The Center for the Arts at Elon University is home to the theater, music and dance programs. Ballet studios, practice rooms and the stages are always buzzing with activity and sound.
Yet it is not here Matt Buckmaster, associate professor of music and education, can be found. Though he earned his doctorate in music, he is more than a musician. Instead, he can be found on the second floor of the Global Education Center.
Stepping into the room, visitors see Buckmaster comfortably seated at his desk, a trombone to his right and various pictures on the walls and on the desk. One is attention grabbing in particular — a drawing of famous Disney characters.
Upon noticing it, Buckmaster leans back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, and smiles. Before beginning his career as an educator, Buckmaster was a member of the Main Street Philharmonic Band at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
A Florida native, Buckmaster was exposed to Disney from a young age. As a trombone player in his high school band, Buckmaster participated in Disney’s summer program for musicians.
“I don’t think anyone says ‘I want to play trombone,’” he said. “I fell into it — I had to do something. It’s a little weird, I liked that.”
In chatting about shared passions in the arts, he revealed he fell into the black hole of over-practicing.
“It was almost like an addiction,” Buckmaster said. “I would neglect other things. I practiced six hours a day.”
Buckmaster joked that during high school the trombone was his girlfriend because of the amount of time and energy he spent practicing.
A different magic
Despite the grueling heat of the Florida summers, his experience as a summer player allowed Buckmaster to advance up the ranks to the Philharmonic Band. While the experience provided guests with a magical experience, Buckmaster’s behind- the-scenes life was one most guests would never imagine.
“You would see Pluto with his head off smoking a cigarette, Cinderella drunk at the pool,” he said. “It ruins the magic.”
Buckmaster and his wife also met playing at Disney together. While working for Disney, Buckmaster was also working to pursue a doctorate degree. After much deliberation, he came to realize the “Most Magical Place on Earth” wasn’t exactly providing him with a life he was satisfied with, even with special perks such as backstage access in the parks.
“I was living in Tampa and teaching and directing band,” he said. “I worked at Disney on the weekends. It wasn’t a family schedule.”
He is still is happy, though, about the professional playing experience the Philharmonic band gave him.
“It was a big part of me growing into the musician I am,” he said.
But he realized he would still be “sweating for dollars” if he continued as a band member in Orlando, alluding both to the difficult schedule and central Florida heat.
Back to the beginning
Looking forward to next year, Buckmaster will join Alexis Franzese, assistant professor of sociology, in co-leading a Winter Term program, “The Science of Happiness at Disney.”
“In planning the trip,” Franzese said, “I had wanted it to count for expression credit.”
This past January was the first year the program was offered, and Franzese led the three-week course by herself. The initial course compared Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
This upcoming year, the trip will explore factors of happiness at Disney World and at the Vero Beach Hotel in Florida. Bringing Buckmaster on board Franzese is able to offer the course for a both society and expression credits. Buckmaster’s first-hand musical experience at Disney World will provide invaluable insight to students, and Franzese feels his general presence will be nothing but positive.
Outside the band room
This is not the first trip Buckmaster will co-lead.
This past January, he led a group of students through Austria on the “Sax and Violins” program. Students completed a capstone course relating to a topic of their choice revolving around music.
But only one student on this year’s course was a music major. Despite students’ lack of personal connection to music, the experience was once in a lifetime for seniors Mac McCann and Fiona Koch.
“He was the ‘Dad’ of our trip,” Koch said of Buckmaster. “He was comforting and had a level head — a chill person who overall made me feel more comfortable.”
McCann, a finance major, knew nothing about music and had never met, or heard of, Buckmaster before registering for the class. He wanted to go abroad and complete the COR Requirement before graduation.
Koch, a dance and psychology double major, had also never heard of the professor and decided on the course both for its fulfillment of the requirement and her love for ballet and classical music.
Between skiing in the Alps and visiting historic landmarks, McCann summed up Buckmaster in the same way many of his colleagues and other students view him — respected, humble, intelligent and energetic.
“He was really invested,” McCann said. “He’s so upbeat. Every breakfast he would stand up and give his two cents [on the day].”
McCann’s project for capstone studied how design influences music and acoustics. He did not know much about the topic before embarking on the trip, but reiterated how helpful Buckmaster was throughout the whole process.
McCann said Buckmaster was one of the most invested teachers he has worked with during his four years at Elon. As both a person and an educator, Buckmaster made McCann’s experience unforgettable.
“He’s such a family guy,” McCann said. “Along the trip he brought this stuffed animal and would put it in front of a castle and send a picture to his kid. He’d whip it out everywhere.”
One of McCann and Koch’s favorite aspects of Buckmaster’s teaching style was his ability to let go of the ropes and let others take the lead when he was not as knowledgeable in a subject.
When the group went to see “Romeo and Juliet,” Buckmaster gave Koch an opportunity to lead a lesson to the class.
“He knew he didn’t know a lot about it, and let me speak,” she said. “He was really open to letting people speak about what they know, which I really appreciated.”