Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 39

WONDERKIND STUDIOS Ed Childs (left) has composed music for many friends, including Dr. Gerard Sundberg, professor at Wheaton's Conservatory of Music. the Eastman School of Music. His course of study at Eastman was punctuated by his marriage, as well as three years of military service in the United States Army Field Band. After beginning his career in the music department at the Philadelphia College of Bible, Ed worked for 20 years as professor of music at Biola University. He then returned to Wheaton and taught in the music department at Moody Bible Institute. He became dear friends with the very Wheaton professors who had been, and continued to be, his mentors. In 1999, Ed’s life took a dramatic turn when he suffered an accident that left the left side of his body paralyzed. After several months of intensive rehabilitation, Ed was able to return to teaching, but his ability to play music was compromised, and he could no longer serve as church organist at College Church in Wheaton. Drawing on the prayers of many and on his own determination, Ed chose to view limitation as opportunity: he again turned his focus to composition, and produced volumes of sacred and secular choral, vocal, keyboard, and instrumental works. Many of Ed’s compositions are for the organ, and Ed asked Brenda Heck Portman ’02, the young woman who filled in for him at College Church after his accident, to be his hands and feet for the CD, All Might and Majesty. Ed’s compositions and arrangements led to the production of more CDs, including several that Ed arranged at the request of Conservatory of Music Professor Gerard Sundberg, whose rich voice is highlighted throughout. Desiring further collaboration, Ed began to arrange favorite spirituals with more musician friends in mind: flautist Jennifer Dolan Reddick ’95, violinist Gail Salvatori ’76, and harpist Barbara Ann Fackler ’78. Ed’s efforts yielded yet another CD, At the River, which was recorded and engineered by Daniel Fackler ’80. Ed describes it as a “journey back to my physical and expressive roots.” Recalled and arranged from memory, the pieces on At the River hold echoes and memories of Ed’s grandmother, playing the piano late into the New England night. Jennifer describes the experience of working with Ed as, “Uplifting! He never seems to run out of energy or excitement as we rehearse.” Barbara says of their collaboration, “Ed has shown me that it’s possible to be humble and confident concurrently.” With At the River, Ed’s journey as a musician might be described as coming around full circle—but with two CDs on the horizon, including one arranged expressly for cellist Julie MacLean Tehan ’03, who now teaches at Wheaton’s Community School of the Arts, and an organ composition in the works for Brenda Portman, it’s clear the influence of Ed’s musical outpouring will continue to expand. P HOT O COURT E S Y THE DE NVER CEN TER FOR TH E PER FORMIN G A R T S / CREDIT: JENNIFER M KO SKIN EN “I thought it was a lovely time to learn more about the school and meet other parents and alumni.” “THE PERFORMANCE WAS AMAZING!” “More of this type of event, please!” WHEATON 141833_33-55.indd 37 37 3/19/14 8:20 PM