Dr. Patrick Young joined Samford’s School of the Arts staff this fall semester as the new director of bands and assistant professor of tuba/euphonium. Previously on staff at Idaho State University, Young has taught and made music for almost 12 years.
He has experience not just as a professor, but also as a professional musician, participating in many ensembles including the local Cathedral Brass as a tuba player.
Young found the position through friends and was happy to find a position close to his family and with a Christian foundation where he and his fiancé can settle.
So far, Young has enjoyed working with the students and the “spirit of positivity” that he has discovered amongst them.
Although he loves music, baseball played a huge role in his development throughout childhood and has shaped how he views his place now as the new director of bands.
“I love my job. Since a big part of my upbringing revolved around athletics, my favorite part of being a director is serving as a mentor — or ‘coach’ — for students, using music as the way we connect and grow together,” said Young.
Young wants to see the Samford band become a Division I athletic band and wind ensemble that is high-quality and part of the Samford experience. Some of the ways that he plans to help the band “connect and grow together” is through promotion and more numbers.
“Ultimately, I want to build a program that students, alumni, faculty and staff can be proud of — a band that represents Samford at the highest level,” said Young.
Dylan Branson, a junior in Samford’s marching band, has enjoyed working with Young so far this semester due to the stability he has provided. The program itself had difficulty in the two years of interim directors that Branson had played with prior to this year.
Branson has also found the energy and heart that Young has brought to the table to be contagious.
“The demeanor he conducts himself with and the passion he shows for his music kind of becomes contagious on us and makes us want to do better because of that,” said Branson.
He is expectant to see the growth that he thinks will come with Young in this new position.
Faith Bullington, another junior in the Samford band, not only works with Young through the band but also has him as a professor for some of her classes as a student of the School of the Arts.
One thing that Bullington has really enjoyed about his leadership is his organization.
“Before we even got to campus, he got here early and organized the band room, completely re-shelved everything, made sure everything was in order, like, before anybody else was even here,” said Bullington.
Bullington held a similar opinion to Branson in terms of their recognition of the energy that he brings to the band and the spaces that he leads in. The continued growth of the community is another thing that she has loved about having Young in this new position.
“We do just love him so much, and he loves us, and it’s really just fostered a great community that we’ve had,” said Bullington.
With their growing community under Young, students like Bullington and Branson expect to see both expansion and overall growth of the Samford band over time.
Arts & Life Editor
