Small College America - Brian Pertl, Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music
🎙 Small College America
Episode Title: Radically Responsive Music Schools – A Conversation with Brian Pertel
Guest: Brian Pertel – Ethnomusicologist, author, and Dean of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music
Hosts: Dean Hoke & Kent Barnds
Episode Summary
In this engaging conversation, Dean Hoke and Kent Barnds talk with Brian Pertel about his remarkable journey from Lawrence University student to Microsoft executive, and then back to Lawrence as Dean of the Conservatory of Music for 17 years. Brian shares how small colleges can foster innovation, collaboration, and cultural change in ways large institutions can’t match. He offers candid reflections on integrating liberal arts and music education, cultivating a culture of possibility, and empowering both students and faculty to take creative risks.
Key Topics & Takeaways
- Lawrence University’s Distinctive Model
- One of the first U.S. coeducational institutions (founded 1847)
- Conservatory founded in 1874, celebrating its 150th anniversary
- 1,500 undergraduates; 400 are music majors
- Strong integration of liberal arts and world-class music training
- Signature five-year dual degree program (music + another field)
- Brian Pertel, From Trombone to Tech
- Graduated with degrees in trombone performance & English
- Won the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship – studied Aboriginal didgeridoo in Australia & Tibetan music in Nepal
- Sixteen-year career at Microsoft, leading media acquisitions and integrating multimedia into digital products
- Lessons for students: prepare for a world and jobs that don’t yet exist
- Key Points: Building a Culture of Creativity
- Leadership principle: see the full potential in every student
- Faculty hiring based on whole-person qualities and collaborative mindset
- Encouraging students to launch new ensembles and cross-disciplinary projects (e.g., heavy metal ensemble, fiddle music in a classical setting)
- Shift from lecture-based learning to collaborative, creative environments
- Faculty Recruitment & Engagement
- Look for faculty who are excited to teach, collaborate, and explore outside their specialties
- Foster an environment where experimentation and interdisciplinary partnerships thrive
- Three Pieces of Advice for Small College Leaders
- Bring joy, optimism, and transparency to leadership
- Share challenges openly to build trust and collaboration
- Center campus culture on creativity and possibility rather than fear
- Student Success Story
- Violinist/fiddler “Martha” developed her passion for fiddle music while at Lawrence
- Built a student following, auditioned for Sting’s The Last Ship, and won the role by adapting in real-time during the audition
- Now a successful Broadway musician blending classical and fiddle expertise
Why Listen
If you’re a small college leader, faculty member, or advocate for liberal arts education, this episode offers a blueprint for transforming campus culture into one that nurtures creativity, agility, and bold thinking.
Resources & Links
- Guest: Brian Pertel – Author of Radically Responsive Music Schools
- Lawrence University Conservatory of Music: Website
- Small College America Podcast: LinkedIn
