Welcome to a website dedicated to lifelong music education professional, Tedd Gullickson. This website will serve as an outlet for Tedd Gullickson to discuss the important role music education can play in the development of a well-rounded individual. The arts often find themselves on the chopping block due to budgetary restrictions, but Tedd Gullickson is a firm believer in the power of music education. He has seen how much it has helped his sons, Daniel and Matthew Gullickson grow into the men they are today. Before Tedd Gullickson discusses how music can help children grow up to be well-rounded individuals, it is important to understand where his expertise on the subject comes from.
Originally from Moorhead, Minnesota, Tedd Gullickson earned a BA in Music Education from Concordia College. While attending Concordia College, Tedd Gullickson performed with every instrumental ensemble and received the J. Robert Hanson Award for excellence. Always looking for ways to play music, Tedd Gullickson spent the summers performing with the Walt Disney World All American Marching Band in Orlando, Florida. Understanding that he wanted to share his love of music with others, Tedd Gullickson started to student teach in Hawley, Minnesota under Rikard Hansen and founded the Hawley Percussion Octet. While there he premiered Concerto for Percussion and Band which was written for him by his percussion teacher Morris Alan Brand. Gullickson earned an MA in Music Education from the University of Minnesota, which would set him up for his professional care.
Gullickson directed bands at Canby and Worthington, Minnesota, before being named Director of Bands at Mankato West High School. The West Concert Band performed at the Minnesota Music Convention 3 times and traveled out of state over a dozen times. The West Jazz Band performed at the State Convention once and performed at numerous jazz festivals including the Eau Claire Jazz Fest. Tedd Gullickson directed 3 concert bands, 3 jazz bands, percussion ensemble, pit orchestra, pep band, numerous other ensembles and gave sectionals and lessons. He retired from teaching in 2010 after a career spanning 30 years.
Currently Gullickson is drummer and manager for Southern Minnesota’s Real Big Band, an 18 piece jazz ensemble with some of the area’s finest jazz musicians. He also conducts the City of Lakes Community Band and is a music judge with the Minnesota State High School League, Tri State Judges and the Wisconsin Music Association.
Tedd and his wife Lori live in Burnsville, Minnesota and have two grown sons, Dan Gullickson (retired Air Force Major and currently a pilot with Delta) and Matt Gullickson (Band Director at Eastview High School). They have four grandchildren.
All these life and professional experiences have shown Tedd Gullickson that the arts open up a world of opportunity to those who pursue them. Music education is more than learning how to play an instrument or read music, it’s about unlocking creativity and learning how to express oneself in a positive setting. As social media has grown in popularity, younger people have fewer ways to show their individualism as they conform to the norms of Tik Tok trends or Instagram stories. The bond that is developed during music education fosters creative social skills that will help students as they enter the workforce later in life.
Music education is also a great provider of discipline. It takes a lot of practice and dedication to advance as a musician. When a student is part of a band, they learn how important it is to support others and the true power of teamwork. If just one musician falls out of rhythm, the whole band suffers as a result. This is an incredibly important life lesson.
In music education, there’s typically students who are interested who come from all different backgrounds in life. Music is the great equalizer as it brings people together over a shared passion. As a student advances in their musical career, they will be exposed to more musicians who come from different towns or even different parts of the country or world at large. It’s always nice when people learn that there’s a lot more we all have in common than they may have previously thought.
Interested in learning more about the importance of music education from Tedd Gullickson? Return to the blog, which will be updated regularly with his latest insights.