Sinclair360

This spring Sinclair Community College students and faculty will be making great music, thanks in part to donors of the Sinclair Foundation.

The Sinclair Foundation receives countless valuable gifts from donors, but not all of them are quite as unique as the gift of Robert Mueller and his nephew, Don Mueller.

Robert taught music to thousands of students at Stebbins High School before becoming a staff accompanist in Sinclair’s Department of Music during his retirement. “For the last decade or so of his life, Robert focused a lot of his music energy on our department,” said Robert Ruckman, chair of the Department of Music. “As a piano accompanist, there was virtually nothing he could not play, and he was well-liked by everyone.”

When Robert Mueller passed away last year, a planned gift to the Sinclair Foundation reflected his fondness for Sinclair and its students. As Robert’s nephew, Don, helped to settle his uncle’s estate, he was impressed by the caliber of Sinclair’s programs and was inspired to make a donation of his own, in addition to his uncle’s gift. “Music is something that my uncle and I were able to share; we both loved the arts. I would give him tickets to shows in Cincinnati, and I often attended concerts for his students and other performances at Sinclair,” he said. “To honor his memory and his contributions to Sinclair’s music department, I decided to donate a celesta to Sinclair’s Department of Music.”

Celestas – musical instruments similar to pianos and organs that produce heavenly, or “celestial,” tones – usually belong to only professional musicians or elite music programs. Perhaps the most recognizable use of a celesta is the distinctive music featured in The Nutcracker during the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

“I wanted Sinclair to have a permanent piece that can be used and enjoyed by students for years to come,” Don said. “I worked with the Department of Music and the Sinclair Foundation to see what needs they had, and we felt like this was the right thing to do to honor my uncle and his work at Sinclair.”

“We are so grateful to Don and Robert for their gifts,” said Ruckman. “We’re fortunate to have this unique piece in our collection for students to enjoy and use.”

To commemorate the donation of the celesta, Don served as guest conductor at a Sinclair Wind Symphony concert on March 7, 2010, in Blair Hall. “I’ve only ever conducted in my head or in front of the mirror at home, but this was a great experience,” he said. “There’s a lot of musical talent in our family, and this was something I’d always wanted to do. Someone gave me a conductor’s baton as a gift years ago, and it was great to put it to use at the performance.”

For more information on donor gifts or to make a donation, contact Patricia L. Lavy, director of Advancement, at (937) 512-2005 or patricia.lavy@sinclair.edu.

By Meghann Heft

Meghann Heft recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Dayton. She can be reached at meghann.heft@gmail.com.