Joel Jacklich:
CLASS OF 1966
Ferndale High SchoolClass of 1966
Ferndale, MI
Western Mich. Univ.Class of 1970
Kalamazoo, MI
Portage Northern High SchoolClass of 1970
Portage, MI
Taft Elementary SchoolClass of 1962
Ferndale, MI
Wilson Elementary SchoolClass of 1960
Ferndale, MI
Joel's Story
Life
In Ferndale, I was in the orchestra directed by Ken Sanford. He really inspired me, and I went off to Western Michigan University to pursue a degree in music. While there, I played in the Kalamazoo Symphony, and that paid the rent my junior and senior years. That was followed by a graduate degree in orchestral conducting at the School of Performing Art of U.S. International University in San Diego where I studied under Zoltan Rosznai, the conductor of the San Diego Symphony. As a graduate assistant I conducted the ensembles at the school; accompanied the ballet classes of Ehrling Sunde, Elaine Thomas, and Lawrence Eddington; served as music director of The International Company (musical theater); music director of the Ballet USIU Touring Company; and on weekends, was assistant conductor of the San Diego Youth Symphony and director of its Training Orchestra. Then after a year teaching band and orchestra at Parkway Jr. H.S. in La Mesa, CA, I moved to El Centro in the Yuha Desert, where I have been ever since. My first job there was orchestra and chorus at Central Union High School in El Centro, CA. At the same time, I taught orchestra part-time at Imperial Valley College, and in 1989, went to IVC to teach full time and head the music department. In 2006, I retired as professor emeritus of music after having served as head of the music department for the previous 17 years.
My Spouse
My wife is Judy (Chandler) from Long Beach, CA (by way of Louisville, KY, and Madrid, Spain), an English teacher. We both taught at Central Union High School in El Centro, California, and she asked me to tape her audition to study opera at the Aspen Music Festival. We started dating after that. She was accepted to Aspen, but we decided to get married instead.
My Pets
I have raised and trained German Shepherds and a Sheltie; and raised, trained and bred golden retrievers. I currently have a gorgeous German Shepherd male, and what we joke about as a dobieyote (doberman/coyote mix--but in reality it's probably dobie/shepherd). My wife has a little white papillon/poodle/sheltie/chihuahua/jackrussel/???; and together we have a little black sheltie/chihuahua/mini-longhaired-doxie mix--all of whom were rescues. I have taug...Expand for more
ht obedience for a many years, was for many years obedience chairman of the Imperial Valley Kennel Club, have a diploma as police and security dog instructor, and have trained dogs for AKC obedience, police, personal protection, search and rescue, cadaver search, narcotics, as well as as raising a dozen dogs for Guide Dogs of the Desert (to lead the blind) and for which I was for twelve years a regional puppy coordinator working with guide dog puppy raisers in Southern California. We have a black-headed Nanday conure (small, very noisy, parrot), and because we live in the country, have the required outdoor cat to take care of field mice, rats, and gophers. We've had horses in the past, but with morning and evening feedings, you can't go on vacation. When we both worked, that was okay. We'd work during the day and ride evenings and on weekends; but once our daughter left for college, we sold one horse to our vet, gave another to a riding-for-the-handicapped program, and my old mustang lived out the last days of her 37-year life grazing in back.
My Kids
My daughter Barbara finished up a degree in biochemisty at U.C.L.A. and works for UL. She and husband John live nearby in San Diego with their new son JT.
My Job
I LOVE my job!!!!! I've been into music all my life. I retired in 2006 as professor emeritus of music at Imperial Valley College, where I had been the music department head for the previous 17 years. During my tenure at IVC, I served for ten years on the Academic Senate, was awarded the President's Distinguished Service Award, was the Academic Senate's nominee for the California State Hayward Award, and received the Raphael Santos Award as the Outstanding California Community College Professor at Imperial Valley College. I also served from 1987 on as lecturer in music at San Diego State University-Imperial Valley campus. I continue as the founding music director/conductor of the Imperial Valley Symphony (now in its 41st season), and violinist/violist/arranger for the Imperial Valley String Quartet. I also market arrangements for string quartet (and others) at scoreexchange. I also play viola in (and occasionally violin and/or guest conduct) the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra in San Diego.
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