When Roger Rehm, CMU’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer, wants to kick back, he reaches for his Lorée oboe and plays a concert.

Rehm’s love of music and technology has been a part of him all his life. The combination has led him down a unique career path at Central Michigan University for 34 years, and his current job is just the latest stop.

Rehm started at Central Michigan University as an oboe teacher, and has since gone on to teach a variety of music classes and take on a number of administrative roles.

“It’s really important for somebody in my position to have a good understanding of what the institution does, what higher ed is all about,” Rehm said. “I understand the university and how the university works, the challenge in my job is in making sure there’s an alignment in what the university is trying to do and what the technology is supporting.”

Rehm is responsible for overseeing how technology is used at an institution.

Linda Binkley, a temporary faculty member in the School of Music, was a student of Rehm’s for 12 years. Binkley, who now holds one of Rehm’s old teaching positions, began studying music with Rehm when she was in sixth grade. She said his teaching inspired her to become a professional musician.

“He had the most beautiful sound and was the most amazing musician I ever heard. I wanted to figure out how I could do what he did,” Binkley said.

From the beginning

Rehm started off in music as many others do — by playing the piano in grade school.

In junior high, he moved to the oboe. Still, he did not want to be a musician for years to come.

During the summer before his final year of high school, Rehm studied under renowned oboist John Mack. Mack’s teaching made the idea of becoming a professional oboist seem worth pursuing.

“The experience of studying music over that summer really changed my mind about what I wanted to do,” Rehm said. “By the time I started my senior year, I knew I wanted to go into music, and that’s ultimately what I decided to do.”

Though Rehm graduated from college with degrees in music, he had been nurturing an interest in science and technology since he was young. Rehm said turning an interest in technology into a career was unusual at the time of his schooling because the field of computer science was nonexistent.

While working at CMU, Rehm jumped at the first chance he got to explore his growing interest in technology. When personal computers became popular in the mid-’80s, Rehm went to CMU’s computer services department for recommendations on what to buy. He ended up with a Mac, and has stayed true to the brand since.

Going to work

Soon after getting his first computer, Roger was designing the music department’s databases.

“He is always interested in a multitude of things and, once he sets out to learn about something, he learns a great deal about it,” said Joanna White, Rehm’s friend and a colleague in the School of Music.

White and Rehm have known each other for 20 years. They have played together in the Powers Woodwind Quintet and both play in the Midland Symphony Orchestra.

“He’s a fantastic, extremely expressive musician, so he’s a treat to work with,” White said. “When he plays music, it has a lot of heart.”

Clarinet professor Kennon White, Joanna’s husband, also has played with Rehm in different ensembles and in the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra. The two have worked together on several recordings.

“We would basically spend all day everyday for about a week recording, trying to get everything just the way we wanted it for the CDs,” Kennon White said. “I was surprised that he made the jump all the way to president of technology but, in hindsight, it makes sense because he’s so good at it.”

Rehm, who also has played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, said work has forced him to scale back on how much he plays. Still, he said he’s happy with his decision to be CIO, and he tries to get in as much music as he can with the Midland Symphony Orchestra.

“I appreciate being able to pull the oboe out of its case and practice or play a concert — it’s a really nice change of pace,” he said. “There’s just something that’s really exciting about sitting in an orchestra with a bunch of really great musicians and having all that sound around you, it’s just great.”