Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Doug Drewek

Music to Our Ears

Spotlight on Dr. Doug Drewek, Music

By Brooke Donley ’26

From the young age of 5, Assistant Professor of Music Douglas Drewek has been surrounded by music. His story begins with taking piano lessons with Mrs. Rose down the street, which blossomed into buying 45 RPMs with his allowance money. His collection included the Charlie Daniels Band, Men at Work and Africa, and much of the early 80s pop music he heard on the radio. There was a shift in Drewek’s musical taste as he began playing the saxophone in elementary school. “As a shy kid growing up, music was a way for me to express myself.”

Drewek became interested in a music shop called Marsh Woodwinds in Raleigh, N.C. “It was a woodwind repair shop, and I think it was the coolest place I’d ever seen. Saxophones everywhere, on the walls, and flowing lighting. They were always listening to jazz music, and the guys who worked there were all jazz musicians,” Drewek explained as he smiled, remembering many fond memories from the music shop. “I worked there for 10 years, and that’s how I was able to put myself through school. I also learned so much about jazz while I worked there. Those guys showed me a lot of the musicians that were important to my growth.”

Drewek created the electronic music minor at Berea. “This minor isn’t just for music majors on campus,” he said, “it really is interdisciplinary. It includes classes in communication, music, electronics and computer science coming together to give a broad perspective on the area of electronic music. It gives students the ability to pair their interest in electronic music with other areas of interest.”

While Drewek loves working with students at Berea because of how much creativity they bring to the classroom, he also works with students through the Governor’s School for the Arts. “We teach students from across the Commonwealth to collaborate through a three-week program, which teaches classical chamber music. I also collaborate with professors from colleges across the state.”

Music has spread into other College classes Drewek teaches, such as his L&I 2 class that he will be teaching in the spring. “This class brings in students from outside the major to connect with music and how it has shaped their identity,” he explained. “It delves into the histories of the music that defines us, which shows the interconnectedness of us all. That’s what music is about—bringing people together.”