Citrus Singers’ director plans retirement after 38 years

One of Douglas Austin Shrope’s memorable experiences from teaching at Citrus came when he flew to New York and sat in a house seat of a packed Broadway show.

He saw a former Citrus Singer and student of his, Shawna Hamic, as a lead actress in a new show that was written for her.

“I will never forget that night in New York,” Shrope said.

Shrope gave his best to the Visual and Performing Arts Department of Citrus College. Now, after 38 years, he will take a final bow as he plans to retire on Aug. 1.

“I still really love my job,” Shrope said. “I just do know that I want to do some other things with some of my time, before perhaps I’m too old to do that.” 

Shrope’s journey began in the summer of 1985 when Citrus College needed a music instructor to teach the chamber chorale.

Shrope applied for the job after being recommended by Greg Hinrichsen, the former director of the Haugh Performing Arts Center. 

For his interview, Shrope was asked to bring a different piece of music each day to teach to the students within an hour for three days straight.

Shrope got the job and began as a part-time instructor at Citrus College. 

Shrope’s most significant contribution to the college has been as the director of the Citrus Singers, a well-renowned performance group created by Ben Bollinger in 1968.

During his time at Citrus, Shrope directed the chamber chorale, created and produced the women’s ensemble, was one of the co-directors of the musical theater program and was the creator and co-director of the summer high school musical theater program.

Shrope also added musical technique and theater production classes at Citrus.

He helped create the musical jazz band Night Shift alongside Bob Slack, a retired professor and dean, and Gino Munoz, its current director and former Citrus Singer.

Shrope became a full-time faculty of vocal music at Citrus in 1994 and took over all of Bolinger’s duties, including one as the director of the Citrus Singers in 2006. 

His career furthered his childhood passion for music.

Born and raised in northern California, Shrope grew up in a family that loved the arts. Both of his parents were in the theater. In addition, his father sang, and his mother played the piano, so he learned to play the piano at a young age.

“I was around theater all the time ’cause I would go and see my parents in shows and go see the things that my father did,” he said.

Shrope said he grew up in a family where he was exposed to the arts a lot and had a lot of opportunities and support.

 He said he was fortunate to be in a junior high and high school with a strong music and theater program that nurtured his interest.

“I had the opportunity to excel, to participate a lot, to learn a lot, and to have mentors who really helped guide me,” Shrope said. “I credit a lot of my becoming a college professor in music to my high school music teacher and my high school theater teacher.” 

Shrope graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a double major in music and theater. 

For almost a decade after graduating, he worked as a performer and musical director for different productions before becoming a professor and following in his father’s footsteps as a community college teacher.

Shrope is committed to his work; he said some weeks he is on campus from 8 in the morning to 10 at night without a break, which he has done for 38 years.

 He also said he is on campus most weekends, but that’s OK since it goes with the job. 

“I love my job, I really do,” Shrope said. “ … It is a lot of energy, and it is a lot of focus, and it is a lot of time. Fortunately, it is really creative, and I really love it. It is extremely gratifying to watch young people grow, to explore things that they are so passionate about… and to excel in the skills and talents, and passion that they have. That, to me, is what has kept me here.” 

Shrope said working at Citrus demands an enormous amount of time because he is involved in programs with so much rehearsal and performance time and many arranged hours, which means lots of six-day and seven-day work weeks. 

“I do not take a day off from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas day,” Shrope said. “Neither do the Citrus Singers.”

Even though Shrope spends loads of time working, he is always positive and says it because he loves what he does.

Shrope said sometimes he might be a little tired, but then he walks into class, and 20 minutes later, he feels great because music is being made and the students are doing fantastic work. 

“To me, my days are really very positive,” Shrope said. “I like my classes. I like my students. I love the productions that we do.” 

Emilio Pichardo, a music major and current student of Shrope, gushed about him as a “supreme, greatly inspiring, kind, and very caring” person.

Pichardo said there are times when Shrope has offered him energy drinks and snacks from his fridge after he’s had sleepless nights.

“He is always looking out for every single person,” Pichardo said. “No one ever feels not cared for working with Doug.”

Another student, Micheal Keleshiam, described Shrope as friendly and selfless.

“I know some teachers, they feel like they are your teachers and they are just there to teach, but he feels like he is there as a friend,” Keleshiam said.

Munoz, a former Citrus Singer and student of Shorpe now turned colleague, also described Shrope as a tough but fair teacher.

 “As a friend, he has helped me through the hardest time in my life,” he said. “As a colleague, I will miss his work ethic and his ability to influence young people to work hard.”

Munoz said he had learned many valuable lessons from Shrope.

“I feel quite lucky and blessed to have such an amazing colleague,” he said. “He will be missed incredibly.” 

Shrope said partnering with so many wonderful instructors at Citrus has been great and that he has been in a community that he loves.

He also said he is fortunate to work in a music department and a division of art where everyone is a positive teacher.

 “I am filled with a department of “What can we do for the students? How can we improve the students?’ and not just phoning it in,” he said. 

Shrope has taught at Citrus for over half of his life, and the interesting thing, he said, is that it has become common for him to have students who are the children of, or are in some ways related to, former students of his.

Shrope has also taught numerous students who have gone on to star in different Broadway shows and musical productions or have become educators themselves.

Another memorable experience for Shrope was the day that a student called him and told him he had landed his first job teaching music in a community college and that his goal was to pattern himself after him by teaching the same music that Shrope taught in his first semester.

Shrope said knowing that someone else will do what he did and get the experience of motivating the next generation of musicians is wonderful. 

“To me, the students are the recognition of my work,” said Shrope, despite sitting in an office adorned with many awards and plaques.

Shrope said his former boss, Bolinger, said, “When it is time to retire, you will just know… both for you and for the student getting the best of everything they can.”

Shrope said he remembered the words of his former boss late last year when he thought about retiring.

“I don’t want anyone to think that I am indispensable,” Shrope said. “I want to think that the Citrus Singers program will go on for decades after me.”

Shrope said he wants someone new to come in just like he did and open new doors while continuing with all the traditions that are done and to infuse new options, ideas, and energy for all the students coming in the next decade.

Shrope said retiring would be hard because of the routine changes. However, he said that despite the days varying, his life suddenly having much more free time will be noticeable. 

Shrope said he would spend more time with family, travel, and see shows after retiring.

He said he wants to have some “me time,” which includes exercising more, spending time outdoors, and having more of a social life by seeing friends he doesn’t get to see often because of time consumed by work.

He is also eyeing a hobby – pickleball.

He also said he wants to rebalance, give back some time, and be more present in the home part of his relationship.

Shrope said he had done a lot and is grateful for it, but more than anything, he is proud of what he has accomplished with his students.