Trombonist awarded music leadership prize

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 7

Trombonist awarded music leadership prize

The First Vernon Griffiths Prize in music leadership has been awarded by the University of Canterbury.

The recipient is David Naylor, of Wellington, a district music adviser for the Education Department, and a trombone player. The $250 prize was established by former students and colleagues of Professor Griffiths, who was professor of music at the university from 1942 to 1962. Professor Griffiths will celebrate his ninetieth birthday tomorrow.

David Naylor graduated with a bachelor’s degree in

music from the university in 1971. He had specialised in music education, he was appointed a music specialist at Central Southland College, and became head of its music department in 1973.

Mr Naylor was musical director of the Southland Youth Orchestra in 1972, and of the Invercargill Symphonia in 1974. In 1978 he was appointed district music adviser in Wellington.

He was a board member for the Wellington Youth Orchestra Advisory Board, and a member of the Jazz Foundation, the Wellington

Polytechnic Music Department, and the National Music Council. Since 1982 Mr Naylor has been president of the Wellington Society for Music Education. He was the initiator and co-ordinator of the national conference on music education, “Music ’83,” held last August.

Mr Naylor has played with the Wellington Regional Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand Jazz Orchestra, and the Rodger Fox Big Band. He is orchestral manager of the 1984 National Youth Orchestra.