The Influence of Excellence: T. Carol Agee and the Fort Collins High School Orchestra Program

Abstract

In 1947 T. Carol Agee resurrected the Fort Collins High School Orchestra (FCHS) program after his return from WWII, and became the first music teacher to be hired as the full-time orchestra director at the school. He quickly created a “storied” program in the state of Colorado culminating, for him, in a 1955 Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) performance. Later, as Principal of FCHS, Agee advocated for music programs and carried them through the turbulent years of the 1960s when the public demanded more math and science in schools. In 1964, he was awarded a John Hay Whitney fellowship, which fostered in him a strong philosophy for the inclusion of humanities in public education. Agee recognized the importance of academics, but only in the context of a broader understanding of the humanities, believing the goal of a humanities course was to make humanity more human. His contribution to music education goes beyond creating an amazing program in a small, farm community in northern Colorado. Agee argues for music education as being valuable in itself, and not simply a supportive subject to other disciplines.