William Camphouse is a musician and educator sharing the art of music with student musicians as well as community based adult performing organizations. At Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Illinois Camphouse developed and led a comprehensive community college music program making a vital contribution to the cultural life of the community and was designated Professor Emeritus on his retirement in 2002. He earned a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois and was named a Morris Doctoral Fellowat Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Currently he performs with the Sangamon Valley Symphony Orchestra as principal trumpet, is a member of the Quincy Community Concert Band, and continues writing music. Mr. Camphouse also serves as a clinician and quest conductor and is restoring Civil War era family home in Perry Illinois.
His interest in composition and arranging have been ongoing and has resulted in a number of commissioned works for concert band and orchestra. In 2003 he received the Illinois Phi Beta Mu outstanding composition award for Let Every Man Remember: a Homage to Elijah Lovejoy documenting the life and times of the 19th century abolitionist. He has been motivated throughout his career by the early influence of many music educators that served as effective role models, by supportive colleagues, by a family always engaged in music making and by a belief that meaningful music is a powerful communicative device for the enlightenment and pleasure of humankind.
