Martin “Marty” Sweidel, Goucher’s new senior vice president for strategic initiatives, sat down with us to share his thoughts on the importance of college (one word: opportunity), music (he loves it all), and why he’s drawn to Goucher. Sweidel, who came from Southern Methodist University in Texas, started at Goucher on November 3.
What would you like the Goucher community to know about you?
I’ve been married to Monica for 37 years, and we have a son, Alex, who lives and works in Washington, DC. I grew up mostly in Ohio but moved to St. Louis for my undergrad and then went back to Ohio for my doctorate in music composition from the University of Cincinnati. I taught there for three years and then joined the faculty of Southern Methodist University in 1986, where I bounced between administration and faculty over the past 28-plus years. While at SMU I chaired the Division of Music from 1995 to 2000. Then I went back to the faculty and became associate dean of the Meadows School of the Arts when José came in as dean in 2006.
I got into music when the Beatles came out. I wanted to play the guitar like everyone else my age did, but my dad said I had to play an instrument in school, too. So I played clarinet in school ensembles and learned guitar on my own. Then I started writing music and playing in rock and jazz bands.
What was your favorite thing about your own college experience?
Neither of my parents went to college, but I always just knew I was supposed to go. I attended the college nearest my house, Maryville College (now University), and it changed everything. I never imagined I could get a doctorate in music, be a college professor, write music, get tenure, travel, and be published. Maryville was a small, formerly all-women’s liberal arts college on a beautiful wooded campus with an emphasis on relationships. Both my wife and I still keep in touch with faculty mentors from there. Coming to Goucher feels like what I’m supposed to do—helping to sustain the kind of place that does for others what Maryville did for me.
Your title is a mouthful! What will you be doing here?
My position is all about translating vision into practice. Strategy requires identifying priorities and then sequencing and layering initiatives designed to help Goucher achieve its goals. I am committed to doing that in a thoughtful, transparent, collaborative, and data-driven way. And because I’m not part of any particular vice president’s area, I can help make connections and bride gaps. Basically, I provide some extra bandwidth to help get things done.
What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home, and how did that experience change you?
Monica and I went to China in 1984. We had been to Europe before, but China, at the time, had just been opened to Western tourists, and it felt truly foreign, almost like visiting another planet. Experiencing China’s first efforts to move away from Mao’s communist legacy was exciting. It changed the way we thought about politics and the Cold War. When the Tiananmen Square massacre took place four years later, we were deeply saddened.
Do you have any secret talent?
If I shared it, it wouldn’t be a secret any longer.
What’s your favorite food or food genre?
Spicy.
What’s your favorite band/musician (excluding, of course, your boss … and yourself)?
My taste is very eclectic. Most of the time my favorite music is whatever I am listening to at the moment. There are so many different styles and genres with great musicians creating and performing that it is hard to pick a favorite. I’m always listening for new music.
What is your favorite place in the whole wide world?
Hiking in Austria in the Vorarlberg near Zug.
How do you feel about:
The Texas “drawl” vs. the Maryland accent?
I love how Texans can make any one-syllable word into a two-syllable word, and I just love the way y’all say “water.”
Coffee?
I’m working on making the prefect espresso. I look forward to it every morning, and that is it for me—just one a day.
The Gopher?
The Gopher looks mean. I wouldn’t mess with it. Bill Murray tried in Caddyshack, and it didn’t go well.