John Erwin was born in Little Rock in 1943. In the 6th grade, John and his family moved to Mountain Home where he spent most of his formative years. From an early age, he was drawn to the power and beauty of music-making. He was the drum major of the high school band and directed the First Methodist Chancel Choir during his junior and senior years. 

 

In 1961, he enrolled at Arkansas State University on an academic and music scholarship with an emphasis in instrumental music. His scholarship duties included being drum major of the ROTC Band and the Marching Indian Band. He was profoundly influenced by the superb musicianship of Don Minx, Director of Bands. In addition to private lessons on Euphonium and oboe, he took voice lessons and joined the ASU Singers. His love of singing was ignited, and when Al Skoog became the ASU choral director John’s sophomore year, his passion for choral music grew even more. While at ASU, he served as Youth Director and Chancel Choir Director at Huntington Avenue Methodist Church. John graduated from ASU in 1967 with a Bachelor of Music Education. 

 

While at ASU, he became friends with three high school directors who greatly influenced his teaching philosophy: Jack Ballard, of Trumann High School, where he did his student teaching, Bob Fuller, and Don Davis.  In 1968, he completed his Master's in Music at ASU under the mentorship of his primary inspiration in choral music, Al Skoog. As section leader and student conductor, he honed his directing skills. Due to an overload of freshman music majors, he also taught voice lessons. Upon graduation, he taught high school at Excelsior Springs, Mo. (1968-69). He also spent a year singing in the Kansas City Chamber Choir and studying voice and choral literature at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. In 1970, he received a call from Jack Ballard asking if he would be interested in taking over the choral program at Truman High School.  While at Truman, Erwin’s choirs won Best In Class at the ArkCDA state choir contest every year. In 1973, he accepted a graduate assistant position in the University of Illinois DMA Choral program studying under Professor Harold Decker. John conducted the All-Freshmen Chorus and a Select Chamber Ensemble. 

 

In 1975, Erwin became Director of Vocal Music and Choral Activities at the University of Central Arkansas, where he taught for 45 years, retiring in 2020. Through the years, Professor Erwin’s choirs garnered numerous prestigious honors and awards: 

• performing for four Arkansas All-State Conferences (1983,1988,1991, 2018) 

• performing at two national ACDA conferences (1987, 2005) 

• six Southwest ACDA divisional conferences (1980,1986, 1990, 2000, 2004,2012) 

• receiving two Gold Medals at the ‘International Riva del Garda’ competition, 2004

• Grand Prize winner of the Great American Choral Festival, 1982

• performing for the national MENC Conference, 1980 

• performing for the national MTNA Conference,1981. 

 

During most of his tenure at UCA, John Erwin and the UCA choir hosted the ArkCDA State Choir Contest, providing an excellent opportunity for students to observe many choral directors and to hear a wealth of choral repertoire.

 

The UCA Choirs enjoyed frequent opportunities to sing with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, performing challenging repertoire and masterworks with conductor Maestro David Itkin. 

In his first year at UCA, Professor Erwin established ‘Ye Olde Madrigal Feaste,’ which became a yearly tradition and an audience favorite for 37 years. This tradition continues in many high school choral programs led by former UCA graduates. 

 

During his tenure, he introduced many students to the joy of traveling abroad. The UCA choirs toured and sang in many of the great cathedrals and concert halls throughout the US, Canada, and Europe, including Lincoln Center Avery Fischer Hall, St. Patrick’s, St. John’s, and St. Paul’s, New York City; Notre Dame, Paris; St. Peter’s, Rome; St. Stephen’s, Vienna, and St. James’s in London, to name a few.

Erwin’s Individual Honors include:

• 1967- ASU R. E. Lee Wilson Outstanding Student Award.

• 1992 - UCA Faculty Excellence Award 

• 2008 - Arkansas Arts Council Governor’s Award for Individual Artist of the Year

• 2024 - he was honored with the establishment of the John Erwin Legacy Scholarship for students majoring in Choral Music Education.  

 

John served as ACDA Collegiate Repertoire and Standards Chair for both Arkansas and SWACDA. 

He was the 1993 ArkCDA Arkansas All State Mixed Chorus conductor and has conducted the All Region choirs in every region in Arkansas, as well as in Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi. In addition, John directed the Mississippi Private School All-State.

He was the Director of Choral Music for the Arkansas Governor’s School from its inception in 1980 until 2000. 

 From 1999 to 2021, he was the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Arkansas Chamber Singers. 

 

John Erwin resides in Little Rock in the Republic of Hillcrest, with his beautiful wife, Patricia, and their brave canine, Bernie.