Ferrum College’s marching band, the Sound of Panther Pride, revealed its new uniforms during the Senior Day football game against the Shenandoah University hornets on November 2, 2019.
“We are beyond thrilled to have these beautiful marching band uniforms from the Stanbury Company,” said Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands Sixto Montesinos. “As we were working through the design we aimed to capture the spirit of Ferrum College and I think we did.”
In fall 2018 under Montesino’s leadership, the Ferrum College band program expanded to include the marching band, pep band, and color guard. Since then, the College has also added a Bachelor of Arts degree in music which became available in fall 2019. “We hope these uniforms will encourage future students to join our marching band,” said Montesinos.
The uniforms were made possible through a donation from Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway and generous supporter of Ferrum College.
See photos of the new band uniforms and from the Senior Day football game on the Ferrum College Flickr album.
Learn more about Ferrum College’s band program here.
In the fall of 2018, Ferrum College will launch an expanded band program that will allow all students to continue their musical education at the College. Led by new director of bands, Dr. Sixto Montesinos, the Ferrum College Band Program will be all-inclusive and will feature:
Montesinos brings to the College significant experience teaching in a collegiate marching band program. During his doctoral studies, he participated in all aspects of instruction both visually and musically of the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights, as well as directed and supervised the Rutgers traveling pep bands. He also served as a sabbatical replacement for the director of bands at Lafayette College in Easton, PA.
“This is truly an exciting moment in the history of Ferrum College as we enter the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this fall,” said Provost Aimé Sposato, who was part of the search committee that chose Montesinos to be the new director of bands at Ferrum College.
Montesinos is proud to have been selected to head the Panther Band program and is excited to get to work. “It is obvious to me that the Panther Band is set up for success because of the kindness, passion, vision, and excitement coming from my future colleagues. I am honored to head this momentous initiative and lead the Panther Band into the future,” he said.
Montesinos’ current and future scholarly research revolves around investigating the role of the wind band and its history in Mexico from pre-hispanic times to the present. His writing has been published recently in the Instrumentalist Magazine and internationally by editorial review in the Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He has traveled to Asia, Europe and South America as a conductor, flutist and guest lecturer. He was a featured soloist at the 2016 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. He is an active member of the College Band Directors National Association, World Association for Symphonic Bands, Virginia Music Educators Association, College Music Society and the Texas Music Educators Association.
Learn more about Montesinos and the Ferrum College Band Program here.
