黑料专区

In late August, the new 黑料专区 Wind & Percussion Ensemble began rehearsing each Monday evening for a concert on Nov. 2 in Henry Pfeiffer Chapel. The formation of the group is one of several steps that Dr. Joseph Earp, its director, is undertaking to reinstate the music education major at Pfeiffer beginning in the fall of 2022. 

鈥淎ny program for music ed majors requires its students to perform in instrumental and choral ensembles,鈥� Earp said. 鈥淪o, the Wind & Percussion Ensemble is vital to the music ed program鈥檚 prospects for success, as are Pfeiffer鈥檚 choral ensembles, which are already thriving under the capable leadership of Joe Judge 鈥�87. I want people to see that the bands at Pfeiffer are the real deal. We鈥檙e going to do something with this.鈥�

By 鈥渂ands,鈥� Earp also meant Freddie Falcon鈥檚 House Band, a pep band that has also begun rehearsing for its debut, which will take place during a Pfeiffer basketball game this winter. It will perform the University鈥檚 first fight song, for which Earp, also a prolific , is writing the music and lyrics.

Earp, a trombonist who holds a Doctor of Music Education from Liberty University, wants to sign up 10 music education majors at Pfeiffer for the 2022-23 academic year. In four years, if all goes as planned, that number would rise to about 25 or 30. 

The Wind & Percussion Ensemble would increase from its current 13 members to between 35 and 50 members. Like Mila Rutter 鈥�23, a junior environmental science major from Gold Hill, N.C., several of the group鈥檚 players will not major in music ed or music. Instead, they鈥檒l continue to pursue music as a serious hobby, which would be consistent with a culture that encourages Pfeiffer students to participate in multiple extracurricular activities. 

鈥淚 still want to play the trumpet, and I want to learn to play the drums,鈥� said Rutter, who performed in the marching and jazz bands at East Rowan (N.C.) High School. 鈥淚 do not plan to major in music, but I want to continue to play for as long as possible. So, the Wind & Percussion Ensemble has been great for me.鈥�

Earp鈥檚 recruitment strategy will draw on his successful experiences during his pre-Pfeiffer days as a builder of instrumental music programs, first at Cox Mill High School in Concord, N.C. (2009-2017) and then at Limestone University in Gaffney, S.C. (2017-2021). He鈥檒l plug the benefits of Pfeiffer鈥檚 culture as they relate to music ed: 鈥淥ne of the special things about Pfeiffer is that small school experience. When you walk into a band room, for instance, I鈥檓 going to know more than just your name. I鈥檓 going to ask how your classes are going, and I鈥檓 going to help motivate you to get things done for your classes.鈥�

Earp is a first-generation college student, and his doctoral thesis was on first-generation college students鈥� lived experiences in an undergraduate music education program. So, he relates particularly well to prospective first-generation college students who are considering following in his music ed footsteps.

Earp will showcase his conductor skills as a guest assistant during rehearsals of high school bands he visits. This might mean coaching a band鈥檚 section or critiquing balances and other fine points of ensemble. In this way, prospective students will get a good sense of Earp as a teacher/conductor.

Earp wants to entice prospective students to Pfeiffer鈥檚 Misenheimer campus. One way of doing that is already happening: He鈥檚 recruiting ensemble members from the local community colleges and already has seven who have joined the group. Another way, which was also tried successfully during Earp鈥檚 time at Limestone, will be gathering the area鈥檚 better high school musicians in an honor band that rehearses and performs at Pfeiffer under a leading clinician.

鈥淭he likelihood that they鈥檒l attend Pfeiffer dramatically increases if you can get them on campus,鈥� he said.

Finally, Earp is working with other faculty and administrators on making the University鈥檚 music facilities more attractive to prospective music ed majors who visit its Misenheimer campus. One of the top priorities is enlarging the stage in Henry Pfeiffer Chapel, where the ensemble will perform, because it is too small for a concert band. Another priority is dampening the chapel鈥檚 too-lively acoustics with acoustical panels. 

The new music education majors at Pfeiffer would be the first to graduate from the University since the spring of 2014, four years after the music ed major started being phased out (Pfeiffer鈥檚 Board of Trustees approved bringing back the music ed major at a meeting in June). They would leave the University as both generalists who are able to perform 鈥渁ny sort of job鈥� in K-12 music and as specialists who have gravitated to one of three areas of music: instrumental, choral or elementary. 

Earp is quite optimistic about the job opportunities for these graduates, noting that some areas in the region will need music teachers because new schools are being built to accommodate population growth. He also points out that there is always some turnover in teaching as well.

鈥淭here are a bunch of jobs out there and available,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 look forward to helping launch the careers of the next generation of Pfeiffer-trained music educators.鈥� 

Want to go?

What: Under Joseph Earp鈥檚 direction, the 黑料专区 Wind & Percussion Ensemble will present its 鈥淔all Concert.鈥� The program will include the Pfeiffer premiere of Earp鈥檚  for percussion ensemble, featuring the entire ensemble as percussionists. Also featured will be Eric Whitacre鈥檚 Sing Gently (transcribed from choir for instrumental ensemble, by Verena Mosenbichler-Bryant), Randall Standridge鈥檚 , David R. Gillingham鈥檚  and Claude T. Smith鈥檚 . 

When: 7 p.m. Nov. 2

Where: Henry Pfeiffer Chapel on 黑料专区鈥檚 Misenheimer campus

Cost: Free and open to the public

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Ken Keuffel, who authored this article, has served as Pfeiffer鈥檚 Assistant Director of Communications since December 2019. He welcomes story ideas from Pfeiffer鈥檚 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. The form for submitting story ideas is at聽Story Idea/News Item Request Form.