Meet the Staff - Dr. Brandon Arvay, Front Ensemble Instructor

The following is another installment in our "Meet the Staff" blog series intended to introduce you to the instructors you will meet at our upcoming BEX Audition Events. In this week's post, we are excited to highlight our fantastic Front Ensemble Instructor, Dr. Brandon Arvay.

Where are you from?

I am originally from Columbia, South Carolina, and currently live in Lexington, KY.

Tell us about your education background and drum corps experience.

I currently serve as Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at Centre College (Danville, KY), Percussion Instructor for Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras, and Director of Percussion at George Rogers Clark HS (Winchester, KY). I have a Bachelor of Music Education and Performance Certificate from the University of South Carolina (2009), a Master of Music from Colorado State University (2012), and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kentucky (2015). I have taught the drumlines at the University of Kentucky alongside Mark Casey, Colorado State University, Wayne State University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of North Carolina - Pembroke. My drum corps performance experience includes playing timpani for Carolina Crown in 2006 and 2008. Additionally, I taught the 2010 WGI (PIO) World Champion Palmetto Percussion front ensemble. For more information on my activities, please visit www.brandonarvay.com.

In all of the shows you have been involved in as a performer and instructor, which was your favorite and why?

The 2008 Carolina Crown production titled Finis is easily my favorite drum corps experience. The corps was on cloud nine following the extremely successful Triple Crown production, the membership was comprised of more veterans than any previous year, and we had a powerhouse instructional and administration team. The entire spring training and tour experience was full of wonderful surprises, special moments, and first-times for the corps.

How did you get hooked on the activity?

I had a lot of friends auditioning for various corps that talked non-stop about the activity. I went to some shows and fell in love with the sheer power of huge hornlines and drumlines. I decided to audition because the idea of traveling the country playing for huge crowds and playing my favorite percussion instrument sounded list a total blast!

What should students and fans expect from The Battalion Front Ensemble in 2016?

The Battalion is looking forward to presenting its own brand of exhilarating musical performances to the playing field. It’s truly special to be a part of the inaugural season of the group! The traditions of the ensemble will start taking shape throughout the season and that’s really exciting!