Sharing director role, couple advance HNMC

By Mary Stamp

As co-executive directors of the Holy Names Music Center, pianists Archie Chen and Rhona Gouldson-Chen envision future opportunities, partnerships and expansion as they look to relocate from the historic building where the center offers music instruction and programs.

Every day after school, the 12 rooms for private and group lessons are filled until 7 p.m. During the day, homeschool students, preschoolers and adults come.

Believing music is integral to individual lives and the community's cultural vibrancy, they are reaching out through their partners and the community to find a state-of-the-art place with room to grow for their future needs.

Renowned singers, violinists, composers and pianists have started at the center, which is accredited by the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.

"We are optimistic in face of the challenge of relocating, seeing it as an opportunity to re-imagine what Holy Names Music Center can be with new partnerships and continued support from the community," Rhona said.

As a child and teen, Archie came to Holy Names Music Center (HNMC) for music festivals, auditions and recitals.

"It has always been a great place for music education with quality faculty and unparalleled dedication to music," he said.

Rhona recounted the center's rich history of more than a century, founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

When five Sisters of the Holy Names arrived in Spokane in 1888 from Portland, Ore., to open an elementary school, they also began teaching piano.

Over the years, the sisters have known the power of music and the arts in people's lives, so music has a prominent role in their mission of education and justice.

Holy Names Normal School (1907-1938), Holy Names College (1938-1960) and Fort Wright College of the Holy Names (1960-1982) offered studies in fine arts, arts and education.

Since the college closed in 1982, the Music Center continued in one building at Fort Wright College, preparing music teachers, performers, community leaders of the arts, and patrons who support music throughout the region, nation and world.

In 1990, Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute, an extension of Mukogawa Women's University in Nishinomiya, Spokane's sister city in Japan, purchased and opened a U.S. campus at the Fort Wright site. They agreed to have HNMC to continue music education with a 30-year $1 a year lease for the Music Center and McNally Recital Hall buildings, which continued until June. Mukogawa students also have taken instruction at the Music Center, which considers itself Spokane's community music school.

The mission remains to "nurture a lifelong passion for the arts, making music accessible to all ages, regardless of ability, income or background," said Rhona. "Like any institution, we are facing challenges that require us to adapt and grow."

After the lease expired, HNMC began paying rent, Archie said. "We can't buy just this building, so we are looking for options to purchase a facility that will be large enough in a new venue."

Beyond seeking a venue, he said they are developing partnerships and relationships to advance what the music center can be, so they can increase access to music education and cultural opportunities for Spokane.

They invite others to help them explore options. So they are expanding the board to bring fresh perspectives that reflect the needs of the community.

"We seek to build a sustainable model by expanding our donors, exploring new ways to raise funds and creating an endowment so we do not just survive but thrive in the decades to come," said Archie.

Meanwhile HNMC continues to teach students from two years old to senior citizens. It offers an early childhood "Sing, Say & Dance" program, a youth choir, adult programs, and individual and group lessons in cello, clarinet, flute, piccolo, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, oboe, percussion piano, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, bass and voice.

It also offers a jazz combo class, summer camps and workshops. Project Joy Orchestra rehearses there Tuesday mornings.

Many of the 40 teachers perform in the Spokane Symphony.

"Typically, we serve nearly 300 students and are working to spread visibility in order to build our numbers," said Rhona.

Archie and Rhona bring unique gifts as co-directors.

With both Archie and Rhona teaching music, their children, 15 and 17, began playing when they were two years old. Both have played violin in the Spokane Youth Symphony. Their daughter is studying voice and guitar at HNMC, and enjoys musical theatre.

Rhona grew up in Dublin, Ireland, the youngest of five siblings in a musical family. She and one other sibling have pursued music careers.

"Piano is my first passion. I also play the Irish harp," said Rhona who graduated with full scholarships from the Dublin College of Music in 1992 and Trinity College Dublin in 1995.

She headed the piano department of a private school in Dublin for several years before deciding to open her own private school for piano, the Piano Academy of Ireland, which she and Archie continue to manage remotely.

They also ran National and International Piano Festivals before moving to Spokane in 2018 to care for Archie's mother, after they had lived 15 years close to Rhona's mother in Ireland.

Archie's mother grew up in Taiwan, the youngest of 10 siblings. She was an organist playing in jazz clubs when one sister married a Navy officer. His mother and other sisters immigrated to Spokane in the 1970s.

Picking out tunes on his mother's organ at the age of three, Archie began formal piano lessons at five. He was immersed in music early, because his aunts and uncles came to his mother's house for late night jam sessions, playing Bach to Beatles.

Archie grew up in the Mead schools before pursuing music studies at Indiana University in Bloomington. After earning a bachelor's in 1999 and a master's in 2001, he was invited to a master class with John O'Conor, an Irish pianist. In 2012, Archie completed doctoral studies at Dublin City University.

Archie and Rhona met in Dublin in 2003 and began working together to run the Piano Company of Ireland.

Rhona was raised Catholic in Ireland. Archie grew up Presbyterian, attending First Presbyterian in Spokane, where he played piano solos, played for funerals and weddings, and participated in Messiah and Bachfest. The two enjoy visiting different churches with their children.

He is classically trained in Bach, Mozart and Chopin. Rhona loves the romantic music of Schubert, Beethoven and Chopin.

"For me, music, especially Bach, is a spiritual experience adding to worship," said Archie.

"Music has power to connect us to the spiritual," Rhona said. "I am drawn to music that is uplifting, reflective and soulful."

"Before we were administrators, we created music. We enjoy practicing and playing together," said Archie, who frequently plays with the Spokane Symphony and Spokane String Quartet.

Rhona said many students at the music center are of diverse faiths, but its mission is to be open to anyone in the community.

Archie and Rhone continue the values of Holy Names Sisters, guided by two teachers, Sister Kay Heberling, piano, and Sister Karen Conlin, cello.

"The Holy Names Sisters are wonderful supporters of the arts," Rhona said. "The influence of the sisters is evident in the way we run the center and continue to be inspired by them.

"We are part of their education ministry and continue their values of being inclusive, fair and just, making music accessible to everyone, regardless of their experiences or struggles," Rhona said, pointing out that music can be healing, drawing people out of their problems and helping them find their voice.

For information, call 326-9516 or email music@hnmc.org.