Elsie Landon Buck, accomplished pianist, teacher, unflagging supporter of and leader in music education and numerous other endeavors, has made a significant difference in all that she has done. Her enthusiasm, vision, and persistence as a leader have inspired and benefited many, two examples being her work on projects related to her alma mater, Andrews University, and her leadership as president of the International Adventist Musicians Association from 1992 to 2009.

Born in Brazil, Elsie started study on piano with her mother at age six. Other teachers would follow, including her aunt, Corina Salse and noted Brazilian composers and orchestra conductors Francisco Mignone, Camargo Guarnieri, and Frutuoso Vianna. She started her music teaching career with giving piano lessons at age 17.

Elsie completed a B.A. degree in music at Emmanuel Missionary College, now Andrews University, in 1943. In June of that year, she married Edwin Francis Buck, who completed a B.A. the following year in theology. Both returned to campus in the 1960s, where he completed an M.A. and she an M.Mus.Ed. in 1964. He later completed a Ph.D. at Michigan State University, and Elsie took additional study in music at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and AU. She was chosen as AU Alumna of the Year in 1973 and awarded an honorary doctorate by AU in 1991.

Prior to her retirement in1984 as an elementary music teacher in the St. Joseph Public Schools, where she taught for twenty years, the Bucks worked at Cedar Lake Academy, were evangelists in India for six years, where they also taught at Vincent Hill School, and taught at Greater Miami Academy. She also served as an adjunct professor of music at AU.

Highlights from an array of committee positions Elsie held over a period of several decades include fifteen years as a member of the Board of Trustees for AU, chairing the Committee for the restoration of the Sutherland House on the AU campus and chairing the AU Inaugural Committee in 1984. She also served as AU Alumni President from 1977-79. These activities, coupled with numerous others in the community and region, led to many honors and recognition for unusual accomplishment.

During her presidency of the Berrien Commission on Beautification and Development, Berrien Springs received a National Clean Up Award, presented to her in Washington, DC, in 1971. Other honors include membership in the National Guild of Piano Teachers Hall of Fame, recognition in 1988 from Music Educators National Conference (MENC) for her "Contributions to School music Programs," and recognition in 1990 for her music achievements and contributions from the Michigan Music Teachers Association. She was nominated for membership in Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society in 2000.

A frequent adjudicator for the National Guild of Piano Teachers, she served as chairman of its Southwest Michigan Chapter for eight years. She has been an active member in other music associations, including Music Educators National Conference and The Hymn Society of the United States and Canada.

A charter member of IAMA, Buck served as its president for seventeen years. In those years she worked tirelessly on behalf of the association, informing church leaders about its work, promoting it at gatherings of musicians and non-musicians alike, and maintaining contact with the board. She and her husband, Edwin, were very generous donors, providing funding for the operation of IAMA when normal sources of income were not adequate.

Buck's concern about all things musical as they relate to the church was evident in the over forty President's Messages she penned in IAMA's magazine, Notes, and in the articles she contributed. She worked closely with its editor, Dan Shultz, making countless encouraging and informative calls as he prepared Notes and met with the board when she was unable to attend Annual Meetings. In those many calls he got to know her as a thoughtful and informed person as they talked not only about music but theology, world events, and politics, as well.

A solo performer in a variety of settings over many years, she worked with Blythe Owen, noted Adventist pianist and composer in presenting numerous duo-piano recitals in the 1970’s and 1980’s. They produced a recording during those years, a second for Buck who had earlier made a solo record.

The Bucks, now retired and living in Berrien Springs, have traveled extensively around the world. The parents of three children, Evonne P., Edwin L., and Elizabeth, and grandparents to five grandchildren, they celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary in 2008.

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