Oral History Interview with Jess Dalton-Hayden

This oral history is provided free by the Archives of the Interlochen Center for the Arts (ARTICA). It has been accepted for inclusion in Interlochen’s audio archive by an authorized administrator of Interlochen Center for the Arts. For more information, please contact archives@interlochen.org.

00:00:00    MERYL KRIEGER    
Today is October 18, 2024. This is an oral history interview with Jess Dalton-Hayden, conducted by Meryl Krieger on the campus of Interlochen Center for the Arts. Thank you for sharing your story with us,Jess.

00:00:12    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Thank you for the opportunity. This is really wonderful.

00:00:15    MERYL KRIEGER    
Thank you. We really appreciate it. Would you please tell us your name, your connection to Interlochen and the years you attended?

00:00:21    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
I'm Jess Dalton-Hayden, and I graduated in '74 so I was here for three years, my sophomore, junior and senior year.

00:00:30    MERYL KRIEGER    
How did you learn about Interlochen and what got you here?

00:00:33    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Well, I actually have a long history with Interlochen, even before I came here. My father, Albert Dalton was the waterfront instructor at the National Music Camp back when I was a real little girl. So I came here probably as a young infant. And the last year I was here was when I was five years old. And my brothers, I have three brothers, and they also came to Interlochen to the National Music Camp, and we had such great memories of being on the waterfront. I remember, we did church in the woods, and we lived in R4, I believe it was called. I believe when we were old enough, my father had this vision we would all go to Interlochen. And so accordingly, he picked instruments for us, or we maybe had a chance to listen to some and decide it was for us. And so when we were all around fourth grade, he started us with private lessons so that we would be ready for Interlochen. And actually all of us went, I'm the second oldest. My brother Jonathan came first, and then three and four years later, my brothers Jeffrey and Jeremy came. So all four of us came to Interlochen Arts Academy, and we spent a lot of time talking about our experiences here. So it was really great thing for us to share as a family.

00:01:50    MERYL KRIEGER    
What is your favorite memory from your time at Interlochen?

00:01:54    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN   
Well, I have a lot of great memories, but I would say anything having to do with the outdoors. This was an absolutely beautiful place to be all winter- fall, winter and spring and see the seasons changing. And I've always loved the outdoors, but it really accelerated my interest in being outdoors. And I've been on lots of trips and lots of hiking. But I remember one of my favorite memories was the opportunity that we had in January to pick our own adventure, pick something interesting that we could come back and do aside from our regular studies. And so I remember one year in particular, I decided to do a cross country ski trip, and we went to the Upper Peninsula, and there was a group of us, maybe six or seven individuals with, I believe it was the biology teacher that went with us, and we skied probably for six or seven days from hut to hut, and it was so magnificent. We didn't see anybody else besides our group, but we just, you know, really coalesced as a group. And I remember going to the one of the Great Lakes and seeing just how they all the like, big pile of ice that accumulated on the shore. So it was just a magnificent time to be away and do something different. And I, you know, really credit Interlochen with just the opportunity to realize that their students needed a chance to choose their adventure and do something a little different than their regular schedule.

00:03:23    MERYL KRIEGER    
Was there a specific project or performance or activity on campus at Interlochen that stands out for you?

00:03:33    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
I would say I think about, not so much my musical experiences, but I think a lot about the academics here were really, really interesting. And I particularly loved taking any kind of class from Howard Hintze, who has taught anything having to do with literature. And I definitely have a lifelong passion about books that really started during that time. And I went to college, I went to graduate school, and I have never taken a literature classes as good as the ones we had here at Interlochen. So I really enjoyed that. And I think one other experience that I thought about as I was going on a walk this morning thinking what I was going to say is that I remember taking a history class from Lois Larson, and she gave us an opportunity to really dive into a particular period of time. And so I decided, because I've always loved folk music, I decided I was going to research and learn about- so I actually went to the Library of Congress by mail anyway, and got some ideas, and we put together a little folk band and performed for the class. And so again, I was interested in those kinds of opportunities because they really stretched my mind and gave me something a little different to do.

00:04:41    MERYL KRIEGER    
You were at Interlochen for what? What was your major and did you do any minors?

00:04:48    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Yeah, I was actually a double minor. I was a clarinet minor and a voice minor. So I was in the band and I was also in the choir, which I enjoyed both things very, very much. I thought in particular, being part of the choir was just like, magical. It's majestic just hearing all these beautiful voices around you. I loved being in the center of that, and I actually haven't been in a choir since then. But I do shape note singing, which is a kind of folk singing, and it has the same kind of feeling where you we have all the different voices and you're standing in the middle, or you're towards the middle, and you just hear all this great majesty around you. So I definitely felt that way singing in the choir here.

00:05:31    MERYL KRIEGER    
Was there a particular performance that stuck out?

00:05:34    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Oh, I definitely loved Carmina Burana. I just thought that was, like, so majestic, and doing it with the orchestra also. And now, you know, every performance of it that's in my area, I definitely go to hear it. And one time there was like this opportunity to read the music with the choir. So I went and did that. So that was just something that there was something so primeval about it that I really enjoyed.

00:05:56    MERYL KRIEGER    
Do you remember where the performance was?

00:05:58    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Well, Corson Auditorium was not built then, so all the performances were in the gym. So I'm anxious to see Corson, which I haven't seen yet, so.

00:06:07    MERYL KRIEGER    
Tell me about a favorite spot you have here on campus and why it's special for you.

00:06:12    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN  
Well, certainly I love the water. I love anytime you can walk outside. When I was here, I participated in the coffeehouse. I played the guitar and I sang, and I don't remember the building that was in. I think it was the building that has a snack bar? What is that building called?

00:06:33    MERYL KRIEGER    
You're talking about, like, below the Maddy building?

00:06:31    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Maybe. If that is the building we're talking about. I remember there was, like, some cushions where you can sit and hang out and that type of thing. So I think I was, you know, most interested in just being outdoors. I just remember in the evenings after dinner, just going out after homework, of course, going out and just running around, just being outdoors all the time. And I loved walking down to Kresge, and I loved looking out the windows and loved the dorms I was in, Mozart-Beethoven and senior women's. I'm not sure if it's still called that, but I like the feeling of the dorms also.

00:06:34    MERYL KRIEGER    
Got it. It sounds like the outdoors part of being here really, really made its mark on you.

00:06:38    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN 
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's just it's such a glorious place. And just coming back here brings back so many memories. I really, spent a lot of time just sort of walking around, and as I was walking, just thinking about different things, and it was just really very relaxing and rejuvenating. I thought, just being in this environment.

00:07:28    MERYL KRIEGER    
What did you learn here that had a significant impact on your life?

00:07:33    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN   
Well, I think that what made a big difference to me when I came here is I really felt that I found my tribe. And I think that's so important. I know when my girls were growing up, I was like, your tribe's out there, your tribe's out there. You're just gonna have to find it like I did when I was an Interlochen. So I think it was just being around creative people, being around people that were disciplined and, you know, had a certain amount of intensity about what they really wanted to do. It made me think that those are the type of people I want to be around all the time. And so I've definitely sought out because of my experiences here at Interlochen, I've really sought out artistic, creative people, and really felt that I could be comfortable and at ease around them and also bring out my creative sides, which have been super important to me. The, you know, the rest of my life, I still play the clarinet. I've played in orchestras, I've played in groups, I have a quartet, I've played in a klezmer band for years. My job was to organize concerts and events, folk music events. So I love the creativity involved with all those things. And so I guess for me, I just learned the type of people I like to be around, the type of energy that is important to me. And everywhere I've gone, I've sought that out and it's really helped and worked well for me.

00:08:49    MERYL KRIEGER    
Were there some lasting friendships that formed for you here at Interlochen?

00:08:53    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Yeah, definitely. In fact, I'm here standing at Airbnb with Cynthia Williams, who was my roommate here at Interlochen, and we've kept up with each other. We see each other at music and arts conferences, and I've been to her home, and one of the people I was dating here at Interlochen, I've maintained a friendship. I went and visited him last year in New Mexico. And it's always great to hear what people are doing on Facebook, of course. It's a nice avenue to sort of keep up with people, but I would say those two people in particular, all these years later, I've kept in touch with.

00:09:27    MERYL KRIEGER    
That's wonderful. You know, you've alluded to this, but I want to dig in on it a little bit. How did your time at Interlochen influence your personal and professional journey?

00:09:37    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Well, my personal and professional journey, I felt that I always wanted to keep the clarinet in my life. You know, it's funny, I started playing when I was in fourth grade, and I continued playing way into adulthood. And it was that continuity of- when you play an instrument, it's like you feel it in all different senses. There's a sense of taste and smell with the clarinet. There's the sense of hearing, the sense of the visual and then the sense of interacting with people around you. So I knew I wanted that to be something continuous throughout my life. And to me, it's opened up so many friendships and things and also when my kids were born, it's like I wanted them to also have that continuity of always having music in their life and being able to experience music in all different ways.

00:10:26    MERYL KRIEGER    
And in terms of your professional journey?

00:10:28    MERYL KRIEGER  1  
Right. So I did not end up being a performer or even teaching music, but I always loved music. And so I was executive director of an arts organization, a folk music organization. And in that capacity, I organized a festival every year, a three day festival. I organized 20 or 30 concerts. I organized the opportunity for artists from around the world to come into schools, and for the students to hear somebody that came from Bulgaria or someone that came from Ireland. So even though I didn't play professionally, but, you know, more as for fun or an amateur types of groups, I still kept the ear for really, really good, fine music that I was able to, that was an ear that I had gained here at Interlochen, use that ear to discern some of the really good musicians that were touring, you know, went to a lot of conferences. I went to festivals, and I could sit and listen. I could say, oh, that's really good quality music. So I think that what I did here at Interlochen informed my ability to really discern the best musicians, the good harmonies, the really creative music, and I got really good feedback from that. We were funded regularly by the National Endowment for the Arts and lots of other state organizations. We had good audiences, and I think a lot of that was the quality that we were able to bring to our area of folk and traditional arts, and that really started with a lot of skills that I gained here at Interlochen.

00:12:00    MERYL KRIEGER    
So I've been leading up to my big question for you, which is-If you have a story or two that really comes to mind that brings together any of the things that we've been talking about, what would that be?

00:12:13    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Well, I'm not sure I have one exact one, but one thing that I really gained a lot from here at Interlochen, and I would recommend any student here to be thinking about it is really we had a lot of opportunities to have close relationships with the teachers here, and that made a big difference for me. I remember my Spanish teacher started a little salsa band, and at the time, I'm not sure you still have advisors, and our advisory group went and did hiking in the woods, and every teacher here had stories to tell and had so much to offer in our interactions, and they were very eager to interact with us. And so to me, that made such a big difference. I mean, here you're away from home, you don't have your parents with you, but you have these people that are so accomplished at their art that are willing to interact and to encourage you and just have conversations about life in general. So it's not an experience, but it's really a whole series of experiences that meant a lot to me when I was here.

00:13:15    MERYL KRIEGER    
I can hear all of the stories that have summed themselves up into this. And that leads to, I think, one of my last couple of questions, which is if you had any advice to give a current or a future student at Interlochen, what would it be?

00:13:29    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Well, there's so many opportunities here at Interlochen. So I would say take advantage of many opportunities as you can. That would be one thing. And that the other thing would be think about what you gain here and what you feel here and what really works for you. Like I called it my tribe or whatever. What about the environment you might want to try to replicate or seek out in the rest of your life. I mean, that's a current theme when I start to talk to Interlochen friends, they're like, you know, I went moved to this city because things there reminded me of what I had gained in Interlochen. So. So I would just say to just really be thinking about what is special here and how you can pursue like-experiences throughout your life.

00:14:13    MERYL KRIEGER    
Why do you think the arts are important in the world today?

00:14:18    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Well, I think they're just, it sounds corny to say they're like the touchstone to your soul. But I think the more we engage with our creative selves, the more we are able to use creativity for problem solving. And I think the world really needs good problem solving. So I think that the arts spurs on creativity and innovativeness in our temperaments and in our thinking. It also spurs on community and working together again, things that we really need in our world. So I just think, they say that's like music is like the last thing to go as you age. And I just think it's just something that connects with our very primal self. And to me, I make I think that connection helps ground us and sort of push out the rest of the noise that could be in the world at a time that you might really need it.

00:15:09    MERYL KRIEGER    
Is there anything else that has come to mind that you'd like to talk about?

00:15:13    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Yeah, I'm really interested, when I was in Interlochen, it was a very low key, gentle place. So I'm really curious to walk around now. I think that there's the amount of opportunities has really grown, and I'm just really excited to see where the place that I loved back in my youth, where it has grown and gone to. So I'm just really looking forward to that. I'm just here. This is, I just got here, just arrived. But it's going to be really interesting taking the campus tours and just, just seeing, you know, the transition and how it's grown and changed through the years.

00:15:52    MERYL KRIEGER    
Thank you so much for your time and for your thoughts and for the care that you put into thinking about what you wanted to share with us.

00:15:59    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
Yeah, it's really, it's been my pleasure. I have such great memories. I'm here with my husband, and I'm so anxious to show it to him, show him the campus and just sort of wandering around with him. So it's such a pleasure to be here.

00:16:00    MERYL KRIEGER    
When was the last time you were back?

00:16:10    JESS DALTON-HAYDEN    
I was here for my 35th anniversary. So our reunion. So it's been a few years. The campus is very, very different, so.

00:16:20    MERYL KRIEGER    
Thank you.