Goshen College appoints Marcia Yost as executive director of the Music Center
GOSHEN, Ind. — Marcia Yost, the acclaimed director of choral music at Goshen High School and a longtime local educator, is the new executive director of the Goshen College Music Center, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jim Caskey announced today.
Yost, who will also remain in her role at Goshen High School, assumed her quarter-time appointment at the college on Sept. 1. She will be assisted by Associate Director Deb Kauffman and Brian Mast, performance venue manager and technology director, who has been promoted to the new role of managing director. Yost will replace Brian Wiebe, who has led the Music Center since it opened in 2002. On Oct. 1, Wiebe will become executive director of Horizon Education Alliance, a new organization in Elkhart County working to strengthen local education from birth through career.
“I am delighted that Marcia is sharing her proven leadership gifts with the Music Center this year,” said Caskey, who oversees the Music Center. “Marcia is widely recognized as a creative champion of the arts, and effectively uses music education to bring out excellence from her students at Goshen High School. As we continue our efforts to enrich lives through quality artistic programming and educational opportunities for everyone in our community, we look forward to the new ideas and connections that we can make together.”
Yost said she is delighted to be able to retain her position at Goshen High School while sharing her skills and leadership with Goshen College. “I am just as dedicated to the program at Goshen High School as I have always been, but this is a wonderful opportunity to expand on my desires to serve our community as a music educator and arts advocate,” she said. “To me, this is a perfect match.”
A lifelong Goshen resident, Yost has been music educator for 36 years — from 1976 to 1983 at Fairfield Community School and since fall 1983 at Goshen High School, where she is chair of the Music Department and has been designated as a “master teacher.” Under her guidance, Goshen High School choirs have won three state championships and six state runner-up titles.
A graduate of Goshen High School, Yost has a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Indianapolis and a master’s degree in music education from Western Michigan University. She sang professionally with the Indianapolis Arts Chorale and the Indianapolis Opera Company. She also has been director of music for First Presbyterian Church of Goshen.
As the new executive director, Yost will plan and implement programming, help oversee the Community School of the Arts, including the Music Together program and the youth honors orchestra, help oversee the college’s Performing Arts Series, collaborate with the college’s Music Department and assist with fundraising to increase support for the Music Center.
“I have had opportunity to perform in and be in the audience at the Music Center over the past 10 years. Every time I am at the Music Center, I am overwhelmed by the fact that this incredible facility is right here in Goshen,” she said. “However, there are many in town and the surrounding areas that still do not know about or have not experienced this facility and the incredible culture it brings to Goshen. I have been dedicated to music education my entire life and I am very excited about what the Music Center has to offer to the music education of our community, young and old.”
Department Chair and Professor of Music Beverly Lapp said she believes Yost will enhance the Music Department’s educational mission and build on Wiebe’s “energetic leadership” and his support for community outreach programs. “It is exciting to now have Marcia Yost bring her exceptional skills as a visionary music and community leader to the mission of Goshen College,” Lapp said. “I expect the Music Center to thrive under her ability to connect and motivate people for the cause of music in our community.”
Yost said she shares that hope. “My initial goals are to learn from what has been accomplished in the past 10 years under the leadership of Brian Wiebe. There will be a period of learning followed by a time of talking with many who share in the life of the Music Center to begin visioning what the next years will look like,” Yost said. “Part of the vision will be how we even better communicate the offerings of this facility. Hopefully, together we will envision the Music Center becoming the epicenter for music education in our community and state, and perhaps beyond that if we dream a bit.”
–Written by Richard R. Aguirre