The string bass player stands on the stage alone with his instrument. As he plays, he stares at his bow as it coaxes the notes from the strings. Every eye in the audience is fixed on the musician, and a few heads bob up and down to the beat.

In the back of the room there is a table covered with pamphlets and information about the concert. The man sitting behind the table is Daniel Racer, professor of music theory at Friends University. If he and the other members of the board were not there, this concert would not exist.

This is the annual Kaleidoscope Notation On Bystander (KNOB) concert. Racer has played earlier in the weekend and has had some of the music that he composed played as well.

The KNOB concert is a festival of new music. It is held annually in an art studio in downtown Wichita.   

Racer’s original compositions are filled with different harmonies and instrumentation.

“I used to mess around on the piano when I was younger,” he said.

Racer’s journey through music started in Oklahoma. His parents played piano, and Racer started learning the piano in the third grade. In the fifth grade he started playing trombone, then added string bass in college. Along the way he learned the electric bass and kept up with the piano.

When Racer entered college at Southwestern Oklahoma State, he knew that he wanted to teach music. However, student teaching in the public schools proved to Racer that he did not want to teach there. Instead he went on to get his master’s at Wichita State University in music theory and composition.

In Racer’s sophomore year at Southwestern Oklahoma State, he was introduced to composition. A substitute music theory teacher began to offer the class in composition, and Racer was hooked.

“I can’t think of anything else I would rather be doing,” Racer said about music.

Racer graduated from Wichita State at a time when Friends University was looking for a new music theory instructor and orchestra conductor. Racer was planning on continuing with music and earning his doctorate, but “I can’t pass up a job,” he said. In his seven years in the department, Racer has become a valuable asset.

Racer has composed for many soloists and ensembles, including the University Band, which premiered one of his pieces at the Kansas Music Educators Association conference last spring.

“I think any composer would like to just write, but that is difficult,” Racer said.

In order to be successful, an aspiring composer needs to create a lot of songs. This means that some composers may be rushed to finish one song or compose a song they are not really passionate about just to get something published.

The Internet has helped with this problem. It is possible for a composer to send music without it being published. It gives musicians the opportunity to play the music, and it gets the composer’s name out to the public. Most importantly, it saves the cost the composer must pay to a publishing company.

Racer gets ideas for his music from many things, mostly songs that have an interesting chord progression. He also likes to mix instruments that most people do not think about mixing, like the harpsichord and recorder.

Racer’s students describe him as a tough teacher, but he understands the subject, which in music theory not an easy task.

“He really helped me understand the topics. It was difficult but worth it,” said Senior Courtney Long, a former student of Racer’s Theory III class. 

Right now, Racer is enjoying teaching theory and composition at Friends. He gets to write what he wants when he wants. Racer does plan to continue with school to earn his doctorate degree, and he also plans to continue teaching theory and composing music.   

“Composition is something I will always be doing,” he said.