On Tuesday, January 29, Grammy award winning, Gibson guitar titlist of 2005 and platinum recording artist Matt Odmark arrived at Houghton, not to stage a show or book a gig, but to teach a class. Odmark came to campus of his own volition and at his own financial expense to lecture during one of Houghton professor Kevin Jackson’s Pro Tools sessions, and the student response was overwhelming.
“The place was packed,” said Jackson, including attendance by his students, students from other disciplines, and even three area high schoolers. The question and answer segment in particular was so engaging that it lasted one hour beyond the designated stopping point without Jackson ever having to resort to his written stack of preconceived prompts. Odmark’s main focus was the concept of creative listening and what it means to genuinely and actively absorb, process, and be attentive to a song.
“He talked about what it means to really listen to music, something so deeply personal that it should be treated with extreme respect,” said Jackson. Odmark addressed the importance of “understanding the weight of music” and that the practice of “listening in that way is a sacred act.”
Odmark challenged students to “visualize” and internalize the music in a unique way, imbuing it with meaning specific to the individual. He urged the students to respect a body of music by interacting with it in full.
“Now…more and more, people use songs for playlists or background music, instead of absorbing the full collection or album as a complete work of art,” said Jackson. “We break music into pockets and the effect is like lopping a painting.”
Odmark also elaborated on the need to consider music as more than formulaic technique or advanced rendering of sound, namely as a relatable expression of the artist that is applicable the audience.
Senior Dan Austin said he enjoyed listening to a song that Odmark played not from the standpoint of a record critic, but from that of a participant in the emotive energy of the song and the feeling of the music.
“We didn’t have to worry about how the song was mixed, but what images and reactions it evoked,” said Austin. “You can pick apart a song from the technical side to make it more cohesive, more marketable, catchier, or more radio-friendly, but ultimately it’s about communication and there’s something to approaching a song with a certain amount of reverence.”
Austin also appreciated Odmark’s sincerity and willingness to make himself available to Houghton students.
“Matt is a minor celebrity who drove to Houghton in a minivan on his own dime and then thanked us for allowing him to interrupt our class time,” said Austin. “I mean this is a man who has been heard by millions of people, yet he doesn’t act like a rock star.”
Senior Nick Cannistraci agreed. “I was uncertain of where Matt was going at first, but as he spoke it became apparent that he really loves music. It was comfortable talking with him, because he’s just a humble, normal person. “He made himself vulnerable to us and it gave me a new way of looking at music,” said Cannistraci.
Jackson also commented on Odmark’s character; he said, “He truly has the scholar-servant attitude and mindset that we strive for at Houghton.”
When Jars of Clay performed at the college this past October the band set up all of their own equipment, exchanged tips with the student sound technicians, and took a strong interest in Jackson’s vision for the Houghton sound and recording department. After the concert, Odmark began communicating with Jackson via e-mail and phone conversations concerning the fruition of Jackson’s ambitions for the department and immediately consented to teach one session of Jackson’s Pro Tools class.
“Events like this create momentum and validate what we are trying to accomplish,” said Jackson, who has proposed some exciting major changes to the current structure of his music program.
Jackson is pleased to say that Odmark is offering the chance for Houghton students in the coming years to intern with Jars of Clay in Nashville for a period of two to three weeks over winter break or even a full three months. This experience will give sound and recording students the unparalleled opportunity to witness firsthand the inner operations of the professional music industry through the guidance of an acclaimed Christian band. Houghton students have the extremely rare possibility of being temporary apprentices to the man who won the Gibson Guitar Award over nominees like Bob Dylan.
To Jackson it’s unbelievably evident that “God has had his hand in all of this” and he cannot wait to see how the overarching vision will grow and materialize through connections such as Matt Odmark and others who are willing to invest in Houghton’s potential.
