The search for Florida A&M’s next band director officially began Thursday afternoon.
The Search Committee for Director of Marching and Pep Bands announced that it is aiming to find a replacement for former director, Julian White, by the end of November.
The meeting was headed by Interim Provost Rodner Wright, who revealed that the committee had received 13 applications from various locations.
“The objective I will be trying to bring as many desirable candidates in that we can so that we have an opportunity to select the best available person,” Wright said. “I would hope that within the collection of applicants that we will be able to find that individual.”
The application deadline ended Aug. 31, but the interim provost made it clear that the committee will not settle for anyone under par.
“We won’t compromise. If we decide that we for whatever reason can not select someone from the pool of applicants, we will then have to make the recommendation to the president to open it back up again.”
Wright made it mandatory that committee members be present at at least one committee meeting in which they hold interviews when a candidate comes to campus.
“Each member of the committee will have to serve in some capacity as a guest or host of the candidates,” Wright said.
Wright added that all candidates were going to be treated equally and asked the same questions.
Also on the committee are Delores Dean, director of the Career Center; Patricia Green-Powell, interim dean and professor in the College of Education; Robert Griffin, assistant professor in the Department of Music; Bernard Jackson, president of the FAMU Student Senate and music major; Brenda Jarmon, associate professor in the Department of Social Work; Michael Jefferson, vice president of the Student Government Association; Marcia Owens, assistant professor in the School of the Environment and Faculty Senate representative; Lindsey Sarjeant, professor in the Department of Music; Joanna Sobkowska-Parsons, associate professor in the Department of Music and Angela Adams Suggs, assistant athletics director for marketing/development and Brandon Cunningham, 2011-2012 Marching 100 president.
“They must identify with the legacy of the Marching 100,” said Cunningham.
“I think its also important that the candidate comes with new fresh ideas to improve on what the Marching 100 has already done so that we can expand and take our band up to the next level.”
The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17.