Greetings from your regional officers to members of ALCM Region 4,
 
It is our joy and delight to serve the membership of Region 4 as your officers. At the bottom of this missive are biographies of each of us so you can get to know us better. We are here to serve you and to help facilitate your important ministry with your local congregation. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us if there is anything that we can do to help you.
 
Your board has been meeting via telephone conference call to try to determine how we can best serve you and the ALCM. We will be meeting again on March 14. Please let me know if you have particular issues that we should be discussing. You can contact me at:
[email protected].
 
As I know you have all heard by now, the ALCM has its first full-time executive director. We are very fortunate to have Jim Rindelaub take this position. He has a wealth of experience within the music ministry of the Lutheran Church and has most recently been executive director of Choristers Guild since 2004. I have seen his proposed business plan for the ALCM and look forward to seeing it implemented. I expect great things to happen in this organization with Jim's leadership.
 
The board would like to see how we, as a region, can become more connected to other members within our own geographic area be it a large metropolitan area, a region within a state, or some other logical division. If you have suggestions as to how this could take place please do not hesitate to pass along your suggestions to the board.
 
Another way that we can become more connected is to share events, concerts, hymn festivals, workshops or other things that you are doing. Again, please pass this along so that we can get the word out. "Hide it under a bushel, NO!"
 
I would also like you to strongly consider attending this summer's national conference which will be held in Minneapolis. There is still time to take advantage of the early bird rate (until March 15 - postmark). The conference committee has planned an exciting and diverse program for attendees. Here is a link to the conference homepage: https://www.alcm.org/2017-biennial-conference/
 
Again, please do not hesitate to contact your regional board members if you have questions, suggestions or events that you would like to share.
 
We ask the Lord to richly bless you and your congregation during this Lenten season.
 
Bill Kuhn
 
Region 4 President
Your Regional Officers

William F. (Bill) Kuhn is professor of music and director of instrumental music at Concordia University - Portland. A 1977 graduate of Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Illinois, he studied with such notable Lutheran musicians as Paul Bunjes, Richard Hillert, Carl Schalk, and Thomas Gieschen. After teaching at Luther High School South in Chicago, Kuhn received a call to teach music at Hong Kong International School (HKIS). In addition to his work at HKIS, Kuhn was minister of music at Church of All Nations - Lutheran.
 
The 1984-85 school year, Kuhn was awarded a sabbatical to attend Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois where he received his Master of Music degree. There he studied with band legend, John Paynter; choral director, Robert Harris and well-known music education philosophers Bennett Reimer and David Elliott. Kuhn returned to Hong Kong in 1985 and remained there until he received a call to Concordia University, Nebraska in 1993. His primary responsibility was the Concordia University Wind Ensemble.
 
The ensemble kept an active concert schedule both on and off campus, giving concerts in over twenty-five states during Kuhn's tenure. The band worked with the eminent composers Francis McBeth and David Holsinger in on-campus residencies to prepare and present concerts of their music.
 
Kuhn earned his Doctor of Education degree at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in 2000. Kuhn also chaired the University's music department for 4 ½ years, during the time the department received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music.
 
Kuhn is a member of The College Band Directors National Association, The Music Educators National Conference, The Oregon Bandmasters Association, The American Guild of Organists and The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. He is past-dean of the Portland, Oregon AGO chapter. In 1985 he was inducted into the Alpha chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society. He is included in Marquis Who's Who in America and Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Additionally, Kuhn conducted the 121-year-old Seward Municipal Band during the summer months.
 
He has given clinics and workshops throughout the country and conducted wind ensembles in several cities in China. At Concordia University - Portland Kuhn conducts the Wind Ensemble which he established and brass ensemble in addition to teaching classes in Conducting, World Music, and Music Appreciation. He is also Cantor at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Portland. Kuhn and his wife, Kristine, have two children - Michael and Elizabeth.
David C. Horton , originally from Dana Point, California, currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at Faith Lutheran Church and School in Redmond, WA. Before that, he spent four years living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. During those years, he had the pleasure of serving as Music Director for Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Lakeville. He also worked for Augsburg Fortress Publishers as a Customer Service Specialist, and he was the music director and accompanist for several community and professional theatre companies in the Twin Cities. It was during this Minnesota residency, that he obtained a 200-Hour Yoga Certification.... because, who doesn't practice yoga these days?!  
 
David holds both a Bachelors of Music from Pacific Lutheran University in composition and keyboard studies, as well as a Masters of Music in composition from the University of Oregon. During his PLU years, he had the distinct honor of performing with Choir of the West and the University Symphony Orchestra. While in Eugene, Oregon he performed with the Eugene Symphony Chorus as well as participated in several Oregon Bach Festivals and Oregon Bach Festival Composer Forums.
 
Finally, David loves family time, closely followed by travel with family whenever possible. When NOT at the piano/organ bench, he enjoys spending time with Mike, Daisy, and Rumpus (the last two names are their pets). He loves going on crazy wilderness adventures as well as playing board games, reading mostly nonfiction (there's always something to learn) and watching movies. He's currently a member and singer with Seattle Pro Musica as well as a member of the American Guild of Organists and is on the council for Northwest ELCA Synod. 
Jae Park is a recent graduate of California Lutheran University. He studied organ with Kyle Johnson who served as the vice-president of Region 4. Jae serves as the Worship & Music Program Coordinator at St. John's Lutheran Church in downtown Sacramento, CA where he functions as an assistant to the director of worship and music. He gets to step into the director's shoes occasionally and cantors and plays the organ and piano in worship. Other responsibilities include planning and providing support to the concert series at St. John's, highlighting the newly renovated Bedient Opus 80 organ and bringing talented artists to Sacramento. Last summer, Jae co-chaired to plan the ALCM Region 4 conference. With his strong ties to California Lutheran University, Jae hopes to serve as the bridge between the ALCM and college students at CalLutheran pursuing music ministry.
 

ALCM nurtures and equips musicians
to serve and lead the church's song.