Coker College Concert Band’s spring concert to honor longtime area music teachers
The Coker College Concert Band will perform their annual spring concert on Sunday, May 7, at 4 p.m. in the Watson Theater of the college’s Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center, with a reception following to recognize retiring band program directors Steve and Penny Rogers. The event is free and open to the public.
Penny and Steve Rogers are co-directors of the Coker band program, which they founded five years ago. The current band has around 40 members and is made up of Coker students, local high school students and community members, including several local music teachers. The Band Program also has three smaller ensembles: the Brass Ensemble, Jazz Band and Flute Choir.
Penny Rogers has taught as an adjunct professor at Coker for many years prior to founding the band program. Prior to their time at Coker, Penny and Steve spent many decades teaching music in area public schools. The couple first met at a band directors meeting in Horry County; they were both second year teachers. Penny jokes, “it was the most productive meeting we have ever been to!”
The concert will include selections by the Coker College Concert Band, Jazz Band and the Flute Choir. These large and small ensembles will perform a wide variety of music, including everything from standard arrangements of familiar melodies to contemporary music using some unusual musical instruments.
The reception following will celebrate Penny and Steve’s extensive contributions to Coker College and music education across our region.
For more information about the event, please contact band@coker.edu or 843-287-0669.