I founded the Holland Bach Society 2021 to work in partnership with local church congregations, to bring Bach’s theologically and historically significant music to Holland-area congregations and to our broader community. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of history’s greatest composers, wrote nearly 75% of his music to be used as part of a church worship liturgy. I wanted to put this music back in its original setting. This is music that is not heard often enough in our churches. The music comes alive in the church setting, enhancing both the music and the liturgy. The Holland Bach Society hires the finest musicians from the Lakeshore area to bring historically informed performances of Bach’s music to West Michigan as part of local worship services.
The Holland Christian Schools music department, the Calvin Community Symphony, and the Holland American Legion Band are organizations that are thriving. I am blessed to work with dedicated musicians, boards, and staff members who are also committed to the vital importance of music in our world.
In a time when human interaction is often mediated by screens, it is deeply meaningful to create a space that fosters embodied community and collective artistic expression.
https://hollandbachsociety.org/
https://hollandchristian.org/arts/
https://www.calvincommunitysymphony.org/
https://www.hollandlegionband.org/
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The best advice that I got was to work hard, to frequently thank those who work along side you, develop healthy life routines, and stay connected to the music that inspired you to work in the field of music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.scottvandenberg.com/
- Other: https://hollandbachsociety.org/ https://hollandchristian.org/arts/ https://www.calvincommunitysymphony.org/ https://www.hollandlegionband.org/
