Alumnus Feature: Jeffrey Adkins
Spotlight written by Communications major Lila Goldin

When orchestra director Jeffrey Adkins was asked to give a recital at his alma mater Lynn University’s concert hall after receiving the Conservatory Alumni Award, he declined. Instead, he asked if he could bring the Dreyfoos String and Symphony Orchestras to perform in his place.

That exchange basically sums up the person — and the teacher — that Mr. Adkins is.

A class of 2005 strings major, Mr. Adkins started playing the bass in elementary school. He believes that each instrument suits a certain type of individual, and the bass immediately matched his own personality.

“It's because I love to play in ensembles. That's really the reason why I'm a musician,” Mr. Adkins said. “Every orchestra, every ensemble, they need bass players. So if you play bass well, it's your ticket to being in groups and playing with people.”

Other than his music classes, Mr. Adkins favorite subject at Dreyfoos was English, partly because he loves to write and partly because of his teacher Geoff Johnston, who recently retired. He said that it was “totally surreal” to return and be a teacher at the same time as Mr. Johnston. Mr. Adkins hopes that he can be as inspiring to his students as Mr. Johnston was for him.

“Seeing him (Mr. Adkins) always engrossed in the pieces that we are playing both in and out of class inspires me to give the same level of dedication to everything I play,” strings senior Mia Hakkarainen said. “I’ve learned that being a musician is more than just showing up to rehearsal and playing your part.”

Mr. Adkins took the orchestra program over from former Director Wendel Simmons after spending nine years as a consultant. In this position, Mr. Adkins would help students with chamber music, juries, and auditions all while developing a relationship with the students and the program. When Mr. Simmons stepped down, it was a “natural time” for Mr. Adkins to step into a larger role and become the Orchestra Director.

“I was really fortunate to study orchestra with the director that I inherited the program from, Mr. Simmons,” Mr. Adkins said. “He was really an important person to me. One thing that I still say to the students here is, ‘perfection is a pursuit,’ and he used to always say that. I say it because the goal here is not to be perfect or right all the time. The goal is to always be in pursuit of doing your best.”

Strings senior Jeffrey Bai said that because Mr. Adkins is still a performing professional bassist, he offers a “precious perspective” to students on what it’s like to be a musician after graduating from Dreyfoos and to play in “industry-leading” orchestras.

“As a violist, I can end up being an overlooked section in an orchestral ensemble,” Bai said. “Through orchestra, chamber, and solos, Mr. Adkins has really encouraged me and given me the confidence to play out and make a direct impact on the group. He has taught me that my role in orchestra is important, and that in professional orchestras, the ensemble is truly as strong as its weakest link.”

Having attended Bak Middle School of the Arts and Dreyfoos, Mr. Adkins recalls that his opportunity to play in a symphony orchestra throughout that time was one of the most formative experiences of his young life. While at Dreyfoos and putting on concerts at lunch with his friends, Mr. Adkins was also a part of the Symphony Orchestra class and the Jazz Band.

“As I talk to more and more directors of colleges and youth orchestras nationally, I continue to learn how special it is that we have it (symphony orchestra as a class) and that we have such a fantastic level of playing,” Mr. Adkins said. “I'm so lucky to be at the helm.”

With a concert coming up on Nov. 20 and the annual Prism concert less than 2 months away, the strings department is buzzing with activity. Bai said that Mr. Adkins always chooses repertoire that “challenges and grows the ensemble.” Mr. Adkins finds opportunities for them to grow on purpose, in the hopes that the students come away from their time in his program with important life lessons alongside musical experience.

“We don't teach music to students because we want them to all be musicians,” Mr. Adkins said. “We teach them music because it helps you with so many crucial life skills: problem solving, but also how to work with people, teaches you how to be sympathetic, teaches you how to be just a great human being.”