ROANE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Former Roane State Early College student and Roane County High School graduate Austin McKinney has a vibrant future after excelling both in and out of the classroom, having already directed several public concerts in the local community.

This past spring, McKinney completed Roane State’s conducting and digital music class, offered by Professor Brenda Luggie, director of the Roane Choral Society. McKinney said the course further opened his eyes to his potential.

“Learning from Professor Luggie was a surreal experience, as I had always dreamed of getting to lead an ensemble,” McKinney said. “She taught me conducting fundamentals in a fun and engaging way, while also challenging me to become the best musician I can be.”

At first, McKinney said conducting seemed like an impossible task, as the art form requires the conductor to think about numerous things at once while maintaining a calm composure in front of the ensemble.

As time passed, and with further direction from Professor Luggie, McKinney said he began to improve. He put that enthusiasm into the class assignment, which called for students to write a pair of one-minute-long musical arrangements.

The first had to be written for an instrumental ensemble, while the second was for a choral ensemble. Once completed, students had to conduct the pieces live during an ensemble’s rehearsal to pass the course.

In the class, students are also taught to leverage music writing software. They can use existing melodies or choral, band, orchestral, or other arrangements and adapt them to fit the given ensemble. Students can then identify melodies, and basic harmonic and rhythmic patterns and rework them to specific instruments while maintaining the integrity of the original composition.

“It’s similar to working out a puzzle or performing a scientific experiment,” Professor Luggie explained. “There are workable elements, but you must figure out how to best put them together to create the outcome you desire. It’s a balance of logical and creative processes.”

McKinney said he ended up immersing himself in the assignment. By the time the class wrapped up, he had produced a five-minute-long concert band arrangement and a three-minute-long original work for choir – far more than what the original assignment called for.

“This greatly challenged me as it was a large endeavor requiring over 100 hours of work in total to produce these two works,” McKinney said. “Although I wasn’t required to do this, I still chose to write for a large ensemble and produce a much longer work simply because of my love for music.”

McKinney has a diverse background having practiced music for seven years. During that time, he’s had the opportunity to be a part of world-class ensembles including the Music City Drum Corps. He also made the Tennessee All-State Band, which highlights the best musicians in the state.

It was his time in Roane County High School’s concert band and wind ensemble, though, that bestowed him with the ultimate opportunity to share his love of music with the community.

Upon being encouraged by the band director at Roane County High School, Andrew Layne, as well as Professor Luggie, Adjunct Professor of Music Amanda Peavyhouse, and Program Coordinator Dr. Geol Greenlee, McKinney was granted a chance to conduct his instrumental arrangement amongst his peers in Roane County High School’s concert band.

The instructors explained that this is a significant professional test for a young musician, as it exceeds the original ensemble rehearsal requirement for the class.

“Mr. Layne allowed Austin to use the [Roane County] High School concert band as his instrumental ensemble for the assignment,” Professor Luggie said. “When I heard about that offer, I was inspired to include him in the Roane Choral Society program as well.”

McKinney selected “Lunar Lullaby” by Jacob Narverud for his instrumental work. The piece is based on a poem by Kathleen Nicely about a celestial child in the stars. Composers say it balances warmth and tenderness with intriguing harmonies.

“Austin is drawn to music with a depth of expression and that inspiration was clear in his work,” Professor Luggie added. “’ Lunar Lullaby’ is a lovely lyrical arrangement that evokes bittersweet emotions. There are solitary moments like the opening flute sectional solo, moments of warmth like the brass choir middle section, and dramatic moments with the full band and heavier percussion near the end.”

McKinney said he put his heart into arranging his original choral work as well. Titled “Do not stand at my grave and weep,” the piece was based on a poem by the same name.

“It speaks of one who has died but is not gone,” McKinney shared. “One who has passed can be seen all around us. They can be seen in all of nature like the wind, the stars, and the snow. It was written to show that once a loved one is gone, they are never truly gone if their memory lives on in us.”

McKinney served as the “Future” offering in the Roane Choral Society’s May concert program with the theme “Past, Present, and Future.”

“His chosen poem addressed memory (the past), grief (the present), and hope (the future),” Professor Luggie said. “He did wonderful work expressing his chosen poem through an original flowing melody and harmonies that appropriately embodied the dramatic tension and resolution of the text.”

McKinney said he was swept into the moment both times he was able to conduct – first at Roane County High School and then for Roane Choral Society.

“Directing these pieces live was a surreal experience,” McKinney reflected. “As I stepped up to the podium and raised my arms, I didn’t feel a rush of adrenaline like I expected. What I experienced was calmness.”

He shared that he felt at home as he led the ensembles through the music arrangements he spent so much time creating.

“As soon as the ensembles finished my pieces, I felt as if I had accomplished a major goal of my life,” McKinney declared. “The cheers made me feel accomplished and only further raised my spirits.”

Since that experience, McKinney has traveled to Parris Island, South Carolina, for basic training, then to Camp Geiger in North Carolina for combat training in the United States Marine Corps.

He is now attending the Naval School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia, after which he will be assigned to a band as a trumpet player.

McKinney said his plans after the military include pursuing a degree in music composition. He also hopes to compose for a variety of ensembles and write music for films.

Roane State’s music program lays a solid foundation for both the academic and practical application of early music education. Students can explore an individual instrument, perform as a soloist or with a group, and learn more about the building blocks and organization of music. For more information, visit roanestate.edu/music.