UM Instructor Honored with
Greater Mobile Arts Award

Barbara Laurendine, an adjunct music instructor at the University of Mobile, will receive a Greater Mobile Arts Award for her work in education on Thursday, Oct. 13. The ceremony will be held in the Mobile Arts Council Office on 318 Dauphin St. It is open to the public and begins at 6 p.m.

Every year, six people are honored with an award in one of six categories: artist, patron, volunteer, organization, business or educator. According to the Mobile Arts Council website, nominees are proposed by members of the community. A panel then selects winners from the pool of possibles based on “the total contribution or body of work of the nominee and its impact on an artistic discipline or effect on the community.”

Laurendine graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor of arts in piano performance. In addition to her work at UM, she teaches private piano lessons and is the organist for Dauphin Island United Methodist Church.

“I am grateful to the Greater Mobile Arts Council for the recognition and mindful of the many students who have motivated me throughout my career,” said Laurendine. Indeed, her students have always been her focus. Laurendine’s educational efforts have been tremendous, and their impacts, far-reaching. Many of her former students have become college music instructors, composers, private piano instructors and church musicians. And many of her current students are competition winners at state and local levels.

Her experience as a musician gives her great understanding for her students. Laurendine has been a concert performing member of the Mobile Piano Ensemble since 1964. It is her love for her discipline that motivates her to share it with her students. “Music is an enrichment and a treasure to be enjoyed. At the same time, it is a task master that molds character. I teach because I want to help young people understand and appreciate the many benefits from the study of music that will serve them for a lifetime,” Laurendine said.

While teaching at UM, Laurendine has initiated programs crucial to the promotion of music. She is the founder and director of the University of Mobile Summer Music Camp, which is celebrating its 13th successful year. She also founded the Master Musician Series-an outreach program that has brought internationally prominent concert artists to Mobile for performances, workshops and master classes. Furthermore, she founded and directs the Piano Ensemble Performing Group, which presents two annual concerts featuring students, faculty, alumni and staff in multi-piano concerts.

Not only does Barbara Laurendine teach, she has also served organizations promoting music. She holds membership in the Mobile Music Teachers Association. She has served on the boards of the Mobile Symphonic Pops Band, the Mobile Youth Symphony and the Music Teachers National Association and was Southern Division president of the MTNA from 1992-94. Two endowments have been brought to life with Laurendine’s aid: the DaCapo fund, which provides teachers and students with financial support in musical endeavors, and the Amanda Penick Endowment, which assists music teachers in studio activities and advanced studies.

Laurendine has been honored many times over the years for her service in the community. In 2004, she was one of only five finalists for Mobilian of the Year, sponsored by the Civitan Club. Laurendine was designated one of 25 Most Outstanding People in the Fine Arts by “Mobile Bay Monthly” in the August 2001 issue. In 1996, she was named Teacher of the Year by the Alabama Music Teachers Association and was listed in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.”

Accomplished musician, dedicated teacher, community-minded promoter of the arts: all are apt designations for Barbara Laurendine. Thanks to her service, young people have been sparked with a love for music, and Mobile is a richer place to experience the arts.