Vance-Granville Community Band under new leadership
The Vance-Granville Community Band started rehearsals for the 2016-2017 academic year on Aug. 22, with a new conductor, Brian D. Miller of Louisburg.
Miller has been a member of the Community Band for several years as a trombonist and has served as associate conductor for the past three years. He is most well-known for his 20-year career as band director at Louisburg High School. The Louisburg band under Miller’s direction grew to become one of the largest high school bands in North Carolina, though in one of the state’s smallest schools; consistently, between 20 and 25% of the entire population of LHS was in the band. “We started with 11 students and hit a peak of 140 students involved,” Miller recalled. “We became known locally for the annual ‘Turn-of-the-Century’ community concert on the courthouse steps in historic downtown Louisburg, performing old-fashioned band transcriptions and, of course, Sousa marches.”
After his retirement from LHS in 2015, Miller began teaching Band and Humanities at Crosscreek Charter School in Louisburg. In addition, he serves as the organist for both Louisburg Baptist Church and Louisburg College.
Miller earned undergraduate degrees in Music Education and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in Music Education from East Carolina University.
Miller welcomes local musicians to join the Community Band, which is sponsored by the VGCC Division of Arts and Sciences. The ensembles includes people of all ages, from all walks of life, and from throughout the region. No auditions are required.
Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, on the Main Campus in Henderson, at Exit 209 on Interstate 85 (Poplar Creek Road).
For more information, contact Brian Miller at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu or Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu .
Above: Brian Miller conducts the Vance-Granville Community Band during its 2015 Christmas concert. (VGCC photo)
Above: Brian Miller.
