Dr. Joe Nicholson
Dr. Andrew David Judd
Evangel professor emeritus subject of doctoral dissertation
October 9, 2007
Contact: Paul K. Logsdon, Director of Public Relations and Publications, (417) 865-2815 ext. 7292
Springfield, Mo. — Dr. Joe Nicholson, Evangel University professor emeritus, was recently honored with the publication of a doctoral dissertation by Andrew David Judd, Doctor of Musical Arts, University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Judd’s dissertation, titled “Joseph Milford Nicholson (b. 1935): Pioneer Trombone Historian,” is based on Nicholson’s work and published writings on the trombone. The document can be viewed online.
“Because his text summarized into one document the current knowledge of the time about the history and literature of the trombone, Nicholson’s work was one of the earliest to appear outside the context of the music dictionaries,” said Dr. Judd. “Through his writing, teaching, and presentations, Nicholson is thought to have spurred interest among the next generation of trombonists who began to develop a more comprehensive chronicle of the trombone. Nicholson’s legacy continues through his influence upon trombonists and the citations in later, more era-specific histories of the instrument,” Judd said.
Dr. Nicholson was chairman of the music department and taught at Evangel University for 31 years, 1960-1991. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (August 1967). He is one of the first DMA graduates in Trombone Performance in the nation.
From 1966-1977, Dr. Nicholson was principal trombonist in the Springfield Symphony and a member of the Springfield Brass Quintet.
Dr. Nicholson and his wife, JoEllen, reside in Springfield, Mo.
Dr. Judd earned his Bachelor of Music in Education from Evangel University in 2002, summa cum laude. His Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance were earned at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Dr. Judd and his wife, Amanda (2000 graduate of Evangel University), reside in Oak Harbor, Wash., where he is teaching middle school band.