Note worthy

Professor evokes music, respect from student choirs

With flailing arms and shouted instructions, the charismatic Anthony Leach uses the skills of a master artist to nurture a beautiful arrangement of sounds from his choir.

He starts, giving one pitch each to the sopranos, altos, baritones and basses. Then, the piano comes alive, breaking into old gospel tunes such as "This Little Light of Mine" and "I Got a Robe," with the choir blending in gorgeously.

The music stops abruptly, and Leach's commanding voice rings out in the room full of suddenly hushed voices.

"No, hold on, basses, you have to sing that staccato here!"

And then it all begins again, with Leach and the choir making adjustments along the way, trying to perfect their sound.

Gathering the choir voices so that they form unparalleled harmonies is something most people would find difficult, but Leach merely chalks it up to just another day at his preferred office -- the one walled with music rather than cement.

Not only does he teach music education at the University, but he also directs two student choirs, Essence of Joy and University Choir.

Leach, 46, is a pianist, conductor, organist, expert on American gospel music, composer and mentor but he prefers one vocation above all others: teaching.

"Teaching affords me an avenue to share what I know and feel strongly about with music at a deeper level," he said.

And though he knows he could probably make a career as a professional performing musician, he stays with teaching.

- Anthony Leach

Leach's family has had a long-standing involvement with music.

"Music chose me," Leach said emphatically. His father was a singing pastor and his mother played the piano.

"In the African-American tradition, the preaching style is very dramatic and one of the things that brings emphasis to that style is leading congregation in singing," Leach said of his father. "He was also a soloist, often singing gospel songs at the beginning or end of the services."

Of his four brothers, three of them are practicing musicians, though Leach said he is the only professional.

Leach started playing piano when he was 8 years old, he said. Though he did not know he wanted to be a musician for life at that age, he soon found it to be his calling.

"Once he became involved with music, he was very serious about it," said Leach's mother, Annie. "I never pushed him into it; he always approached it on his own."

He received his earliest training from his mother, but then moved on to other teachers.

"I always told him in the beginning that I didn't have time for foolishness," his mother said. "So when he told me he was serious, I brought him to his first piano teacher."

That was the beginning of Tony Leach's journey into the realm of the musical world.

"Now, it's just wonderful to be paid to do what I love," he said.

This was not the end of Leach's University voyage, however. He was to continue on in the School of Music, teaching music conducting and music education, while working on the doctorate degree that he received in 1996.

As a professor in the School of Music, Leach is always busy. Whether it is teaching music education courses, conducting classes or coordinating student teaching, his days are full. He loves teaching and many of his students say they enjoy his style.

"He's so fluent when he talks. He knows exactly what he wants to say," said Lachele Jack (junior-music education). "As a choral professor, he's so in your face. When he wants something, he gets it from the choir."

Though he is serious about his work, Leach is not always all business.

Among all his involvement with music, he also says that he enjoys reading. Historical novels, especially ones about World War II, top his reading list.

This leisure activity, however, may not be fully indicative of his energetic personality.

- Orieyama Linebarger, (junior-music performance)

Linebarger, who has sung for Leach for several years, said she admires his teaching skills.

"He can do anything. That's what makes him good -- his diversity," Linebarger said. "His energy and enthusiasm about what he does are portrayed when he teaches."

Not only does Leach work extensively with the School of Music, but he is also an ex-officio faculty member of the Musical Theater Department, which allows him to attend faculty meetings and sit in on the prospective student audition process. He also functions as music director for musical theater activities.

Today, Leach conducts two choirs, Essence of Joy and University Choir. Though he says he loves both groups, Leach has a special connection to Essence of Joy, the gospel and spirituals choir he formed in 1991.

"The message and meaning (of gospel music) is so powerful and so contagious," Leach said. "I enjoy the transmission process between the choir and the audience."

He notes that gospel music is very powerful for the audience as well as the members who sing it.

"There is a great invitation -- that something interesting is happening here -- you'll be hooked," he said.

He has worked in many venues, including those at the University and several African-American churches.

- Orieyama Linebarger, (junior- music performance)

Jack, president of Essence of Joy, has worked with Leach for a number of years and said that she admires the work he does.

"He's one of the most talented men I've met in my life," Jack said. "He has perfect pitch and can play anything from just hearing it or just read a piece and play it. Vocally, he can sing almost anything. Even when he wants to model something for sopranos, he can do it."

Leach also conducts the University Choir, one that is open to more students and is more than twice the size of Essence of Joy. This choir gives different opportunities not only for the people in the choir, but also to Leach.

"We do a wide variety of music. Along with the standard choral repertoire, we sing specialized music as well," Leach said. "We are in the process of a three-semester study of American music, especially focusing on Pennsylvanian composers, Penn State's composers and even Penn State student composers."

Since the University Choir is bigger, there might be reason to speculate that the members would not be as enthusiastic to do the work required to make the choir special. Leach says this is not at all true.

"If (the members) didn't find what they were looking for, they wouldn't come back," he said. "I'm so excited when I come to practice and there are so many students there ready to work."

Both of these choirs are special to Leach. They represent his hard work and the effort he puts into his music.

"I'm so pleased with the things that I do," he said. "And I'm overwhelmed by the desire of the students to be involved with me and with the music."

But Leach does not limit his University involvement to just choirs.

The appointed representative for the School of Music for the Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration committee for the past five years, Leach helps to organize music for the Martin Luther King Day celebrations.

- Anthony Leach

Leach also loves to travel, naming Europe, Africa and the West Coast of the United States as some of his favorite destinations.

In addition, he has worked with the Milton Hershey School as director of the gospel choir and director of chapel music. The Milton Hershey school is a private boarding school for disadvantaged youth from all over the country.

Leach has touched many lives during his time at the University, and will likely influence many more to come.

"When Dr. Leach is in a good mood, the whole music building is happy. He likes to tease everyone," Jack said. "He gets in your face with a lot of stuff, and that's why people like him and respect him. He's very honest."

Jack said on bad days, Leach will start playing a song to uplift him and the choir. She said that everyone will just start singing the song, even though they are all so tired from the week's activities. Everyone will get caught up in the music and begin to feel better.

And for Tony Leach, that is what the music is all about.