Leslie Timmons Receives Sorenson Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award

LOGAN, Utah — Leslie Timmons, director of Orff Schulwerk teacher education courses at the Caine College of the Arts and Professor Emerita in the music department, has received the Sorenson Lifetime Achievement in Arts Education Award. A respected educator and musician, Timmons has left a lasting legacy through decades of teaching, mentorship and leadership in music education.

The Sorenson Legacy Awards for Excellence in Arts Education were established in memory of Beverley Taylor Sorenson, a tireless advocate for high-quality art programs in public education. The awards honor Utah educators who have demonstrated a deep commitment to the role of the arts in student development.

Made possible by the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, the awards include a $2,500 cash prize for each recipient and a $500 grant to their school to support arts programs, with the Lifetime Achievement Award — the foundation’s highest honor — offering a $5,000 cash prize.

“This is a very special award from all of my colleagues around the state, most of whom I have worked with throughout my career,” Timmons said. “It's quite an honor.”

Timmons’s career in music education includes both international and local experiences that have shaped her approach to teaching and her impact on the field. After completing degrees in Music Education and Flute Performance, she was awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to pursue post-graduate studies at the Orff Institute Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

Her time there, coupled with a few years in London, offered valuable lessons that shaped her approach to teaching.

“The students in elementary school taught me a lot that you can only learn from teaching, and not from methods classes or books,” Timmons said. “It whetted my appetite for getting better at it.”

When she came to Utah in 1977, Timmons began teaching flute adjunct at USU while becoming a founding member of the Utah Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, or AOSA, and serving as Artist-in-Residence for the Utah Arts Council. She also served on the national boards of the American Recorder Society and AOSA.

“When I got to Utah, I did a lot of work for the Utah Arts Council, which is now the Utah Division of Arts and Museums,” Timmons said. “I also worked with teachers and did private classes for children through the Alliance for the Varied Arts.”

In 1991, after spending a few years in California, Timmons returned to Utah State University, where she taught music education and flute courses.

“I came back to Utah State University and started teaching coursework, gradually developing into a tenure track position,” Timmons said. “That gave me the opportunity to work with the university students in elementary music education, and in the flute studio. Those two things were exactly what I wanted to be doing.”

Her tenure at USU not only allowed her to guide students in their academic journeys but also offered her opportunities to connect with colleagues and arts organizations throughout the state.

Timmons had the privilege of being part of the BTS Arts program founded by Beverley Taylor Sorensen, which played a key role in strengthening arts education at the elementary school level.

“Beverley conceived the program because of a grandson who was struggling in school, and she thought he needed some arts,” Timmons said. “She gathered experts around her kitchen table years ago, and together, we explored how we could help foster arts education at the elementary level, which is just so important for children.”

Reflecting on her time at USU, Timmons said she is especially grateful for the university’s support, which aligns with its mission of excellence and community contribution, allowing her to make a meaningful impact through education.

“Working here has allowed me to present at national conferences, travel to teach and perform, and the opportunity to work with teachers, and to really see firsthand what's going on in the state,” Timmons said.

Timmons also acknowledged the many people who have helped shape her career throughout her journey.

“What’s really important in this lifetime achievement award is recognizing that this does not happen by one person acting alone,” Timmons said. “It starts by sitting around Beverley Taylor Sorensen’s table with colleagues who are like-minded and working with really committed teachers and having teaching opportunities that allow you to blossom in that field.”

For more information about the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, visit the website.