Skip to main content

Meet Our Faculty: Craig Ferrin

 

Dr. Craig E. Ferrin


Age:

60


Residence:

Spanish Fork, Utah


From:

I grew up in Tooele, raised our family in Taylorsville, and will retire to Spanish Fork. 


School of:

Arts, Communication and Media, specifically Music Education. My father was my band teacher growing up. Being a music teacher was simply what I was always going to do. I don’t know that I ever gave it a second thought. 



Degrees:

1986 - Bachelor of Music – University of Utah – Major: Music Education

1987 - Master of Music – Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Music Education

2002 - Doctor of Philosophy – University of Utah – Music Education


Academic goals:

I love to learn. Because I already hold a doctorate, I don’t really need another degree. Yet, if I were to do another program or degree, I think it would “Instructional Design.” Being a musician I realized that creativity is really a rather “messy” endeavor and in teaching creativity I realized I had to find a semblance of order to the process. This has led to studies in creativity, design thinking, project management, and agile management. Through it all I am become an expert in Creativity. 


Dream job:

I am living it. I get to teach and learn and then teach again what I learn. What could possibly be better? Actually,  I would like to start consulting in creative processes in addition to teaching at SLCC. 


Why a career in higher education:

Being a musician, or even a creative, is difficult. Few musicians have a single job that they attend to every day as a musician. However, many musicians support themselves and their families well is independent businesspeople and contractors in music. I love to teach students how to be that musical and creative businessperson that allows them to pursue their passion and make a living at the same time. 


Why SLCC:

At the time, the reason was easy. SLCC asked me to apply and offered me the job. Why do I stay? The students and people I get to work with.



What motivates you or inspires you at school and/or in life:

The students are my motivation to teach and learn. The world needs good music and I relish the ability to teach music, and also the opportunity to teach them to make a living as musicians. 


Important life and career lessons you have learned so far?

One of the great tragedies of our public schools, at least when I was growing up, is that we had to learn to “do it right.” Even as a musician I learned to “play it right.” As I age, I have concluded that I have spent way too much of my life “doing it right” and not near enough of it “creating something new.” I have learned there are many, many ways to do things right, and not just the prescribed methods we were taught. Most people rebel as youth and mellow as they age. I seem to be doing the opposite. I played the games and did it right in my youth, now in my 60’s I find I am a lot more willing to entertain and celebrate creative differences. 


Best advice you have been given or that you give others:

Learning doesn’t ever stop. The advanced and professional degrees we earn or merely licenses and knowledge to learn more and ask bigger and better questions. In a world where answers are often at our fingertips, it is the quality of our questions that make the difference. 


Family:

I am married to the greatest and loveliest woman in the world and we have 6 children, 4 children in law, and 4.5 grandchildren. 


Hobbies:

Travel, Hiking, Biking, Swimming (not running), being with my family, playing my trumpet, writing songs, conducting the Murray Concert Band. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rev Up Your Future at SLCC Annuals Hop into College

SLCC West Valley Center will be opening its doors on Friday, August 2, from 6-9 pm for their annual lowrider event that celebrates the automotive culture and welcomes current, past, and future Bruins into the SLCC community. This unique event allows lowriders to showcase their vehicles and for spectators to witness the creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that goes into a lowrider car. From the sleek custom paint jobs to the impressive hydraulics showcased at the hop-off, attendees get immersed in the vibrant culture created by SLCC West Valley’s community. Beyond the car show, Hop into College provides prospective students and their families the opportunity to explore SLCC, engage with their future peers, staff and faculty and obtain valuable insight into the degrees and programs offered. Furthermore, the community is provided with countless beneficial resources not only as an SLCC student but as a community member. Whether interested in learning more about the lowrider community o...

SLCC Alumnus and U.S. Diplomat to Speak at 2025 Commencement

Salt Lake Community College’s 2025 Commencement speaker Branigan Knowlton will share his perspectives drawn from a 12-year career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. In serving his country, Knowlton has honed his foreign relations and diplomacy skills in Hong Kong, Mexico, Colombia and Italy. Knowlton is also a proud Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) alumnus (2002).     Knowlton currently serves at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Before reporting to the embassy, he was detailed to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport as part of the Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellowship program. In Bogotá, Knowlton worked for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and in Hermosillo, Mexico, he worked for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. His first assignment abroad was in Hong Kong, where he worked for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.     "I've actively sought opportunities that push me into the unfamiliar, even when ...

Recognizing SLCC's 2025 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering

The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer is a recognition of quality work by one of Salt Lake Community College’s full-time faculty and a charge to develop that work over an academic year into a public presentation. A committee chosen by the Associate Provost for Learning Advancement selects the faculty lecturer each year. The lecture takes place in the spring. Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering Dr. Andrew Vogt’s teaching philosophy is guided by two principles, curiosity and efficiency.  “Curiosity leads us to study a topic and allows us to really understand the ins and outs of research, while efficiency is all about sustainability,” he says. Andrew describes curiosity as a pure, open-minded impulse to explore, such as the ease with which children learn new concepts with virtually no instruction. Efficiency adds maturity to that childlike impulse, creating structures and pathways for accomplishment.  Andrew’s work has alwa...