Cheerful music professor hits all the right notes

Sometimes you have to blow your own horn… especially if you are a French horn virtuoso.

Professor of Music Dr. Cynthia McGregor is too polite to be described as brassy, but she can elevate a horn section with her power and artistry.

McGregor started her collegiate career at California State University Hayward for two years, then transferred to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and earned degrees in French horn performance and music theory. Grad school followed at Northwestern University for degrees in music theory and music performance. At Northwestern she played in the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra, Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony and Chicago Civic Orchestra.

Southwestern College beckoned in 2004 and McGregor joined the faculty. She became a full professor in 2009 and has kept her performance chops up playing for the Orquesta de Baja California and the La Jolla Symphony.

SWC is like an orchestra, she said, with a colorful variety of players.

“I love the diversity this school has to offer,” said McGregor. “I wanted to go to a college and help students who want to learn to become competitive when they transfer as music majors to a university.”

Born in the foothills of the San Francisco East Bay, McGregor said she was intrigued by music at a very young age and started piano lessons when she was six.

“Although I did not really enjoy it much, I began playing violin in the third grade and from there my love for music skyrocketed,” said McGregor.

In secondary school she learned to play the flute and her beloved French horn.

“I absolutely loved being in the marching band in high school and I also played horn in the California All-State Honor Band my junior year,” she said. “After being in the All-State Honor Band I then realized that I wanted to go to college and study music theory and play my French horn.”

She also invites some of the ensembles she plays in, such as Hornswoggle and La Jolla Brass Quintet, to SWC to play concerts students can enjoy.

John Lorge, conductor of Hornswoggle, is a McGregor fan.

“She is so talented and is a wonderful horn player and a pleasure to work with on the professional level,” he said.

Students agree.

“She is really funny and super nice!” said Camila Halm, 19, a music major. “Honestly, she is the most approachable professor that I’ve ever had. She really knows her stuff and she makes it really fun to learn.”