UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 4, Page 5
September 26, 1991
Taking notes; Campus composer says he has 'best job in world'

     Movie stars may begin their careers by appearing in high
school plays and commercials. Pop singers may spend years singing
back-up in small nightclubs in order to get noticed. Associate
professor of music Robert Hogenson said he got his start as a
composer not by playing Mozart or Chopin, but by performing "Froggy
Went A Courtin'."
     Hogenson began taking piano lessons at the age of five, and
his earliest memories are of performing this simple tune. He also
remembers the anxiety he felt while preparing for his next
endeavor, "Will You Take Me Fishing?", his first performance using
both hands!
     From these humble beginnings has emerged a career as a
well-respected composer. Hogenson's works have been played by
orchestras across the United States and in Europe and Japan. The
Delaware Symphony Orchestra performed his "Kohala Suite" four times
this year. His latest work is entitled "Four Variations for Two
Pianos."
     Hogenson's passion for music developed in the home, where both
his parents and grandparents were musically inclined. He continued
his piano lessons through high school and then majored in music
education at the Northeastern State Teacher's College in his home
state of Missouri. Eventually, he earned his doctorate in
composition at Michigan State University.
     Currently, Hogenson, who came to the University of Delaware in
1968, is balancing composing with teaching "Fundamentals of Music,"
"Basic Harmony and Ear-Training" and "Contemporary Harmony."
     The birthplace of Hogenson's compositions is his office in the
Amy E. du Pont Music Building. Most of his writing is done during
the summer, due to his hectic schedule during the fall and spring
semesters.
     It takes an average of three months, working two to four hours
each day, to complete a 16-1/2-minute piece, he said. Several days
before he begins to write, Hogenson develops the piece in his mind.
He listens to everything from great classics by Bach to television
commercial jingles for inspiration.
     When he finally sits down at the piano to write, "It comes out
so fast," he said. "I don't hit a roadblock because I've thought
about it a lot."
     After he gets a rough pencil sketch of the work, a final copy
can take as long as two months to finish. It may take up to 15
minutes to copy just one measure for all of the various
instruments.
     Hogenson composes for enjoyment-both his and his audience's.
He describes his melodies as "conservative." "You can tap your foot
to the rhythm."
     However, his love of composing does not surpass his love of
teaching. "I have the best job in the world here at Delaware," he
said.  He explained that he enjoys teaching the beginning aspects
of music most and he often simplifies his pieces for novice
students.
     Success in the music world is difficult to attain, and he
advises aspiring composers to "work hard, be aware of what's going
on around you and continue to write, even though what you're
writing may not be profound."
     He also suggests having a second profession. "It's difficult
to make a living in music."
                                        - Denise Arroyo