Ed Soule
Librarian delights not only in books
but also in creating and singing songs
By MELODY WARD
Of the Emerald
The University is about peo
ple helping and teaching other
people, says Ed Soule, Uni
versity music librarian and
composer.
Since 1966 he has served on
the library faculty, but his ac
tivities don’t stop with refer
ence work. Soule teaches,
serves on several graduate
students’ committees, com
poses “serious” music and is a
self-described “singer of folk
songs.”
“I just like to write for peo
ple,” Soule says of his compos
ing. “It doesn’t mean lowering
your standards.” Though he
says he has thrown away "car
ton after carton of scraps that
had no meaning,” Soule has
finished around 400 pieces,
several of which have been
published.
His works include piano
music, art songs (“there’s a
snobbish name for every
thing”), chamber music and
choral music. Much of Soule’s
piano music is in the form of
“teaching pieces” for students.
Three of them were chosen for
publication in the ‘‘Joy of
Easy-Modern Piano Pieces",
edited by Denes Agay, nation
ally known composer of
children's music and compiler
of many anthologies of teach
ing music.
“The only person having four
(published) was Bart ok,” Soule
observes with a grin. Yet, he
says publishing is hard to come
by, even though “the amount of
junk published is appalling.”
Soule doesn’t think he has
ever written a perfect piece.
“Sometimes I have a big sort
of vision of a piece, but usually
it never comes out the way I’d
thought,” he says.
Soule considers himself only
one of several composers in
the campus community.
“We have a really good
composition department here,
headed by Hal Owen,’’ he
says. Owen and Monte Tubb,
another music faculty member,
were both Ford Foundation
composers and have “a good
deal of music” published.
“Music is for people,” Soule
affirms. “I often write things
because people ask me to or
because someone expresses
interest in certain combina
tions of instruments or needs
pieces for a specific instru
ment.”
He says, “the music faculty
and students have been very
helpful. I’ve gotten a lot of per
formances I never would have
received otherwise. You really
don’t do anything without
someone else helping.”
A grant from the Office of
Scientific and Scholarly Re
search was particularly helpful,
according to Soule. He was
given money to update, edit
and disseminate his composi
tions a few years ago.
Soule says he knows a piece
is well done when a person
says afterward that it was
beautiful.
“I put it on a very naive
basis,” he explains. ‘‘I want to
create beautiful music but not
in the Victorian sense. Beauty
can be terrifying.”
He says one of the best
compliments he ever received
was from a co-worker on the
library staff: "You know, it’s so
wonderful to hear this music
from good old everyday Ed!”
Terming himself the “mid
dlest of the middle guys,”
Soule asks, “If you aren’t in
touch with people, then what
are you doing? There’s really
no future or money in compos
ing. Ask any composer. You
just have to keep on writing.
Half the poor bastards starve to
death doing it.”
Success, or the American
image of success, causes con
flict for many creative artists,
Soule says. “We are sur
rounded by a feeling about
success. In American success
terms, I’m not very successful.
But I must have the integrity to
University librarian Ed Soule
Photo by Alan Auyaong
■*1
jyaung
stay with what I believe in. It’s
not standing still — it’s pro
gressing on my own terms.”
Soule has taught more than
20 different courses in his
career. Prior to becoming a li
brarian, he served on the music
faculties of several colleges
and universities.
He has a Yale/Eastman
background in theory and
composition and taught musi
cianship, piano, orchestration
and other courses for more
than 20 years. In 1966, he got a
master’s degree in library sci
ence at the age of 51 in just 10
months, and then started a
second career.
“Teaching is very important in
librarianship. You’re giving
people a feeling of being at
home.”
Soule believes the real busi
ness of universities is to teach.
“I think research should
come out of teaching ... we
have some good teachers here
but we could always use
more.”
CSPA students to attend Job Faire
Spring often brings thoughts of graduation
and questions about the job market into the
minds of many students. The Wallace School
of Community Service and Public Affairs
(CSPA) will sponsor a Job Faire Thursday so
students can meet with representatives from
various agencies and learn about career op
portunities.
“It’s a good chance for people to find out
about the job market and what sort of courses
they should be taking to prepare for certain
jobs,” says Sharon Murphy, Job Faire coor
dinator.
Areas to be represented include human ser
vices, corrections, public administration on all
government levels, the Internal Revenue Ser
vice, the National Alliance of Businessmen,
VISTA, and the University Veterans Associa
tion. Murphy estimates that close to 20 agen
cies will participate.
Employers from throughout Oregon will take
part, and some will be looking for students to fill
jobs now or in the future, Murphy says.
There is no cost for attending the faire.
Those who register will be given a “mini
resume” form. Students can also draw up a
resume before the faire in the Career, Plan
ning and Placement Office before Thursday.
The Job Faire will run from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
and from noon to 4 p.m. in Room 167 EMU.
Now Open on Mondays at 11:00 a.m.
MONDAY SPECIAL:
SPAGHETTI DINNER 1 SP
(Served all Day)
All the Spaghetti you can eat with the sauce of
your choice. Meal includes soup or salad and
• bread sticks
FAMILY STYLE LUNCH & DINNER
Reservations recommended for parties of six or more
726-1844 3111 Gateway SI., oil I-5 at Belt Line Exit
Greyhound Rx.
The cure for
college blahs.
It’s a feeling that slowly descends upon
you. The exams, the pop tests, the required
reading, the hours at the library, the thesis—
they won’t go away.
But you can. This weekend, take off,
say hello to your friends, see the sights,
have a great time. You’ll arrive with money in
your pocket because your Greyhound trip
doesn't take that much out of it.
If you’re feeling tired, depressed and
exhausted, grab a Greyhound and split. It's
a sure cure for the blahs.
You Can
Leave
Greyhound Service
One- Round
To Way Trip
Portland $6.95 $13.25 4:00 pm 7:00 pm
Seattle $19 05 $36.20 2:40 pm 10:05 pm
Pendleton $17.45 $33.20 2:40 pm 11:00 pm
Medford $9.35 $17.80 6:35 pm 10:30 pm
Klamath $9.35 $17.80 3:20 pm 7:30 pm
Ask your agent about additional departures and return trips
(Prices subject to change )
Greyhound Agent
Address
Phone
GO GREYHOUND
j-s
SALE
209? to 309? off on 100?? pure cotton
shirts, skirts, and tops for men and
women.
Ana In
IMPORTS FROM
INDIA
1038 Willamette Street
^ 687-9766 j
ASUO
Open Forum
City
Council
Candidates
Tuesday
May 2
12-3
EMU
Room to be
posted
mi nnniKinnniiiinniiiKin^