Professor and musical director Chris Stivers, fueled by his passion for music, continues his Songfest legacy this year. His close ties to Pepperdine University, his love for music and his intense involvement in Songfest have earned him the label of “Pepperdine Royalty.”
Wanting to be near a Christian liberal arts college, Stivers’ grandparents built a house adjacent to the Los Angeles acreage soon to be called George Pepperdine College. “Their back yard opened up to the baseball diamond on campus,” said Stivers.
His father, Dr. William Neal Stivers, was actually a Pepperdine student when the university opened in 1937. He was a professor of modern languages who had a heart for the underprivileged in Mexico.
Stivers and his two siblings would visit their grandparents frequently, and naturally explored the campus. The three would often attend the university’s baseball games. His family lived not too far from the L.A. campus, and attended church on campus regularly.
Although many of his family were Pepperdine alumni, Stivers shocked his parents by declaring that he had no desire to attend college. He joined a Pepperdine music ensemble, which he describes as “more like a rock band.” The summer after his high school graduation, he toured for 14 weeks in the Orient through the United Service Organization.
While Stivers was on tour, his father seized the opportunity to enroll him in two music classes at Pepperdine. Although reluctant at first, Stivers returned from his tour and attended the classes with some of his “band mates.” From a young age, he had developed a passion for music. Musically gifted, he can play several instruments including the piano, organ and tuba.
“I play a little on lots of different instruments,” said Stivers. In order to pursue music writing, he knew that he needed to understand how a variety of instruments functioned.
He ended up enjoying the music classes, and chose to continue his education at Pepperdine University. He started initially as a pre-med biology major, but that quickly changed. His pre-med advisor suggested he choose between music and theater or the medical world. Stivers followed his heart and chose what came naturally to him– music.
During the time he was an undergraduate, the campus made the big move from Los Angeles to Malibu, more commonly known as the Malibu Miracle. Stivers moved to Malibu, and soon fell in love and married a fellow student named Sandy.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music, Stivers had no luck securing employment due to a major strike in the music and film industry. To provide for his wife Sandy, he temporarily took a job at Pepperdine, but “more opportunities kept opening up.” At this time, he began working on his master’s degree in business administration.
Some of the many jobs he has held at Pepperdine include director of admissions, registrar, dean of records and information technology. After 20 years with information technology, Stivers shifted his concentration to the web and multimedia.
Stivers has taught at Pepperdine 13 years and this year joined the Communications Division as a full-time professor.
However, teaching has not overshadowed his passion for music. Each year Pepperdine hosts a sold-out musical variety show called Songfest. Of the 40 years the show has been running, Stivers has been involved for 38, and has held the title of musical director for 37 years.
Songfest is a unique opportunity. It is a show consisting of several acts that are created by student groups. All of the acts have their own story, but all of the stories fall under a general theme. This year’s theme has not yet been revealed.
Preparations for this year’s show began last May. The production team (Stivers, Sam Paremelee and Brittany Chin-Lee) evaluates the previous year’s show and takes note of any areas that could be improved. The production team collects theme ideas from past participants and also brainstorms to come up with the perfect theme.
Songfest is a great opportunity to discover new talents ranging from theatrical to leadership skills. Students from practically every division and major participate, form individual groups and present a 12-minute show. There are no auditions.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for them to get to do something [singing and dancing] that they might otherwise never in their life get the opportunity to do,” Stivers said. “It is a great confidence booster.”
While working hours to perfect their number, students share a bonding experience. The groups are given a low budget, and are allowed to double it using their own personal resources. Student cast members have just two weeks of late nights to rehearse, produce and construct the set. And, as musical director, it is Stivers’ job to make sure the music selected upholds Pepperdine’s standards.
When March rolls around, it’s showtime! Celebrity judges and Pepperdine community members come together and evaluate the last four performances of the groups. Past judges have included a float designer for the Tournament of Roses Parade, musical and technical directors, performers, scenic painters and costume designers. On closing night, the Songfest Sweepstakes trophy is presented to the group with the highest cumulative score.
According to Stivers, this year’s show is going to be bigger and better than ever. This year they are expecting more than 500 participants– the largest level of involvement for any campus activity. They do not want to turn anyone away who wants to participate. There is expected to be seven student groups and one faculty/staff alumni group. Last year, a cap was instituted on the number of people who could be in a group. This rule was implemented for safety reasons, and has caused more groups to form.
The biggest challenge is how to accommodate so many people. An 18-piece band (hand-picked by Stivers) provides the music for the show, and some of the band members travel from as far away as Boston. Several professional musicians even schedule their touring around Songfest. It allows the artist the opportunity to play an eclectic mix of music in one show.
Stivers’ daughter, Stacy Stivers, works alongside her father on Songfest. She insists her father is modest when it comes to his dedication to the production. Around the house, he is jokingly referred to as “Father Songfest.”
Music and dance styles have evolved throughout the years, but Songfest has steadfastly remained a beloved Pepperdine tradition.
“Everything he [Chris Stivers] does is ultimately done to make the experience as great as possible for those involved,” said a colleague, Sam Parmelee. “Together we strive very hard to make sure that the audience is thoroughly entertained, that Pepperdine is well-represented, that student leaders learn and grow from the process and that participants have a blast.”
As an individual, Stivers desires to be the man that God wants him to be. He recognizes that he has room to grow, and constantly strives to be better. He does not want to miss the opportunity to impact students both in the classroom and in Songfest.
Stivers’ faith in God coupled with his time at Pepperdine has contributed immensely to who he is as a person. Deeply vested in his faith, family and Pepperdine University, Chris Stivers is the first to admit that his journey is far from over.
