After 23 years, Calvin Hofer, DMA, retired from full-time teaching at Colorado Mesa University at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. He currently teaches three online courses for the Department of Music, having recently developed a new course, “The History of Country Music”. He currently serves as the NASM Institutional Representative and remains the director of the Grand Junction Rockestra, which he founded.
He was the director of bands at Colorado Mesa University, where he conducted the CMU Wind Symphony and taught beginning and advanced instrumental conducting as well as brass techniques, music theory, and trumpet.
In 2000, Hofer launched CMU's Best of the West Music Festival, which grew from a one-day event of 40 high school students to a two-day festival with more than 260 participants. This event showcased three bands (and three guest conductors), a guest artist who presented a recital and performed a solo with the CMU Wind Symphony and a composer-in-residence who was commissioned to compose a new band piece. At the festival, Hofer has conducted the world-premiere of works by John Mackey, David Gillingham, Eric Ewazen, Karl Boelter, Jason Nitsch, Julie Giroux, Carolyn Bremer and Jack Stamp. Moreover, CMU's Wind Symphony is a member of consortiums that have commissioned works by Donald Grantham, Julie Giroux, Scott McAllister, Steven Bryant, John de Meij and Michael Gandolfi.
In a 17-year span as the former head of the Department of Music, Hofer steered the CMU Department of Music through two accreditations by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), for which he has presented at their annual conference. Hofer served NASM for six years on the NASM Commission on Accreditation, and currently serves as an evaluator and consultant. During his tenure as department head, the number of music majors tripled, number of full-time faculty doubled, and two new degree programs added. Hofer continues to serve CMU as the NASM Institutional Representative.
Hofer's numerous initiatives also include CMU's Middle School Music Camp, which he founded, and the Grand Junction "Rockestra", a unique semi-professional ensemble (rock band, singers and orchestra) that performs classic rock and roll to enthusiastic indoor and outdoor audiences. Besides providing a unique musical ensemble to the Grand Valley, Rockestra raises much needed scholarship funds for the CMU Department of Music.
Hofer is the former principal trumpet (retired) of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra and is currently the trumpet instructor at Rushmore National Music Camp. He has conducted and served as an adjudicator/clinician in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Ontario, Canada. After retiring from full-time teaching, Hofer and his wife Margaret traveled the country full-time, living in their RV for two years. The Hofers have settled in their beloved Black Hills of South Dakota. Hofer performs in the Rapid City Municipal Band, serves on the Board of Directors for the Black Hills Symphony, helps with the local high school band and orchestra programs, and is back on the soccer pitch as a referee.
