Department of Music News

The first band at the Western Kentucky Teachers College (WKTC) was formed in 1925 as a student organization and was led by student director, Joyce Felts. There were 18 members. By the next year, a faculty director, Franz J. Strahm, was hired, and the band had grown to 30 members. One Hundred years later, the internationally renowned WKU Band program serves over 400 students in multiple ensembles.  Join us as we celebrate 100 years! 

There will be a series of 100^th Anniversary Gala Concerts on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Van Meter Hall. The first concert on Friday will feature the WKU Symphonic Band conducted by Dr. Matthew McCurry and the WKU Wind Ensemble conducted by Dr. Gary Schallert.  Both bands will be conducted by current directors who will share conducting responsibilities with four former directors who have been invited back to campus for the celebration.  Dr. John Carmichael, Director Bands from 1993-2007, Dr. Robert Hansbrough, Associate Director from 1995-1999, Dr. Eric Smedley, Associate Director from 2004-2007, and Dr. Jeff Bright Associate Director from 2007-2018 will be guest conducting.  Two prominent WKU Alumni, Technical Sargent Brandon Jones, euphonium with the US Air Force Band in Washington DC, and Master Sargent Matthew Carmichael, alto saxophone with the Pershing’s Own US Army Band will be featured with the two bands.  

On Saturday, the WKU Campus Community Band will present the second concert of the series and will feature current and former WKU directors on the podium with Jones and Carmichael performing a special arrangement of Delibes’ Flower Duet, completed by WKU music professor, Matthew Herman. In addition, four alumni percussionists, AJ Cook, Forrest Yankee, Andy Edelen, and Lucas Allen, will perform the third movement of Viet Cuong’s percussion concerto, Re(new)al on the concert.

Another prominent WKU alumnus, MSG Larry Fergusson, will be honored with the Department of Music’s “Wall of Fame” Award during the concert. Fergusson grew up in Glasgow, Kentucky and after graduating from WKU, auditioned and won a coveted position with Pershing’s Own US Army Band and recently retired after twenty years of service.

WKU Director of Bands, Dr. Gary Schallert, says the two concerts will be very special to WKU and the Bowling Green community in the celebration of the university’s band program. “There has been tremendous growth in the program over the past 100 years and it is a bit surreal to think about the thousands of students that have marched with the Big Red Marching Band and performed pregame and halftime shows or that have performed on the stage in Van Meter Hall during that time.” The band has been led by 15 Directors of Bands and 9 Associate Directors since 1925.  The concerts will feature current and former students and directors all performing together on the same stage. WKU commissioned Dr. Brant Karrick, an alumnus, prominent composer, former Bowling Green HS band director, and now retired college band director, to write a special celebratory work to open the concert series.  Karrick’s new work, A Call for Celebration, will be premiered at the Friday night concert.  Schallert said of the work, “It is really great, and the audience will recognize some familiar musical phrases near and dear to Hilltopper fans.  It is the perfect opener for the 100^th anniversary concert.”

Both concerts will be presented in Van Meter Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. and general admission tickets will be available for $10 at the door or online at https://wkubands.ludus.com/index.php

Dr. Matthew McCurry, Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands, shared that the band staff is planning a special Alumni Band gathering this fall to celebrate this monumental occasion for the bands at WKU.  The Alumni Band will perform a 100^th Anniversary halftime show with the Big Red Marching Band on Feix Field.  More details to follow once the date for Homecoming has been decided.  

For more information, please contact the WKU Department of Music at 270-745-4253 or visit the WKU band’s 100^th Anniversary website at: https://www.wku.edu/band/centennial/