During the week, guitar Professor Don Latarski can be found teaching music students how to play jazz, blues and Beatles music on guitar. On some evenings, he can be found on stage at the Oregon Electric Station performing a blend of jazz and blues with his band, the Don Latarski Group.
Latarski is among many School of Music faculty who have channeled their musical talents beyond the classroom and into their own groups, complete with professional gigs and albums.
Latarski said his performing days began way before his teaching days; he began playing in bands when he was 12. His current, self-titled group is composed of bassist Mark Schneider and drummer Jason Palmer, with Latarski on acoustic guitar. They appear every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Oregon Electric Station, located at 27 E. 5th Ave. Most of their performances feature original compositions by Latarski.
“The most exciting part of performing is playing material I wrote,” he said.
Latarski said his music has flexibility for improvisation, which allows him to explore while on stage. He concluded that while performing is completely different from teaching, it helps him improve his skill as an educator.
“(Performing is) exhilarating,” he said. “Not that teaching isn’t, but teaching is a different thing. Performing keeps me extremely honest, and it gets me to practice my craft, which is important for teaching.”
Latarski has released a total of eight solo and collaborative albums. His latest solo album, titled “Fab 4 on 6,” is a compilation of tunes by The Beatles.

Jazz guitar instructor Michael Denny can also be found performing in downtown Eugene. His jazz-blues-Latin group, the Mike Denny Trio, mixes amplified jazz guitar, acoustic bass, drums and occasionally a horn section of either saxophone or trumpet. The group, which plays once a month at Ax Billy Grill, located at 999 Willamette St., also entertains for private functions. They have released one album, entitled “Now…Here…This.” Denny also released a solo jazz and bossa nova collection titled “Looking In.” Both albums came out in 1997.
Like Latarski, Denny’s performing career took off before he began teaching. He performed live jazz since his teens before going on to teach music at Lane Community College and at the University. Denny, who performs some of his own music, said that performing is a more creative experience, but that the creative process can be applied both on stage and in the classroom.
“Performing original music allows me to tap into my innermost perspective,” he said. “I don’t teach my original songs in class, but I teach the creative process that goes into creating original music.”
Violin professor Kathryn Lucktenberg belongs to two chamber groups: the Oregon String Quartet and Trio Pacifica. Both groups are composed of School of Music faculty members but perform at various chamber music series and music festivals outside of the University. She joined the existing Oregon String Quartet in 1993, but Trio Pacifica is her own creation.
She said it is important for music teachers to keep performing in order to teach others to perform well.
“Performing gives me an immediacy with the art of performing,” she said. “When others see me perform, I hope to inspire them. Performing is the creative process, and teaching is passing on the art.”
When it comes to music teachers advertising their gigs to their students, Latarski chooses to play down his success as a musician.
“I don’t make a big deal about it in class,” he said. “I’m there to teach, and they obviously see that I can play.”
Denny, like Lucktenberg, hopes to see his students following his lead of taking the stage.
“It sets a professional example about how to forward one’s career,” Denny said.
The Oregon String Quartet will perform on campus in Beall Hall tonight at 8 p.m. with jazz violinist Diane Monroe.