Nashville African-American Wind Symphony

by Michael Bradford-Calhoun

Iota Zeta, Alumni - North Carolina A&T State University

Music is still the greatest of the arts!

That is a statement that all brothers of this great organization agree upon verbally. However, as we transition from active brothers to alumni, life gets in the way forcing music to take. For one brother, music has become a focal point in his career. Brother Bruce Ayers, a 2009 initiate into the Zeta Psi Chapter seated at Virginia State University, is actively demonstrating why music is the greatest of the arts. Brother Ayers is the establishmentarian of the Nashville African American Wind Symphony, Inc.

Brother Bruce V. Ayers, Jr., is a native of Dover, Delaware. He serves as a Professor of Music and an Instructor of Applied Euphonium at Tennessee State University. Before his role at Tennessee State University, Mr. Ayers served as the Director of Bands at the Grammy awardwinning Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School in Nashville, Tennessee. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Virginia State University, where he served as Head Drum Major for the Trojan Explosion, and his master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Music at Tennessee State University, where he also served as a graduate assistant for the Music Department and world-renown Aristocrat of Bands.

The Nashville African American Wind Symphony, Inc. presents a broad range of educational, entertainment, and cultural programs. We aim to be a key regional service as a professional performance ensemble, a key youth instrumental musical training, and a means of preserving the wind band community in Nashville, TN and as an established premier wind band organization.

Bang Co, National Vice President of Membership and Expansion, and I had the privilege of interviewing Bro. Ayers this past fall. Here’s what we talked about:

Michael: “Great to have you here with us man, could you share a little bit about your background”

Bruce: So outside of the symphony, I am a music professor and applied euphonium instructor at Tennessee State University as well as the game-day operations manager for the Tennessee State Aristocrats of Bands marching band .

Michael: What inspired you to pursue this opportunity?

Bruce: My inspiration came from the desire for African American representation in the wind band community. Growing up as a kid and auditioning for various honor bands like All-State, County, and Districts, I would often notice that I was the only person of color in these ensembles. As I got older, I wanted to understand this more and discovered root of this issue.

Before Tennessee State, I was the band director at Pearl-Cohn Magnet High School where we grew the band program from 6 to 75 musicians. While we saw major progress, we discovered there was a lack of access and exposure that was driving the lack of representation in the advanced ensemble community. Many of the students had no exposure to the

Brother Bruce Ayers, a 2009 initiate into the Zeta Psi Chapter seated at Virginia State University, is actively demonstrating why music is

the greatest of the arts.

Brother Ayers is the establishmentarian of the

Nashville African American Wind Symphony, Inc.

Nashville Symphony even though the symphony rehearses about 5 miles any from the school at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Our goal is to solve the lack of exposure and representation issue.

Bang: Bruce, once again thanks for sharing this amazing opportunity with us. I’m really curious, was there something or someone who sparked this idea for you?

Bruce: I have come across hundreds of musicians that helped spark this idea. I attended two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Virginia State University and Tennessee State University where I met truly virtuosic and brilliant musicians. Many of these students, even though they were on band scholarships, were non-music majors. I pose this question, “if you’re not a music major, what opportunities are available to continue playing after you graduate?” after all of the money, time, and education you’ve put in, I do not believe music ever should stop. Music saved my life.

William Revelli stated, “perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses of our band programs is that majority of students active participation ceases upon the day of graduation from College or High School”, I want to be an advocate that changes this narrative.

Bang: That is so true, life kind of gets in the way sometimes and I do not get to play as much as I did. In that same vein, were there any moments of doubt when it came to creating this and how did you handle that little voice in your head that said you can’t make it?

Bruce: That voice was in my head saying, “who are you to do this?”. I had to remind myself that I had invested in myself to manifest something of this magnitude. Also, I had to rely on my support system. They would often say “How dare you to think you’re not capable?”.

The other questions revolved around funding, rehearsal space, questioning if we’d be able to perform Grade Six literature and finding extended family instrument players like oboist, bassoonist and contrabass clarinetist. Every time these questions came up, I was presented with a resource that pushed me past my doubts.” The best part of this was the amazing team and board of directors.

Ashley Crawford; President, Dr. Reginald McDonald; Conductor/ Chairman of the Board, Alexandro Nichols; Conductor/ Director of Educational Outreach, Stephanie Richardson; Director of Communication, Rontrell Challahan; Conductor/Board Member, Terence Bankett; Administration, Board Member.

Bang: It’s great that you have such a supportive team. I was told a quote as a kid “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go with others." It’s great to hear that you’ve built such a supportive team.

Bruce: Yes, my team is amazing. I often say that my team is better than me. I can use them as a crutch, if you will, in making sure that every “I” is dotted, and every “T” is crossed. I truly believe they are better than me.

Michael: Man, that is great to hear that you have such a great team. Let’s talk more about the organization itself. Did you guys already plan a concert? Are you using all original compositions?

Bruce: Our Debut concert is set for next year’s Juneteenth Holiday Celebration; every composition will be by published African American composers. Specifically, we have commissioned Larry Jenkins (KKPsi-Eta Omega, Chief Arranger of Tennessee State Marching Band, to arrange the African American National Anthem “Lift Every Voice” that will be played at each performance. After our debut concert, we will also do the standards such as Grainger, Holst, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Sousa, Holsinger, etc.

Michael: So now, another important part, where are you pooling instrumentalists from? Is it mainly Tennessee State or from the local area?

Bruce: Our pull comes from the entire Middle Tennessee area but also out of states such as Detroit, Mi, Alabama, and Mississippi. The core of the ensemble started with Tennessee State University alumni but quickly branched out. My recruiting tactic was ‘everyone brings someone”. We’ve grown pretty fast, and it has forced us to turn some away as we developed our proper instrumentation. We have reached that point where we have started a formal auditioning process.

Michael: Got it! Wow, that happened fast. Now, where do you see this organization five years from now?

Bruce: I see the Symphony performing on a national scale like the HBCU Band Director Consortium, Carnegie Hall, going on tour nationally as well as becoming a studio band and recording for movies. Additionally, in 3-5 years, we want to erect a performance arts center in the heart of northern Nashville, which is considered the more urban area of Nashville. It will be our home as well as be an outreach center for youth that are interested in music.

Bang: Bruce, thank you so much. We are excited to share this with the rest of the brotherhood. Are there any final words before we go?

Bruce: AEA.

If you want to learn more about the Nashville African American Wind Symphony, visit their website at naawsmusic.org and social media platforms @naaws_music, and consider contributing to their efforts in the Nashville community.