Matt,

There are no words that can properly capture all that you have been for Brown Music — maestro of the Wind Symphony, founder of the Jazz program, advisor to the Brown Band, architect of the musical soundtrack for Commencement. Through all these roles and more you have touched the lives of thousands of students, not just through your teaching and conducting, but also through your mentorship and friendship. The alumni who return regularly to play with you or just catch up at events like Commencement or special concerts are a testament to the profound impact you have had on so many.

And there are no words to fully capture my gratitude and appreciation for how you have enriched my life and my involvement with Brown. 33 years ago you asked me to run a rehearsal with the Brown Band percussion section. I thought you meant a single night, until you said “see you next week” after that first rehearsal. While I wasn’t sure I had much more that I could give to the Band, having already spent four years in the group as a student, there was something intriguing about the opportunity you offered. And I came back for the rest of that football season and every year after, because you believed I had something to contribute to the Band, and as I came to understand, that beneath the mayhem, the Band has much to offer those who engage with it.

I came back to Brown and stayed because you have a way of matching people to a part, knowing that they can play that part, rise to the challenge, and that the resulting ensemble will be so much more than the sum of the parts because of the unique talents of every individual. I will miss working with you, playing for you in the Wind Symphony, and our post concert debriefings. I will miss the wisdom of your counsel, your demonstration of a counter-march to an organization that prides itself on not marching, and your explanation of the musical origins of Brown’s Commencement March. Thank you for all the great times and the gift of an organization that is truly the musical spirit of Brown. I wish you the best in your retirement!

And there are two words that just may sum up what you mean to so many Brunonians: Ever True.

Karen Mellor, ’82