A Message from the Director
Welcome to the Lamont School of Music Web site. My name is Joe Docksey, professor and Director of the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver. Students at Lamont call me Joe which should give you some insight to the close-knit family culture that we have established at the Lamont School of Music.
First of all, you should know that this magnificent building, the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts, has been the home of the Lamont School of Music since 2002. This state-of-the art building is amongst the finest University performing arts centers in the world. It is a testimony as to the importance of the music program at the University of Denver.
But what's inside the building is what makes Lamont one of the truly great music schools in the country. The faculty here is second to none in its ability to mentor, educate and nurture students. We are all about educating the whole student and while we have produced many wonderful professional artists, those not ending up with a career in performance feel their lives enriched by our program. Listen to what one student wrote to his professor recently.
"My time with you will always be special to me. You helped me become an active participant in my life again...and with that knowledge, all of what I thought were failures suddenly have become the greatest treasures of my life because they hold the key to happiness....you taught me to allow myself to have success in my life."
Once you become a member of the Lamont family, we are committed to you as a musician and as a person and we expect you to commit to your family at Lamont as well by celebrating the successes of your peers and helping those in need.
I invite you to visit us, talk to our students and get a feel for the specialness of the Lamont school of Music. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Remember, my name is Joe.
A Brief History of the Lamont School of Music
Founded in 1924 by renowned voice teacher Florence Lamont Hinman, the Lamont School of Music began as a private proprietary school in downtown Denver. Under Ms. Hinman's direction, the Lamont School of Music flourished, becoming an important cultural fixture in Denver's arts scene throughout the 1920s and 30s. In 1941, the school merged with the University of Denver and remained under Ms. Hinman's direction until her retirement in 1952. Roger Dexter Fee, one of Ms. Hinman's vocal proteges, was named the school's second director.
Despite its separation from DU's main campus for many years, the Lamont School of Music persevered, and was poised for expansion and development. Both followed with the appointment of the school's fifth and present director, F. Joseph Docksey. In 1988, the Lamont School of Music's enrollment totaled 116 music majors at both the graduate and undergraduate levels; by 2001, enrollment jumped to 256; and by 2007, the school had reached its strategic enrollment cap of 300 music majors. In February 2005, the Lamont School of Music was recognized by the city of Denver with the Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.