Background
Wendell Logan was born in Thomson, Georgia on November 24, 1940. His first musical studies were with his father, an amateur alto saxophonist.
composer musicologist university professor jazz musician
Wendell Logan was born in Thomson, Georgia on November 24, 1940. His first musical studies were with his father, an amateur alto saxophonist.
He graduated with a bachelor"s degree in music in 1962 from the historically black Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, which he had attended on a football scholarship. He earned a master"s degree in music in 1964 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in music theory and composition in 1968 from the University of Iowa.
Early years and education At Florida Agricultural and Mechanical in 1962, Logan heard Igor Stravinsky"s Firebird Suite for the first time. This initial exposure to the twelve-tone technique led Logan to undertake a path leading to a career as a composer. Academic career After graduating from college, Logan served on the faculties of Ball State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Western Illinois University, before joining the faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1973, where he eventually become chairman of the jazz studies department and professor of African-American music
When Logan first arrived at Oberlin, jazz was exclusively an extracurricular activity.
Doctor Logan began teaching jazz music shortly after joining Oberlin, forming the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble in 1973.Logan developed a curriculum for a jazz major in 1989, and by 1991 he helped modify Oberlin"s admission standards to allow students to be selected for admission to the conservatory based on their talent as jazz performers. Recognition and final years He was selected for a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1991.
A resident of Oberlin, Ohio, Logan died in Cleveland at age 69 on June 15, 2010, after suffering a short illness.