Reflections Magazine Issue #77 - Fall 2012 | Page 7

Campus Feature

Banding Together
Wes King Hired to
Begin Band Program
at Siena Heights

I

n June Siena Heights University hired Wes
King to be its first director of Bands.
King, a native of Memphis, Tenn., recently
graduated from the University of Arkansas,
where he earned his Master of Music Degree in
Instrumental Conducting. During his time at
Arkansas, he served as a graduate teaching assistant, assisting and conducting the Razorback
Marching Band, Hogwild Pep Band, concert
bands, jazz ensemble and concert choir.
King also attended Mississippi State University, where he
graduated magna cum laude with
a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. He was a member of the
wind ensemble, marching band,
pep bands, jazz band, chamber ensembles and
performed with the Starkville-MSU Symphony.
He was also a founding member of a MSU
student organization that participated in many
volunteer music programs promoting diversity
in the community and surrounding schools.
King previously served as the band director
at Taylorsville (Tenn.) High School, and also
has worked with the marching program at
the Southern Baptist Educational Center in
Southaven, Miss.

The following are the other full-time faculty beginning the
2012–13 academic year at Siena Heights:

SHU approved a marching band program
in 2011, and this fall the band debuted during
the Saints’ first home football game Aug. 25.
King directs the marching bands as well as
organizes the concert bands as a music faculty
member at Siena Heights.
King said he is actively recruiting new band
members. He hosted a Band Day for prospective high school students on Oct. 13 during the
home football game against St. Xavier (Ill.).
“Scholarships are available for every member
of the marching band,” King said. “Students
who play brass, woodwind, piano and percussion instruments a ɔ