Steve Dancz will leave his post as Director of UGA’s Jazz Studies Area on July 1 to become Director of SAE’s Atlanta Campus. Below are his thoughts on concluding his time in Athens as an educator and performer.
Dear friends,
I wanted to let you know about the change in my professional life as of June 30 when I am resigning from UGA to become the Director of SAE’s Atlanta campus. There are links below to give you some background on the company, a private-sector, higher education provider that offers hands-on training at the intersection of technology and the creative arts. The company was formed by Tom Misner in the mid-1970’s to teach audio engineering and has since expanded programmatically into the areas of filmmaking, digital animation, game design and iOS programming. SAE is headquartered in Oxford, England and has over 50 campuses worldwide with six in the US.
- http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/home/item/255440.html
- http://www.sae.edu/en-us/news_overview/1652/News
Although I am looking forward to this new chapter, the decision to leave is bittersweet. This coming Fall will be the first time in 57 years that the Dancz name will not be listed on the faculty roster at UGA, and I am deeply thankful for the opportunity I have had to continue the work that Roger and Phyllis began in Athens in 1955. It has been such a privilege to work with so many bright and talented students these past 20 years, and I hope that their UGA education will continue to positively affect the world they are creating.
When I decided to accept the invitation to join the faculty in Athens, my personal commitment was to leave the school in a better state than I found it when I arrived. I am so pleased to see the positive effect the Music Business Program has had on our students and hope that it continues to shed light and open doors into a challenging and rewarding industry. We have been working on formulating new offerings at the Hodgson School of Music which one day could provide that same type of real-world, music industry preparation and I appreciate the work my colleagues have done with me since August to prepare for that eventuality.
As I depart this beautiful campus, I will cherish Jazz Program highlights including transformative moments performing at the Vienne and Montreux Jazz Festivals in Europe, and taking the Jazz Band to China at the official invitation of Governor Perdue to open Georgia’s Trade Office in Beijing. It is with deep gratitude that I acknowledge the special gifts from Andy and Carol Heyward and Dr. and Mrs. Saunders Jones to support the Jazz Program, generous support that has left an indelible mark on our students.
Thanks sincerely for your friendship and support before and during the UGA decades, and I look forward to staying connected in the next chapter.
Best regards,
Steve
Blues in the Closet