2024 Kreitner Day Proclaimed

Ken Kreitner Day
Dr. Ken Kreitner
Dr. Ken Kreitner

As the calendar turns and summer’s heat begins to wane, there’s a magical moment when you step outside and suddenly realize the world has changed. The air feels different, crisp and invigorating, carrying the unmistakable scent of autumn. This, my friends, is Kreitner Day. Created by our esteemed Emeritus Professor, Dr. Ken Kreitner, this unofficial holiday celebrates that pivotal moment when summer officially retreats into the rearview mirror, and fall asserts its dominance.

It’s a day when you can finally don that cozy sweater without breaking into a sweat, when the leaves start to whisper their colorful intentions, and when the promise of pumpkin spice everything doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

The Magic of Kreitner Day
Kreitner Day isn’t marked on any official calendar. Instead, it’s a feeling, a shift in the air that signals the true arrival of autumn. It’s that first day when you step outside and involuntarily take a deep breath, savoring the crispness that fills your lungs. The humidity has vanished, replaced by a refreshing coolness that invigorates your senses. On this day, the world seems to slow down just a bit. The frenetic energy of summer gives way to a more contemplative mood. It’s as if nature itself is taking a moment to pause and reflect before the grand spectacle of fall foliage begins.

A Day for Reflection and Celebration
Kreitner Day invites us to take a moment and appreciate the changing of seasons. It’s a perfect opportunity to:

  • Take a leisurely walk and notice the subtle changes in your surroundings
  • Enjoy a beverage outdoors without breaking a sweat
  • Start planning your fall activities and adventures
  • Reflect on the memories of summer and set intentions for the coming months

While we can’t predict with certainty that no more heat waves are on the horizon, Kreitner Day gives us hope that the worst of summer’s swelter is behind us.

The Keepers of the Tradition
In his wisdom upon his retirement, Dr. Kreitner entrusted the stewardship of this special day to the staff of the Fruchtman Music Library. These dedicated individuals, Dr. Joel Roberts, Caroline Kelley and Sean Denby,  have been charged with preserving and promoting the spirit of Kreitner Day for generations to come.

A Day Off for All?

When I become Czar, it will be a day off for everyone. Until then, we rejoice inwardly.
– Ken Kreitner

While we can’t promise that everyone will get a day off to celebrate Kreitner Day (at least not yet), we can encourage everyone to take a moment to appreciate this School of Music annual tradition. Let the spirit of Kreitner Day remind you of the beauty of change and the endless possibilities that come with each new season. So here’s to Kreitner Day – may it bring you joy, reflection, and a renewed appreciation for the ever-changing world around us. And who knows? Maybe one day, when Dr. Krietner is czar, we’ll all get to enjoy this special day off together.

Past Proclamations

  • 2023: October 6
  • 2022: September 26
  • 2021: September 22
  • 2020: N/A
  • 2019: October 7
  • 2018: September 17
  • 2017: September 17

More about Dr. Ken Kreitner

Kenneth Kreitner, Benjamin W. Rawlins Professor of Musicology, received his PhD in musicology from Duke University in 1990 and joined the faculty at Memphis State that fall. A scholar of Spanish Renaissance music, historical performance, and nineteenth-century American amateur bands, he is the author of Robert Ward: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1989), Discoursing Sweet Music: Town Bands and Community Life in Turn-of-the-Century Pennsylvania (University of Illinois Press, 1990), and The Church Music of Fifteenth-Century Spain (Boydell Press, 2004). He has also published articles in Early Music, Early Music History, Musica Disciplina, the Revista de Musicología, and the Journal of the Royal Musical Association. Dr. Kreitner is an active performer on early brass and woodwind instruments and directs the University’s Collegium Musicum. He received the University of Memphis Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000; the Robert M. Stevenson Award, for outstanding scholarship in Iberian music, from the American Musicological Society in 2007; and the Christopher Monk Award, for life-long contributions to study and/or performance in the field of brass history, in 2012. Dr. Krietner retired from the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music in May 2024 after a remarkable 33 year teaching career.

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