Ruth H. Photography

The Calvin Music Festival is one of several opportunities for the community to hear music by Calvin students. Photo courtesy of Nate Glasper.

Calvin’s music department has launched the new school year by welcoming several new programs and professors to their program.

The new programming includes the return of the Bachelor of Music Education program, the introduction of marching band and an expansion of the private lessons and ensembles offered. According to Tiffany Engle, co-chair of the department, along with the addition of these new programs, the department is also welcoming new staff: Dr. Mark Stover, the new director of choral activities, and Dr. Steven Sudduth, director of athletic bands, as well as several new adjunct professors.

According to Engle, the Bachelor of Music Education program has — between existing students that transferred into Calvin and incoming first-year students — an initial cohort size of 10 students. Calvin’s music department has formed long-standing partnerships with area schools through programs such as the Knollcrest Music Camp, which offers week-long music camps to high school and middle school students. Engle said that these connections are “going to help with future music educators, getting them out into schools and getting them connected with area directors and educators and things like that.”

The department has also added a marching band, which is directed by Sudduth. Currently, the ensemble has 30 members who, most recently, played at the first Calvin football game. It hopes to be on the field during Oct. 5 for Homecoming and to continue to add new members, according to Engle. “The best part of this job, so far, is the energy level of the students participating in the marching band. The enthusiasm is high and many [students] bring several years of marching experience to the table,” said Sudduth. “Starting a college marching band from ‘scratch’ is not a one-person job and I am thankful to rely on their past marching experiences.” 

Sudduth also said that the marching band at Calvin exists largely thanks to the greater band community. “This all began near the end of August with no marching equipment or instruments in Calvin’s inventory,” said Sudduth. According to Sudduth, Meyer Music, Grand Rapids Christian High School and Zeeland Public Schools were a major help in getting the necessary marching band equipment. This included acquiring additional percussion pieces, sousaphones, marching horns, flip folders, and lyres in the “very short window of time” before the band performed at its first football game on Sept. 5. 

According to Engle, choral activities have also received a new director: Stover, as well as new and returning adjunct professors to expand choirs and other ensembles. “With that new energy, there are just lots of new ideas, lots of increased enrollment. Our campus choir has close to 70 members now, which is quadrupled from what we had last year,” said Engle. 

Alongside all of the new programming and staff, the department is also returning to pre-COVID tour rotation levels and local performances, according to Engle.

Students have expressed excitement about the expansion. “Choir has been a great way to meet people and get involved on campus, so I am excited to see those opportunities expand for students,” Natalie Luginbill, a sophomore biology student involved with choir told Chimes. 

“Now our department has this presence in that environment that’s part of Calvin life, where music is a part of that. So I think that creates other connections with not just students and faculty, but with alumni and other community members,” Engle told Chimes.