WT Concert Band to Debut Piece Commissioned for Late Andrews Band Director; WT Symphonic Band Also Set to Perform

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A piece honoring the legacy of a Texas band director killed in a November car crash will have its regional premiere during an April 27 West Texas A&M University band concert.

The WT Concert Band will perform “The Essence of Memory” by Dr. B.J. Brooks, WT professor of theory and composition, during its 6 p.m. April 27 concert in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

It commemorates the life of Darin K. Johns, the Andrews High School band director who died in a Nov. 19 bus-pickup crash near Big Spring. Also killed in the wreck was Marc Elbert Boswell, an Andrews High math teacher and director of data information systems, who was driving the school bus.

“In the weeks following the tragedy that took the lives of Darin and Marc, we were all awed by the outpouring of collective tributes that spread out like waves on a still lake. First local, then in neighboring communities, then further throughout the state as people shared Darin’s story through social media,” Brooks said. “His story touched so many because his story is part of us all. As musicians, educators, parents, and community members, we well understood the commitment to the school and its students that is personified in a band director.”

The piece was commissioned by Association of Texas Small School Bands and premiered in February during the Texas Music Educators Association 4A All-State Symphonic Band concert.

“We are so fortunate to have a composer of Dr. Brooks’ caliber on our faculty,” said Dr. Russ Teweleit, professor of music and conductor of the WT Concert Band. “It’s sobering to recognize the loss of one of our band director peers, but Dr. Brooks’ piece is truly exceptional.”

The concert band will include two of Johns’ former students in its roster: sophomore Anthony NovoGradac and senior Landon Proffitt.

The concert band also will perform Brooks’ “Willows of Winter,” conducted by student Shelby Easley-McPherson, a graduate music performance student from Odessa; “Galactic Empires” by David Gillingham; “Xerxes” by John Mackey, conducted by student Emily Henson, a graduate music performance student from Hereford; and the finale of Vasily Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1 in G Minor.

The concert band’s performance will be followed at 8 p.m. by the WT Symphonic Band. The ensemble’s performance will feature Dr. John Shanks, WT professor of trombone, on John Mackey’s “Harvest: Concerto for Trombone.”

“This exciting work is considered to be one of the most challenging works from the trombone repertoire and also is a tour de force for the winds and percussion,” said Don Lefevre, associate professor of music and WT Symphonic Band conductor.

The concert also will feature Percy Aldridge Grainger’s “Children’s March,” “Frank Ticheli’s “Lux Perpetua” and Alfred Reed’s “El Camino Real.”

Admission for both concerts is free. Call 806-651-2840.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, more than 35 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—

Concert Band Personnel

Flute

Erin Hinds, Sophomore, Amarillo

Natalie Samuels, Senior, Monahans

Amaya Rangel, Junior, Odessa

Savannah Neis, Senior, Lubbock

Nalyn Chanthakhoune, Freshman, Amarillo

Isabel Hernandez, Sophomore, Amarillo

Elena Moreno, Freshman, Amarillo

Jasmine Solis, Freshman, Amarillo

Carmella Love, Junior, Amarillo

Oboe

Jocelyn Morales, Sophomore, Amarillo

Emily Klein, Junior, Amarillo

Bassoon

Kegan Otoole, Freshman, Friendswood

Kat Clark, Freshman, Canyon

Emma Morris, Sophomore, Sunray

Clarinet

Shawn Frausto, Sophomore, Amarillo

Faith Powell, Freshman, Amarillo

Skylar Jones, Freshman, Dalhart

Ashli Sauer, Senior, Dumas

Robby Sanchez, Sophomore, Farwell

Albert Spencer, Freshman, Claude

Jeran Nolen, Freshman, Stinnett

Mason Vincent, Junior, Brownfield

Kaitlyn Rubinski, Freshman, Amarillo

Shelby Easley-McPherson, Masters, Odessa

Bass Clarinet

Zoe Stovall, Freshman, Amarillo

Maddlyn Worley, Junior, Amarillo

Alto Saxophone

Josh Carillo, Senior, El Paso

Noah Reneau, Sophomore, Amarillo

Coby Mount, Freshman, Coahoma

Emily Shaw, Freshman, Tomball

Tenor Saxophone

Zach Limb, Sophomore, Amarillo

Baritone Saxophone

Zeke Roberts, Junior, Lubbock

Trumpet

Malik Boyd, Senior, Amarillo

Caleb Hesse, Sophomore, Amarillo

Ian Whitehurst, Sophomore, Smithtown, NY

Nassir Reyes, Sophomore, Shallowater

Jordan Bunn, Freshman, Tulia

Connor McClenny, Freshman, Amarillo

Ashlyn Vessel, Senior, Lampasas

Emily Henson, Graduate, Hereford

Horn

Sadie Rivera, Senior, St. Augustine, FL

Chris Santiago, Freshman, Odessa

Jenna Gelinas, Junior, Roswell, NM

Norrin Hodgson, Sophomore, Odessa

Ericka Ortiz, Junior, Canyon

Liliana Rivera, Freshman, Humble

Tenor Trombone

Brayden Hebbel, Sophomore, Amarillo

Alec Jung, Freshman, Midland

William Delph, Senior, Wasilla, AK

Nadia Ortega, Sophomore, Stratford

Chris Larney, Freshman, Tulia

Victoria Wilkinson, Junior, Amarillo

Caleb Aguilar-Skeen, Sophomore, Amarillo

Dominic Mendoza, Freshman, Plainview

Payton Cotton, Freshman, Amarillo

Bass Trombone

James Dewey, Senior, Amarillo

Euphonium

Anthony NovoGradac, Sophomore, Andrews

Tuba

Jayce Nixon, Sophomore, Mansfield

Camron McGuire, Freshman, Claude

Jacob Mills, Sophomore, Midland

Percussion

Charlie Romo, Senior, Amarillo

William Conway, Sophomore, Panhandle

Cooper Delgado, Freshman, Childress

Steven Hilton, Junior, Amarillo

Hayley Hunter, Sophomore, Monahans

Brogan Lichte, Senior, Littlefield

Noah Lopez, Junior, Lubbock

Tristan Mouw, Junior, Amarillo

Charles Neal, Freshman, Canyon

Angel Olivas, Freshman, Shallowater

Symphonic Band Personnel

Flute

Kyndahl Britton, Pflugerville

Alejandra Mulgado, Clovis, NM

Abbie Wade, Missouri City

Sara Rogalski, Cypress

Amaris Contreras, Alice

Diego Romero, Amarillo

Alex Lam, Sachse

Emily Henson*, Hereford

Oboe

Tobin Brooks, Canyon

Abigail Hite, Carlisle, PA

Danny Maldonado, Mesquite

Bassoon

Meghan Brooks, Canyon

Riley Lusk, Lubbock

Daniel Gonzales, Taylor

E-flat Clarinet

Joey Henriquez, Arlington

B-flat Clarinet

Rachel Stansell, Midland

Dayton Scholz, Amarillo

Shelby Easley-McPherson*, Canyon

McKenzie Bonner, Midland

Ethan Hughes, Wichita Falls

Grace Lindauer, Keller

Shawn Frausto, Amarillo

Faith Powell, Amarillo

Sydney Fishburn, Spearman

Bass Clarinet

Gage Winkle, Arlington

Kaitlyn Rubinski, Amarillo

Graham McFarland, Amarillo

Saxophone

Braden Lefevre, Canyon

Dillon Martin, Odessa

Maxwell Gray, Tomball

Aaron Erickson, Georgetown

Carter Rybarski, Brenham

Trumpet

Emily Sotelo, Midland

Mason Lafferty, Amarillo

Adam Johnson, Springtown

Payne Morris, Odessa

Brayden York, Odessa

Chris Barber, Muleshoe

Tess Homer, Amarillo

Horn

Morgan Hite, Carlisle, PA

Conlan Means, Wheeler

Luke Rodriquez, Midland

Gaby Padilla, Amarillo

Jorge Lopez, Rio Grande City

Luigi Bencomo, Dalhart

Carlie Marcotte, Lewisville

Bailee Rettig, Brenham

Tenor Trombone

Abraham Wood, Floresville

Spencer Owens, Levelland

Cyrus Jackson, Baytown

Trace Bails, Amarillo

Bass Trombone

Justin Slaughter, Odessa

Damonusess Brooks, Houston

Euphonium

Patrick Lucas, Odessa

Noah Portillo, Lubbock

James Selman, Amarillo

Tuba

Lucas Martinez, Lewisville

Chris Perez, Odessa

Ty Solomon, Fritch

Isaac Ortiz, Canyon

String Bass

Roman Rios, Amarillo

Electric Bass

Danny Maldonado, Mesquite

Piano

Piper Fowler, Amarillo

Percussion

Noah Bradshaw, Joshua

Hien Doan, Amarillo

Chema Garcia, Memphis

Colton Gallandat, Joshua

Mason Rumsey, Joshua

Juan Montoya Buenrostro, Amarillo

Jacob Diaz, Amarillo