Richard
Burt has had a wide variety of opportunities in his 45 years of musical
performance, teaching, conducting, and adjudicating. As a student at Frank
Kellogg High School in Roseville, he was selected as a member of the Minnesota
All-State Band, scored top ratings at the State Solo Contest, and earned a music
scholarship to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he was a member
of the
Concert Band Ensemble and Marching Band.
While a
student, he also played many jobs in bands at dances and concerts. Before
graduating from the University of Minnesota, he took two years off to join a
group from Canada which played throughout the United States.
After
graduation, he was a substitute teacher for 6 months in the Twin Cities, and
then accepted the instrumental director position at Independent School District
#97 in Moose Lake, Minnesota, where he taught
grades 5-12 for 33 years. Activities at the school included concert
bands, stage bands,marching bands, pit bands, pep bands, and chairman of the
music department. He also created and directed the Moose Lake Area Community
Band, continuing in that position after retirement. Other post-retirement
activities included being musical director of two musicals, substitute teaching,
and judging concert bands at Section Music Contests.
Richard and his wife moved back to the Twin Cities to be closer to most of their family in 2010- now residing in Richfield where his wife, Judi, grew up. He became a member of the Richfield Symphonic Band, and was asked to become director when the position came open. He also is a member of the Synod Band…where he leads a baritone/euphonium ensemble…and the Normandale Community College Band, and continues to give private music lessons.
Richard
likes getting involved with music of all kinds, enjoys following the Minnesota
Twins, loves to play his euphonium, and is an avid reader and cruciverbalist (
crossword puzzle solver.) He and Judi especially cherish the times they can
spend with their three grand daughters.