Dear School of Music Community:
I am writing to share very sad news of the recent passing of Penny Woodward, an alumna and former faculty member in the Department of Music Education. Penny is also the wife of Greg Woodward. For those newer to our community, Greg served the School of Music as a professor and dean, and Ithaca College as an interim provost as well as dean of graduate and professional studies, between the years of 1984-2012. Currently, he is the president of the University of Hartford.
Penny and Greg have remained valued members of the School of Music and Ithaca College family. This is certainly a sad time for the School of Music as we face additional loss and grief, and I am reminded of the powerful interconnectedness of our community, and the need to cherish the gifts each of us bring to one another.
Please see the note Greg shared with us in honor of Penny:
Penny graduated with a BM in music education in 1976, studying horn with Jack Covert. She played in Gobrecht’s band and in orchestra with Thomas Michalak, playing next to Gail Williams. She auditioned to get into IC for Walter Beeler! Pop
After teaching both vocal and instrumental elementary and middle school music in Schenectady for 4 years, she returned to IC for a master’s degree in music education with piano as her main instrument, studying with Mary Ann Covert.
She then taught in Central Square, NY for a few years and then left there to begin a Ph.D in music education at Northwestern University in the music education classes of Bennet Reimer. She contributed a chapter to one of his many books on the subject.
At the dissertation stage she returned to NY and began teaching instrumental music in Trumansburg at the middle school (and for four years at the high school level) for 26 years.
When she started at Tburg Middle School there were 8 students in the band program. When she retired, almost 50% of the students in the middle school were in the program, with three bands, a jazz band, and many NYSSMA competition chamber ensembles.
During this time she always had IC student teachers in TBurg. She was Tompkins County Teacher of the Year twice and was selected as the top music teacher in New York State by the Yale School of Music for a special symposium on music ed.
After retiring from the middle school (her favorite job that she made by choice!) she supervised IC student teachers for a few years, taught select classes as an adjunct faculty member, and then taught in the School of Music full-time in music education in 2011.
She continued playing horn for many years in the Swamp College Brass Quintet. She gave several lectures in music education at Carthage College and helped find funding for a Kenosha inner-city instrumental school program in which she also volunteered as a teacher, giving several lessons a week.
She also volunteered at the Battered Women Shelter of Kenosha, hosting writing and needlepoint learning sessions at her home.
She was asked by the Hartt School of Music to supervise music education students last year but could not undertake this work because of her health.
In Hartford, she began, as a volunteer, an instrumental program at the Grace Academy for Girls, an inner-city school in Hartford. She found state funding and instruments for the program.
She was also an amazing partner to Greg for almost 40 years, and an incredible mom to Julia, who studied trombone with Hal Reynolds and piano with Pam Rossi; Vivienne, who studied bassoon with Lee Goodhew and piano with Pam Rossi; and Charles, who studied guitar with Pablo Cohen and trumpet with his mom, Russell Posegate and Hope Lewis.
The University of Hartford has established a website where remembrances and condolences can be shared with the Woodward family. Information on any funeral or memorial services for Penny will be shared with the IC community when it becomes available
As always, support services for students are available through the Ithaca College Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) by calling 607-274-3136. Students needing immediate assistance should contact the Office of Public Safety at 607-274-3333 or the on-duty residential life staff.
Faculty and staff can access the counseling services of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 1-800-327-2255. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life has a website dedicated to grief resources.
Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Most Sincerely,
Ivy Walz
Interim Dean, School of Music