For many area educators, it’s music to their ears when Professor Donald Running calls.
The assistant professor of music, who serves as the department chairman, has made a practice of reaching out to high schools and middle schools across the region, giving younger students a chance to raise their game.
“From my perspective, I’ll do anything I can to get a student on campus making music and having a great time,” Dr. Running said.
To this end, he’s created events that do just this.
For the annual Honor Band Festival, Professor Running sends invitations to every high school in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire, asking music directors to send top students to participate in a day of jamming and instruction.
“Usually they’re the school’s best, and they get to be surrounded by the best players in the region. Everyone gets to take music very seriously for one day and work with a well-known director,” he said.
The event is capped off with a nighttime concert, where the high school musicians get to play with the BSU Wind Ensemble.
This year, 90 students participated from 18 school districts.
A similar festival was held this year for middle school students.
New this year is the Pep Band, formed at the special request of President Frederick W. Clark Jr., who wanted an ensemble to play at football and basketball games. To accommodate the request, Dr. Running hired Dr. Spencer Aston as athletic band director and voila! BSU had a pep band. It has, in Dr. Running’s words, a “snappy little drum line.”
The ensemble played at Homecoming and at a handful of football and basketball games and next year these appearances will increase in number.
The longstanding BSU Jazz Festival has been completely reorganized on Dr. Running’s watch. “It’s starting to get a name for itself and becoming a pretty big deal,” he said.
The emphasis of the festival as of late has been less on fostering competition between the eight participating schools and more on education. The event now includes an in-depth workshop.
“It’s all about learning,” Dr. Running said.
As for what’s next, he said: “We’re trying to make it more of a priority next year to send our faculty out in the schools.” (Story by John Winters, G’11, University News & Media)