Howard Knickerbocker graduated from Peninsula High School 1974. He was a member of the choir under Milt Boyd and Dean Neel. He studied piano with Marybeth Gilbert and voice with Jean Seferian. In 1978, he graduated from UPS with a bachelor of Music with departmental honors. He was a recipient of the Mamie M. Hungerford award (given to the top senior Music scholar). While at UPS, he studied voice with Thomas Goleeke, piano Dr. Davis Kaiserman and organ with Dr. Edward Hansen. He was a member of the Adelphian Concert Choir (president, senior year) and the Madrigal Singers all four years. Also during his college days, he was organist and choir director at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington.
Howard has been teaching music, band, and choral for 29 years in the Highline School district. He was musical director Hillcrest PCA in Seattle for several years, then at Harper Evangelical Free Church in Port Orchard for 2 years. He was an interim director at Harbor Covenant Church for 1/2 year. Substitute director at Fox Island Alliance Church for many years. He was the musical director at Paradise Theater and Camp as well as in many productions. He has sung under Stanley Chappell, Rodger Wagner, Maurice Scones, Edward Harmick and several other fine directors.
Howard passion is for serious "classical" works. I love the early masters such as Palestrina, Tallis, Victoria, Charpentier as well as other composers such as Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bruckner, Brahms, Wolf and more contemporary composers such as Britten, Howells, Copland, Hovhaness, Randall Thompson, and Howard Hanson. My goal is always to go well beyond the notes and make the music speak to the hearts of the preformers and the listeners.
Website and Photography by M. Schoettger, 2008
