Two graduate assistants, guest director save concert

Jameson Fowler Photo

Jameson Fowler Photo

Fraternities and sororities performed skits of popular movies with a homecoming twist inspired by the homecoming theme “Trojans Most Wanted.”

Just a few days before students got off for spring break, Troy University’s symphonic band held a concert with an unexpected challenge: a missing band director.

Graduate assistants Jacorey Benjamin and Wesley Thornton said they received a message from the director of the group, Dr. Mark Walker, saying he was sick and would not be able to conduct nor attend the concert. This was just a few hours before their concert in Claudia Crosby theatre was set to start.

This message placed the responsibility of conducting the students through the entire concert on the shoulders of Benjamin and Thornton who, as graduate assistants, have conducted the smaller bands in practices and through individual pieces on concerts before, but they have never led an entire concert.

“We conduct the concert band ensemble that meets at the same time as the symphonic ensemble you just saw meets,” Benjamin said. “The only difference is that we are not the head conductors of that ensemble.

“So, in a concert like this, usually we would only conduct one piece.”

Both Benjamin and Thornton said they experienced some nerves after taking on the increased workload and responsibility, but they were able to work together well to get the situation under control.

“When we first got the message, we just got together and were like ‘okay, how are we going to do this,’” Thornton said. “We sat down, made a game plan of who was going to be doing what, and really, I think it turned out quite well.”

Despite having to deal with the stress of taking over a large responsibility, both graduate assistants said they enjoyed the show, and it meant a lot to both of them being able to fill the shoes of someone they’d been learning from for so long.

“My favorite piece was “October” by Eric Whitacre,” Thornton said. “It’s a really rich, luscious band piece – one of my favorites that I’ve ever performed before, and I was really honored to be able to conduct it with this ensemble tonight.”

“It can be daunting, but it’s also very exciting,” Benjamin said. “Listening from the very first rehearsal, when you give the music to them at first, to the final product, and that whole journey is one of the most exciting, fulfilling things.”

Benjamin and Thornton were not the only people to save the urgent situation; they also brought in a guest conductor, Professor of Music Ray Smith, to fill the shoes of Walker.

Smith said he was honored to be asked to fill in the role and was extremely proud of not only the students who performed in the concert, but of the graduate assistants for stepping up and doing what he called a flawless job as the other co-conductors of the show.