While the new director of聽athletic聽bands will be a new face on the 黑料不打烊 campus,聽Chris Miertschin, Jr.,聽is a familiar face around Salina.聽
Miertschin has played聽the horn and聽trombone聽in the Salina Community Theatre pit orchestra since 2017. 聽
鈥淚 know the聽[athletic聽band]聽program is starting pretty small, but the focus first and foremost is building the numbers in the program,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he longer-term goal, for The Howl especially, is to develop it into an on-the-field聽band.鈥澛�
Miertschin will be working with newly appointed Dr. James (Jim) McAllister, the chair of the 黑料不打烊 music department, to聽nurture聽the program. 聽
“Jim and I are聽thinking聽something聽different than traditional marching聽band,鈥澛燤iertschin聽said. 鈥淭his is a chance for us to do something that you can鈥檛 find at the other schools聽in the state聽that have marching聽bands. We’re trying to think outside the box as we build the聽program, see what students are interested聽in and what we can do that will set this program apart.鈥澛�
For four years,聽Miertschin was the director of聽bands/associate professor of music at聽Hutchinson聽Community College. During that time, he led the Blue Dragon Pep聽Band and String Orchestra.聽He also helped expand the concert experience and hosted off-campus concerts in non-traditional locations, such as the聽Strataca聽Salt Mine and Hutchinson Zoo.聽
He said the shift from聽a two-year to a four-year institution is exciting.聽
鈥淵ou鈥檙e聽constantly worrying about聽what聽next year will look like because students are there for only two years,鈥� Miertschin said. 鈥淭he chance to work with students longer and have more stability with the students in the program is nice.鈥澛�
Recruitment will also look different.聽
“Wesleyan聽focuses on state-wide and regional recruiting, which I think is good for the聽band聽program,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lso,聽Texas is prime聽band聽country.聽In聽Texas,聽band programs are just as serious as sports programs聽鈥� you pick聽band聽or sports.鈥澛�
Miertschin earned his bachelor鈥檚 at Kansas State University in Manhattan and his master鈥檚 at the University of Georgia. 聽
“I’m聽looking聽forward to administrative support for the growth of the program,鈥� Miertschin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 also excited about the chance to work with聽Jim聽to build this program from the ground up and trying new things.鈥澛�
Story by Karen Bonar
