Owen to leave Glacier View after 29 years

MAT-SU — The halls of Glacier View School are filled with the melodious sounds of trumpets, kindergarten students singing and middle school clarinet warm-ups. They are all preparing for the annual winter concert. The concert and music program are the sole vision of teacher Mark Owen.

There was no music program at Glacier View when Owen started teaching at this rural K-12 school 29 years ago. He founded the program and had a recital the first year. Although it was a miniscule performance with only a few instruments, the students and community embraced the new idea. Later, he formed a rudimentary choir and from there the program began to grow.

Today, the music program is one of the most prominent features of the school. His vast knowledge and passion for music has enriched the lives of hundreds of students over the years. For many years, he traveled annually to the Region 2 Music Festival with his students, leading them to expand their knowledge under new directors.

Students have been adjudicated at these festivals and gained critical feedback in the context of how to improve their performance and abilities. This is just one of the many grand adventures the students have experienced under his leadership.

Most recently on Dec. 12, Owen and his students performed his final Glacier View Winter Concert. The performance was not your traditional winter concert with Christmas and winter songs. This was a unique concert in which musicians performed “Anyway You Want It” by Steve Perry and Nick Schon, which turned out to be the theme of the performance. For his final winter concert, he performed a myriad of jazzy songs, including “The Adams Family” by Vic Mizzy. For his final concert, he played what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted, and his passion for music was demonstrated through the quality of sound created.

Not only has Owen used his expertise in music and social studies, he also displayed immense flexibility by teaching career development classes, P.E., and even coaching hockey. His capabilities in teaching are not taken for granted at Glacier View. During his career, he facilitated three trips to Europe, allowing numerous students to experience foreign travel, witness ancient ruins and become increasingly aware of our world’s history. These European trips gave the students a goal to work toward through fundraising. Owen worked with students to develop strategies and ideas to involve the community. These foreign travel experiences are rare for most of the students in middle and high school and created life-long memories.

We are saddened to know that he will be leaving us after the end of this school year. Owen is beginning a new chapter in his life as a teacher at an international school in Myanmar in Central Asia. When learning that the school lacks a music program, he grew eager for the opportunity to build a program from scratch once again; an appreciation of music in a new setting.

Owen will be greatly missed both at the Glacier View School and in the community. We are grateful for the 29 years of service he has dedicated to us and wish him the best of luck on this new journey.

Miranda Roub is a senior at Glacier View School.