Episode 87

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Published on:

7th Oct 2025

2.37 - Charles Rochester Young

Charles Rochester Young was appointed as the Director of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2022. At UNC Greensboro he works collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and leadership to illuminate the lives of listeners and to better support students’ professional aspirations. Prior to his appointment at UNC Greensboro, Young served as the Associate Dean and Chief Academic Officer at Baldwin Wallace University’s Conservatory of Music in Ohio.

A fifth-generation educator, Young has received awards from the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (Wisconsin Professor of the Year), the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents (Regents Teaching Excellence Award—their highest honor), the University Continuing Education Association (National First Prize for Innovative Programming), Wisconsin School Music Association (Creative Sparks Award), and the College Music Society (Robby D. Gunstream Education in Music Award).

As an artist, Dr. Young has received composition and performance awards from ASCAP, Meet the Composer, the National Endowment of the Arts, the Fischoff National Chamber Music competition, the National Association of Composers USA, the National Band Association, the National Flute Association, and the British and International Bassists Federation. His original works are widely published, recorded, and performed.

Currently, Dr. Young serves as the Chair of the Nominations Committee for the National Association of Schools of Music. Young has previously served the College Music Society as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, as treasurer, and as board liaison for the Presidential Task Force on Leading Change. Previously, he served in leadership capacities with the North American Saxophone Alliance, the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers, and the Wisconsin Music Educators Association.

Prior to Baldwin Wallace University, Young taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Central Connecticut State University, and Interlochen Arts Camp. He earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) and Master’s in Music (MM) degrees from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree from Baylor University.

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About the Podcast

Composer Chats
Composer Chat is a podcast where we talk a little bit about music, a little bit about life, and a whole lot about whatever we feel like at the moment! Each episode I am joined by a special guest composer and we will chat about their pathway towards success in their musical career!

About your host

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Jason Nitsch

Jason Nitsch’s music is equally at home on the concert stage, in outdoor venues, and streaming online, reaching the broadest audience of musicians, performers, and music enthusiasts possible. As a composer dedicated to the exploration of new ideas, his music has evolved over a 25-year career to incorporate more and more non-traditional elements, such as effect tracks, sound drops, and enveloping electroacoustic works combining live and pre-recorded elements. Much of his work is rooted in a large ensemble context; his wind ensemble works have received thousands of performances throughout the US including at Midwest, State Music Conferences including Texas, Colorado, and Kentucky Music Educators Associations, Colleges and Universities like Baylor University, the University of North Texas, and Syracuse University, and at other regional music festivals (ITEA).

In recent years Jason has focused on more intimate chamber musical settings, including collaborations with solo musicians such as trumpeter Kate Amrine , Cellist Carolyn Regula (The Cello Doll) and vocalist Michaela Catapano, as well as chamber groups across the US (Chicago Brass Choir), while continuing expand his sizable catalog of works for larger instrumental forces.

Jason is well known for his work as an educator, dedicated to providing young promising musicians with the foundational experiences on which a lifetime of music-making can be built, and is pursuing research into the ways that music students process their experiences as learners and performers.

Combining his long career in music with a deep love of science fiction and a natural talent for storytelling, Jason recently launched his first podcast, “Beyond the Belt: Adventures from the Outer Rim.” “Beyond the Belt” is a collection of 8 original dramatic science fiction episodes for which he served as writer, producer, and composer. It tells the story of a scientific research experiment gone horribly wrong. With Zombies (of course!).

Jason has released three digital albums in recent years, including the Season One Soundtrack from the Beyond the Belt podcast, “1000 Steps to Nowhere", a collection of chamber music compositions, and most recently “The Dead Teach the Living,” featuring nine vocal collaborations ranging from solo works to Orchestral compositions.

Jason is a lover of dogs, video games, and all things Star Wars (yes, even the prequels). He is also a husband, father of two budding musicians, and a patron of art forms that stretch traditional boundaries.

He currently lives in Waxhachie, TX with his family. He can occasionally be sighted lurking at select music conferences.