Deacon Roy Goetz

Subjects, Activities, Responsibilities
Chaplain, Religious Studies Department Chair, Beginning & Advanced Guitar, Benedictine Spirituality, Director of the Jazz Ensemble; Fr. Hugh Assenmacher, O.S.B.-Endowed Chair for Excellence in Teaching

Education and Previous Work Experience
B.A. in Music Performance: Lyon College
Certification studies at Arkansas State University
Theological Studies, Diocese of Little Rock Diaconate Formation Program 1994-1998.
Ordained to the Diaconate of the Roman Catholic Church on the Feast of Pentecost, 1998
Teaching experience in the following: Peace Corps, Solomon Islands; Gould High School; Oak Ridge Central High School; St. Paul Catholic School; Subiaco Academy since 2002
One year as principal at St. Paul Catholic School
Guest lecturer for the Little Rock Scripture Study Program.

A Little About Me:

Faith as a Way of Life

In an overall sense, I believe our gifts are to be used serving others. Education is a wonderful help in discovering our gifts and making the most of them. Sharing the faith with young men can be challenging. Today's students are faced with an overwhelming amount of information in their academic and social lives. The focus of our religious studies curriculum is to help our young men understand that their faith is not just another academic study, but a way of life. To this end, Benedictine spirituality is infused into the school day in all that we do.

Music at the Academy

I have a real passion for live music. For music to be a truly living art, there must be a strong connection with the audience. This connection is possible with most any style, but my particular preference is the Blues. The music that came out of the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta region in the early 1900's is powerful stuff. It gave birth to Jazz, Rockabilly, Rock and Roll, R & B and essentially most of American popular music right up to today. I believe the Blues to be the most significant artisitc gift the United States has made to the world. The Jazz Ensemble's book is all Blues and blues-based Jazz, Swing, Rock and Fusion. It is a great joy for me to lead and perform with the ensemble. The improvisational element is energizing for the guys, and it keeps my performance skills sharp as well. When we play these styles and the audience is on its feet, we know we have hit the mark and have that essential connection through live music.

Music on the Back Porch

One of the great joys of my life is making what I call "back porch music." My wife Cheryl, and friends like Gary Kinney, are great musicians in their own right, and we play whenever possible. Gathering with them in less formal settings to pick guitars and sing is always enjoyable and usually quite good. Several years ago, we formed a pick-up group to do Blues and Rock covers. Except for Cheryl, Gary and me, the group changes personnel each year as student musicians come and go. We have also morphed through a variety of names: The Gary Kinney Experience, The Cross Tie Walkers and finally the Kinney Goetz Project. The first was an homage to Hendrix; the second a line from CCR's Green River; and the last seemed to make the most sense for a group with changing personnel. I also attend local Blues festivals and make annual pilgrimages to Memphis for the Beale Street Festival and to Helena, Arkansas, for the revered King Biscuit Blues Festival.

Hobbies

The Arkansas River Valley and the Ozarks region provide me with what I like best aside from music. I have been paddling canoes and kayaks since I was eight years old. Local rivers and creeks like the Mulberry, Piney, Shoal and the Buffalo, provide world-class paddling for several months out of the year. It is also great fun to introduce students to these streams.

I have been riding motorcycles for about 45 years, and I currently get away a couple of times a week to ride off-road on my KLR 650 or Harley. I also hike and enjoy helping the students to discover some of the lesser known waterfalls and overlooks in our region.