John Gerhold

Biography

John Gerhold has been teaching music theory and ear training at Bakersfield College since 1994. He has earned the Bachelor of Music degree Magna cum laude in piano performance and the Master of Fine Arts degree in music composition from UC Irvine and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the University of British Columbia.  His BC honors include being chosen as a Levan Faculty Colloquium Presenter (2013 and 2006 with Ron Kean) and a Levan Scholar (2013), the Margaret Levinson Faculty Leadership Award (2007), and the Bakersfield College Innovator of the Year (1995). He has been president of many organizations, including the Music Association of California Community Colleges (2006-2008 and 2020-2022), the KCCD Community College Association (1999-2001), and the Bakersfield College Academic Senate (2006-2010).  Dr. Gerhold currently serves as the lead faculty member of the Faculty Discipline Review Group, an intersegmental committee tasked with updating and aligning California Community College music curriculum with the CSU system. His textbook for beginning music theory entitled A Plain English Guide to Music Fundamentals: An Outcome Based Approach (Kendall Hunt) is now in its fourth edition.  Dr. Gerhold has composed orchestral commissions celebrating the centennial of Bakersfield College and the Grand Re-opening of the Simonsen Performing Arts Center (2015), the centennial of the City of Bakersfield (1997), the centennial of Orange County, California (1987), and hopes to compose for his own centennial (2065).