Band director wears many hats

"I can't ever think of wanting to do anything else."

That's how Baruch Whitehead, assistant professor of music, feels about being the director of Mar-shall's Marching Thunder band that performs at football games, parades and high school marching band contests.

He also wears a number of other hats. He is a husband, father, music teacher of homeschooled students and a student working on a doctoral degree.

Whitehead, 40, has been at Marshall for seven years. He said he has wanted to be a band director since he went to his first football game where he fell in love with the marching band.

Whitehead grew up in Louisiana. His family had a piano that he used to "pluck around" on.

Nobody in his family was a musician.

He credits being in the junior high band with paving the way for him to continue his love for music. Although it was a tough program, he said it was wonderful with a great director. He didn't like the weekends because he couldn't go to band class.

Whitehead started out with the saxophone and played it for a couple of years. He then picked up the oboe.

"The oboe was actually probably the best decision I ever made because it afforded me a way to pay for my higher education." he said. Oboe is a difficult instrument, making it difficult for colleges to find students, he said.

Whitehead attended Sam Houston State University in Texas for two years and then transferred to the University of Cincinnati because they had a college conservatory of music.

He got involved in the programs for music education and orchestra and ended up with a double major.

Whitehead went to the University of Florida for his master's degree and now he is getting his doctorate from Capella University.

Whitehead's first contact with Marshall was through Dr. David Waybright at the University of Florida

Waybright, a Marshall alum, informed Whitehead of the opening for the position of the band director. He was familiar with Whitehead's high school band programs and recommended him for the job at Marshall.

"I love my job," Whitehead said. "I always wondered how it would be to be a college professor.

Whitehead is an elementary specialist. He went to Austria in the spring of 1999 and spent some time at the Orff Institute learning and doing research on how to teach young children music. He also teaches elementary education majors how to teach music.

He also teaches in the Music Preparatory Division and teaches a class at Marshall for Kenova Christian School.

"(Music is) very important in our lives and I hope that people realize that without it we would be lacking," he said.

Whitehead said he tries to be excited about what he is doing. When he has a class at 8:30 a.m. he is at school at 7:30 a.m., getting himself together so when the students come in he is ready to teach.

He tries to be the same way with the marching band. If he is excited about it then he believes he sends a signal to his students.

"I think we learn by example and I think the examples of what I do is a certain part of (keeping students motivated)," he said.

"I think you need to have power and sound. A lot of work goes into the productions that you will see at a football game. The first decision that is made is the separation of what show they want to put on for the football crowd and what show they want to put on for competitions and exhibitions. The goal is to put together a show that pleases not only the crowd but the band members also."

The work for the fall productions begins in April. The members have the music throughout the summer to practice.

Two weeks before school starts, band camp begins. Band camp usually consists of 12-hour days beginning at 8 a.m.

Marching band members work on the drill, the music, the pre-game drill and as much as they can through those two weeks.

When school starts, that time is restricted to only six hours a week. During that time, the show is re-evaluated, cleaned, parts are taken out and new moves are put in. The result is the performance at the games.

How does this busy man spend his spare time?

"Is there any other time in my life to do anything else?" Whitehead says with a laugh. He used to paint watercolors, play basketball and racquetball but hasn't done those things in a while.

"Now days are filled up with music and family," he said.

Whitehead and his wife, Stel, have two sons, Derek and BJ (Baruch Jr.).

Whitehead plays clarinet at home with his son BJ, who recently was chosen for all-county band. He said it's interesting trying to teach his own child to play a musical instrument.

His wife sings and, coincidentally, they met through music.

"Music is food for the soul," he said.