This academic year, Viterbo has welcomed a variety of visiting professors in multiple departments, including several in the Fine Arts. One of these individuals is Dr. Ronnie Bell II, a private voice instructor, and vocalist based in Boston, Mass. On February 12th, the Lumen got a chance to sit down with Bell to speak about his career in music and teaching, as well as what brought him to Viterbo.
When asked about the nature of his introduction to the university, Bell said it was a “happy accident.” In the summer before COVID changed the world, he attended the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University where he met Dr. Ann Schoenecker, the Chair of the Viterbo Music Department. It “turned into a life-changing conversation.” The rest is now history.
Bell says his passion for music began at a young age, though he did not always plan on pursuing it as a career. An accomplished clarinetist with fourteen years of study, coached by the first chair of the United States Army Band, the professor contrasts his music experience with the occupational path he was put on. “I was slated to do medicine at a young age,” he explains; “My grades and activities oriented themselves toward medicine.”
The professor sets the beginning of his performance and pedagogy career path in his undergraduate years at George Mason University, where he initially majored in biology but switched to music halfway through. He was encouraged by his undergraduate teachers to believe in the potential of his voice, confidence, and hard work leading him into memorable roles including Caspar in Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and Vashek in Bartok’s “The Bartered Bride.”
To future music professionals, he says the core of the work is, “Can you get up, can you give a performance, and can you get through it? And then, does the audience like it? That’s how you get rehired. Then, can you get along with your colleagues?”
For nearly as long as Bell has been a musician, he has been an educator. “I have always taught,” he reflects, “I started teaching in children’s church.” When asked about why he loves his work, the professor says, “There is something about aligning an instrument that is very fun for me. I have always wanted to help people reach their own goals…and to be able to do it really well.”
Those looking to learn more about Dr. Bell and his story can view his presentation, “My Career: For Better or Worse,” featured in a Viterbo Music Department presentation series of the same name. The video is available for viewing on the Music Department Facebook page.
