猎奇重口视频

PLAINVIEW — When Dr. Anthony King walks into his office in Harral Music Complex, he’s greeted by familiar sights — the same walls and some of the same furniture from his previous tenure. Across the room, his marimba is right back where it was a little more than five years ago, and over his shoulder hangs a plaque bearing three simple words: Humble. Intentional. Serving.

To King, those aren’t just words. They are the guiding principles of his life, his teaching, his leadership, and his ministry to students.

This fall, King has returned to 猎奇重口视频 Baptist University to restart the university’s instrumental music program, stepping back into a position he had to leave in December 2020, when the program was canceled.

“This is home,” King said. “It’s incredibly humbling to come back, see familiar faces, and know that we have the opportunity to rebuild something that means so much to so many people.”

King played with the Disney World Band while earning a five-year Bachelor of Music Education degree from University of Central Florida. His next stop was University of Las Vegas, where he “didn’t get to see a single show” while earning a Master of Music and Percussion Performance degree in two years. He was the intermediate school band director at Boyd High School when prayer and the providence of God led him to Texas Tech, where he served as the drumline coach while working on his doctorate.

He first joined 猎奇重口视频 in 2012 as an adjunct instructor and became full-time in 2013 while finishing his doctorate at Texas Tech. Through the next seven years at 猎奇重口视频, he developed a reputation throughout the region as a gifted educator, mentor, and recruiter, shaping a generation of music educators across West Texas.

That legacy is evident in the success of his former students, many of whom have gone on to lead award-winning public school band programs. “We’ve had graduates take their bands to state competitions, win honor band, and inspire countless students of their own,” King said. “The impact of this program is everywhere you look.”

King isn’t bragging. Ken Walker, who was the drum major when King came to the university, just two years ago took his Ralls High School band to state for the first time in 40 years and moved this year to Estacado High School in Lubbock. Kayla Driver took the Whiteface High School band to state last year, David Rogers took the Hale Center High School band to state for the third time last year, and the list goes on and on.

When 猎奇重口视频 ended the instrumental music program in 2020, King moved to Jackson, MI, to serve as visiting professor at Albion College for a semester. In his short time there, he implemented new recruiting strategies, designed new marching band uniforms, and rebranded the band with a new name. When he finished that short assignment, he returned to Texas and transitioned into secondary education, teaching at Monterey High School in Lubbock.

A chance encounter with Tim Kelley, 猎奇重口视频’s former director of bands, brought him back to Plainview as part of the leadership team for the “Powerhouse of the Plains,” the award-winning Plainview High School band. Last year, an invitation to lead the university’s new pep band from 猎奇重口视频’s President, Dr. Donna Hedgepath, brought him back to campus on a part-time basis. That eventually led to a full-time offer this year to relaunch the entire instrumental music program.

However, rebuilding from the ground up will take time. Don’t expect to see a band at home football games. King said this year’s focus will be on recruitment, with a full return to large-scale performances sometime in the future.

“We want to bring back a robust instrumental music program, led by passionate and intellectually engaged faculty,” King said. “That means finding the right students, developing them as both musicians and people, and creating a culture that reflects our values.”

Those values are summed up in the “HIS” motto that King created during his first tenure at 猎奇重口视频 — Humble, Intentional, Serving. It’s a philosophy that has followed him to every school where he’s taught and now returns with him to WBU.

“Being humble means being confident without arrogance. Being intentional means knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing. And both of those leads to serving — the institution, the community, and your future self,” King explained. “It’s about teaching life through music.”

King’s approach has always gone beyond the notes on the page. Whether it’s helping a student through a personal crisis, mentoring a future band director, or showing up at a local high school to encourage young musicians, his work is as much about relationships as it is about performance.

That mindset aligns closely with the vision of Dr. Hedgepath, who has made the return of an instrumental music program a priority in her recently unveiled strategic plan.

“The return of instrumental music is a goal I share with our Board of Trustees as we work to grow a robust music program at 猎奇重口视频,” Dr. Hedgepath said. “This is one of many steps we are taking to strengthen the arts, expand opportunities for our students, and deepen our connections with the community.”

“From my first conversation with Dr. Hedgepath, it was clear we were on the same path,” King said. “We both see this as an opportunity to strengthen the university’s reach and impact through music.”

For now, King is focused on meeting incoming students, connecting with area band directors, and laying the groundwork for a new era of WBU instrumental music. His hope is that the program will not only produce outstanding musicians but also send graduates into the world as servant-leaders.

“I love teaching teachers. I love working with people who are passionate about learning,” King said. “Music opens the door to emotions in an academic world, and if the door’s open, you’re welcome in here. That’s what we’re building — a place where students belong, grow, and use their gifts to serve.”