Refining the Chords: Rebuilding the Music Department at Wilmington College

Wilmington College is amping up their music program this semester with more opportunities for students and community members to hear music across the campus grounds. Assistant Professor of Music Evan Hatter is raising the expectations for the Wilmington College Music Department. This includes more student performances from the Quaker Thunder Pep Band. In the fall semester alone, the band held an outdoor jazz concert, performed at the Homecoming pep rally for students, and added a fall concert in early October.  

The outdoor jazz concert was the first at Wilmington College. Students in the Quaker Thunder Jazz Band played for community members, college staff, and other students. It gave a new purpose to one of the campus’s beloved landmarks, the Carillon. While the chimes of the bell tower tell students the time of day and plays its daily song at six o’ clock, the band provided it with a new chord for the evening. The jazz band on campus was revived three semesters ago after a short hiatus. However, the goal is to make the outdoor concert an annual event. 

Guest performers are also welcome to Wilmington. On October 21, Wilmington College hosted a trombone choir comprised of nineteen students from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in the Kelly Center. The concert featured quartets, student conductors, and full-group performances. The group played a variety of musical styles from classical to modern, and even classic rock with a quartet performance of Kansas’ hit “Carry On Wayward Son”. The event was open to both students and the public.  

While the band, choir, and outside guests have had a long-standing history at the college, this new era has only been around for eight years. In an interview with Evan Hatter, he cited the success of the previous music program. “I’ve heard stories about how it was one of the best music ed programs in the state of Ohio,” he stated. To get a bigger glimpse into the history of the music department at Wilmington College, the Watson Library archives on campus show an array of old programs and press releases from past performances. The folders contained information about evenings of music in the Watson Library, celebrating women in music and the arts, and many guest appearances from visiting groups, similar to UC’s trombone choir. 

Wilmington College Chamber Music promotional from the 1959-1960 academic year. Courtesy of Watson Library archives at Wilmington College. 

In today’s era, the music department is still carrying on those traditions from the once-renowned program. While music majors are no longer offered, there is still a music minor, and music can be heard across campus at the band and choir’s various performances. However, the band did not used to play this much. Hatter discussed how even though the band's numbers have been steady in the past few years, the quality has improved. “My goal [...] has been to introduce everybody to the higher quality literature and more aware of where our ensemble comes from.” Hatter said. He talked about how the Thunder Quaker Bands have been able to play more difficult music pieces over the past few years. The grading scale is numbered one through six, with one being easier and sixes being the most challenging to play. Lastly, he brought up the boost in confidence among the members. 

For the pep band, Hatter is also getting new music. This semester, the band has introduced songs such as “Thriller” and “Cupid Shuffle" into its repertoire. However, they are still playing some of their staple pieces, including “Sweet Caroline”, “Brick House”, and “The Horse”. 

Hatter wants his students to be exposed to higher levels of musicianship, such as the trombone choir. He sees the importance that music has on college campuses. “[A] lot of people now are [...] starting to see [...] this is a really big part of our community and what we do individually at every school.” Hatter believes that bands and other music across college campuses benefit their communities. He wants his students to reflect on that same message. 

As for the future of the Thunder Quaker Bands, their next performance will be on November 1^st at Wilmington College’s next home football game against Marietta College. They will be having their Christmas Concert on Friday, December 5^th at 7:30 p.m. in the Boyd Cultural Arts Center to end the fall semester. As for next semester, they plan to continue their increased performance schedule, starting with playing home basketball games for both the men’s and women's teams. All of the effort is worth it to bring together the Wilmington College community and to continue to rebuild the music department to higher success.