The Unlikely Saga of a Singer from Ann Arbor

Book excerpt: (From the Preface) Many budding musicians - even from affluent families with both parents living at home and providing a strong supportive environment, combined with constant encouragement - find it very challenging to earn a PhD and reach the pinnacle of a deanship and professorship at a competitive institution of higher learning in the United States of America. As you read this book you will find that no one informed Willis Patterson of this phenomenon because without having the aforementioned criteria, he accomplished those goals and many more. The book's main character begins his life, similar to a diamond in the rough, and over time evolves into a rare gem at maturity. These pages will reveal how Willis Patterson of Ann Arbor, Michigan developed from somewhat of a lost child in the 1930s into a: sophisticated academician (Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Supervision from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI); a superior vocal performer; Voice Department Chair, Fulbright Scholar; esteemed Master Voice Teacher; Choral and Glee Club director extraordinaire; University Leader in the recruitment and retention of Minority students (Voice/Performing/Composition); an established Church Choir Director; and Associate Academic Dean of the School of Music at one of America's finest universities, the University of Michigan. This book is about a very humble man of significant stature. Although he was motivated and driven to become the best he could be in his quest for excellence - by kicking open the door of opportunity whenever it was presented (audition ready) - he never forgot his family members or hometown acquaintances.