By Britni Bateman

Kenneth “Ken” Park, a 1971 graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Music, has donated $100,000 worth of percussion instruments and accessory items to the SIU School of Music, giving students hands-on access to global sounds and professional-grade gear.

“I’ve known for years that I wanted my instruments to come home to SIU,” said Park, 80, who lives in Westchester, California. “These drums and mallet instruments were my therapy and my friends. I hope students will hear the human side of music in them and create their own sound.”

A Gift of Global Sound

Park’s gift includes an array of instruments that reflect a lifetime of studio and touring work, from timpani and vibraphone to Latin and world percussion. He said the collection will help students explore color, texture, and rhythm across cultures in real time, rather than only through samples.

“You can have a laptop and use samples,” Park said. “But in the room, with people, you hear the real instrument. You learn how to tune it, how it feels, and how it sits in the music. That’s how creativity opens up.”

From Small Town to the World Stage

Raised in Murphysboro, Illinois, Park began playing professionally in grade school after a local teacher who led the area musicians’ union spotted his talent. He performed with SIU faculty and in southern Illinois clubs before serving in the Fifth U.S. Army Band at Fort Sheridan, where he led the percussion section. After SIU, he built a wide-ranging career in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and on international stages.

A Career of Notable Collaborations

Park’s professional résumé spans some of the biggest names in music. He has recorded for Capitol Records, Casablanca Records, Arista Records, and Geffen Records, working with Donna Summer, Barry Manilow, Tammy Wynette, Peggy Lee, Dionne Warwick, and Doc Severinsen of “The Tonight Show.”

On stage, he has shared concert and tour bills with Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Barry Manilow, and Kitaro, performing on multiple world tours. His versatility has taken him from Broadway, where he played in Tintypes, to diverse ensembles such as the new-age group Istar, the Crystal Palace Ragtime Band, and Magic’s John Blues Band.

His television credits include performing cues for the series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe and Major Dad.

“My break in Hollywood came with Donna Summer,” Park said. “I auditioned, played the parts exactly as written, and she said, ‘You’re hired.’ Later I toured with Barry Manilow and recorded for artists like Dionne Warwick and Neil Diamond. I learned to bring the right sound for the song and to be fast and prepared.”

SIU’s Lasting Impact

Park credits SIU faculty for giving him space to practice, perform, and grow.

“This is where I learned the musical part of music,” he said. “Professors encouraged me, let me play in percussion ensemble, and helped me study classical music. I’m forever grateful they put up with my madness and gave me a shot.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

The decision to part with his instruments, Park said, was emotional but clear.

“When I came back to campus for a visit and talked about donating my collection to the School of Music, Dr. Chris Butler looked me in the eye and said, ‘I’ll take care of your babies.’ That sealed it, and I knew this was the right place,” he said. “Once I returned home, I walked around the block, had a good cry, and started packing.”

Park hopes the instruments inspire students to chase curiosity and discipline in equal measure.

“Practice slowly and value your time here,” he said. “Play in every ensemble you can. Learn the piano so your ear develops. Tune your instruments and listen to music from everywhere. If you do that for four years, you’ll have a real shot.”

He also wants students to remember that percussion is more than timekeeping.

“Good drummers and percussionists are musicians first,” Park said. “Learn the notes, learn the harmony, and learn how your part colors the whole track. That’s what gets you called back.”

A Legacy of Music

Even as he winds down his performance schedule, Park remains energized by music. He has performed with the Beach Cities Symphony in Southern California for more than four decades and plans to keep a small setup to play at home.

“I’ve gone my whole life at full speed,” he said. “Now I’m trying to slow down, listen, and enjoy it. I’m grateful to God, to my parents who let me play in the bars as a kid, and to SIU for giving me a place to learn.”

Park said sending the collection to his alma mater feels personal.

“I didn’t have children,” he said. “These instruments are my kids, and I’m sending them to college. I want SIU students to bang on them, explore, record, flip the sounds, and build something new. That’s the joy of percussion.”

Expanding Opportunities at SIU

The School of Music will catalog and integrate the instruments into ensembles, lessons, and recording projects throughout the year. Park believes the impact will be immediate.

“Students will get to play the world,” he said. “South American, African, Asian, classical, jazz — it’s all there. When you put it in context with real, hands-on instruments, it changes how you hear everything.”

SIU holds a rare distinction as one of only 21 universities nationwide — out of nearly 4,000 — recognized by the Carnegie Classification for both Research 1 status, the highest level of research activity, and as an Opportunity College and University, which honors institutions that expand access and foster social mobility. This dual recognition reflects SIU’s commitment to advancing knowledge while opening doors for students from all backgrounds. Park’s gift to the School of Music embodies that mission, enriching hands-on learning and inspiring future musicians to create, innovate, and share their art with the world.

This contribution also supports Imagine SIU 2030, the university’s comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign has raised more than $422 million toward its $500 million goal, making it the fifth largest fundraising effort in Illinois higher education. In the most recent fiscal year, the SIU Foundation awarded more than $5.6 million in scholarships to 2,111 students, representing 17 percent of the student body.

Gifts like Park’s ensure that SIU continues to grow as a place where research, opportunity, and access come together to change lives for generations to come.

To support the SIU School of Music, learn more at: https://music.siu.edu/alumni/give.php

By Britni Bateman

When Chuck Trover was a boy growing up in rural Illinois in the 1950s and ’60s, the outdoors was his classroom.

“I didn’t know it then, but those years shaped everything,” Trover said. “They laid the foundation for my love of nature and wildlife, and for what I’m doing at SIU today.”

Trover, a 1967 graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, recently committed $3 million to fund the construction of the Wildlife Habitat Education Center at the university’s Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center. The project, approved by the SIU Board of Trustees on April 17, 2025, will serve as a hub for conservation programming, a visitor check-in point, and an indoor activity space for year-round events.

“Touch of Nature has long been a jewel of Southern Illinois, and this new facility will make it even more accessible. Thanks to Chuck’s vision, SIU is poised to expand opportunities for environmental learning across the region,” said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and SIU Foundation CEO.

For Trover, the center is more than a building; it is a tribute to the mentors who first opened his eyes to the natural world. The facility will be dedicated to Bob Alexander, his best friend’s father, and to his uncle, Jim Trover, both of whom played pivotal roles in shaping his love for the outdoors.

A Childhood Steeped in the Outdoors

Growing up in Mattoon, about two and a half hours north of Carbondale, Trover spent countless hours with Alexander and his uncle, who became his guides to a life outside.

“Both of them introduced me to the outdoors, which really laid the foundation for my feelings about nature, animals, fish, and everything in general,” he said.

They hunted and fished all year long.

He recalls long winter nights hunting raccoons. “We’d be sitting and eating popcorn, and about 10 o’clock at night, we’d go out and hunt.”

In the spring and fall, they hunted mushrooms and dug ginseng, a medicinal root, learning how it was used. Summers were spent fishing rivers for catfish and local ponds for bluegill, crappie, and bass.

“We’d take a wool blanket and a kerosene lantern and sleep in between running lines for catfish every two or three hours,” Trover said.

In the fall, they also hunted small game: squirrel, rabbits, pheasant, and quail.

Those experiences, he said, taught him resourcefulness, patience, and respect for the natural world — lessons that are harder to come by today.

Fighting “Nature Deficit Disorder”

Trover often thinks about how landscapes — and childhoods — have changed.

“Fifty, sixty years ago, farmers left hedgerows, brush piles, and woods,” he said. “The habitat was good, and game was plentiful. Landowners would let you hunt and fish as long as you were respectful.”

Today, much of that has disappeared. Large farming operations, oil and gas development, and expanding urban areas have changed the rural landscape.

“I’m not saying any of it is wrong,” Trover said. “It’s just progress. But the broader ecosystem that nurtured kids like me is vanishing.”

That’s one of the reasons he’s so passionate about the Wildlife Habitat Education Center. He points to Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, which describes the phenomenon of “nature deficit disorder” in children.

“If we don’t expose them to nature, they won’t have a reason to care for it,” Trover said. “This center can be a place where they build that connection.”

A Vision for Hands-On Learning

The Wildlife Habitat Education Center will not only serve schools and community groups, but also SIU students in fields such as biology, environmental science, zoology, and forestry. Trover hopes to see students from urban centers like Chicago and St. Louis come to Touch of Nature to learn about wildlife and conservation firsthand.

He also wants the center to embrace modern engagement tools. “I remember the first time I tried virtual reality at SIU. I zoomed down to Kenya, Africa, and felt like I was going to fall out of my chair when an elephant came toward me,” he said. “I want kids to have that same sense of excitement and discovery. If we make it fun, they’ll want to come back.”

Beyond technology, Trover plans to bring in personal artifacts from his own life as a bowhunter. His collection of full-size mounted animals will give children the chance to see, touch, and learn in a way that goes beyond books or screens.

Building with Purpose

Trover’s $3 million gift will cover all construction expenses. The SIU Foundation will manage the construction in close coordination with the university. Upon completion, the building and all accompanying accoutrements will be conveyed to the university, following the recommendation of the Director of Facilities and Energy Management at SIUC.

“I’ve always liked seeing projects through to a successful completion,” Trover said. “Being involved from the start gives me a sense of purpose and excitement.”

“Few universities in the nation have a resource like Touch of Nature. This generous gift to build the Wildlife Habitat Education Center will allow us to expand our programs and more fully live out our mission of enhancing lives through outdoor experiences and environmental learning,” said Brian Croft, director of SIU’s Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.

Giving Back to SIU

Trover’s connection to SIU runs deep. As a married student with one child and another on the way, he managed a trailer court near the campus high-rise dorms to help make ends meet. After earning his engineering degree, he worked for the state of Illinois and in his family’s business before moving west to start his own construction company. Later, he built a career in the medical device industry before retiring in 2009 and returning to the outdoors.

His generosity to SIU extends beyond this latest gift. He also helped establish an endowed scholarship in honor of his late wife, Gina Gatewood Trover, and her sister, Lu Ann Gatewood, to support aviation students. Recently, he donated his Cessna 421 aircraft to the university.

A Legacy for the Next Generation

Trover hopes the Wildlife Habitat Education Center will inspire young people to become conservation leaders and help reverse the growing disconnect from the natural world.

“I hope the center will foster love and respect for wildlife for generations to come,” he said. “If even a few young people discover the outdoors the way I did, it will all be worth it.”

His vision aligns with SIU’s rare distinction as one of only 21 universities nationwide recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for both Research 1 (Very High Research Activity) and as an Opportunity College and University, reflecting the university’s commitment to advancing knowledge while expanding opportunity for all.

Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center enhances lives through experiential learning, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and inclusion. Trover’s gift ensures the center will continue to inspire future conservation leaders while strengthening SIU’s national reputation for excellence and access.

Trover’s gift to establish the Wildlife Habitat Education Center is part of the ongoing Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, which has secured more than $422 million toward its $500 million goal. The campaign is the fifth largest in the history of Illinois higher education. In the most recent fiscal year, the SIU Foundation awarded more than $5.6 million in scholarships to 2,111 students, representing 17 percent of the student body.

Save the Date: We will celebrate his generosity with a public groundbreaking at Touch of Nature from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29.

To support Touch of Nature, visit siuf.org/ton.