Band director resigns, will leave university in June
Jack Willems
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: News
Timothy Gunter, director of the athletic bands at the UA for the past nine years, announced his resignation Friday. He will be leaving June 30.
"The band program at the University of Arkansas is truly unique and special in many ways, and I will always consider it an honor to have been given the privilege to work with the thousands of wonderful, hard-working students," said Gunter, who served as associate director of bands prior to being named director.
Gunter declined to reveal exactly why he has resigned. It was for personal reasons, he said. The UA administration is not at liberty to discuss Gunter's reasons for leaving for privacy reasons, said Tysen Kendig, associate vice chancellor for University Relations.
Gunter announced his resignation early to give the university time to find his successor, he said. There will be a search committee assembled to find the next band director, Kendig said.
"That should happen very quickly," Gunter said.
Gunter told the members of the Razorback Marching Band in an e-mail Friday that he would be leaving. The announcement was surprising to Paul Valentine, a junior political science and international relations major from Bentonville, who is in the band.
The marching band was at a pep rally in Little Rock two weeks ago, and at that time, Gunter seemed to be a man who loved his job, Valentine said.
"I didn't see it coming," he said. "He was always a likeable guy - very oriented towards the students, and he tried to what was right by us. I never really saw him in a bad mood."
Working at the UA was a "dream job," Gunter said. The students were great, and he had the opportunity to work in the area he grew up in, he said.
Gunter said he does not know where he will go now, but he is confident he will find another job.
"I have a big faith system in God, and I believe he has a place for me," Gunter said.
During Gunter's tenure, the Razorback Marching Band has performed at several bowl games and two Southeastern Conference Championship football games in Atlanta, while the Hogwild Band performed at multiple NCAA basketball tournaments.
In 2007, the athletic bands transitioned to the newly expanded Lewis Epley Jr. Band Hall under Gunter's leadership. In 2006, the band program won the Sudler Trophy, the highest honor bestowed upon collegiate marching bands.
The Sudler Trophy is the "pinnacle achievement" for any band, and it was earned because of the hard work and sacrifice of the students, Gunter said.
The UA is the 25th school to receive the Sudler Trophy, an award that a university band can only receive once, said Valentine, who was a member of the award-winning band in 2006.
"I am proud for many reasons - for the students on the band at the time, for the alumni who worked to get this band program where it is, and for the future students who will hopefully understand what an honor this is," Gunter said.
"The band program at the University of Arkansas is truly unique and special in many ways, and I will always consider it an honor to have been given the privilege to work with the thousands of wonderful, hard-working students," said Gunter, who served as associate director of bands prior to being named director.
Gunter declined to reveal exactly why he has resigned. It was for personal reasons, he said. The UA administration is not at liberty to discuss Gunter's reasons for leaving for privacy reasons, said Tysen Kendig, associate vice chancellor for University Relations.
Gunter announced his resignation early to give the university time to find his successor, he said. There will be a search committee assembled to find the next band director, Kendig said.
"That should happen very quickly," Gunter said.
Gunter told the members of the Razorback Marching Band in an e-mail Friday that he would be leaving. The announcement was surprising to Paul Valentine, a junior political science and international relations major from Bentonville, who is in the band.
The marching band was at a pep rally in Little Rock two weeks ago, and at that time, Gunter seemed to be a man who loved his job, Valentine said.
"I didn't see it coming," he said. "He was always a likeable guy - very oriented towards the students, and he tried to what was right by us. I never really saw him in a bad mood."
Working at the UA was a "dream job," Gunter said. The students were great, and he had the opportunity to work in the area he grew up in, he said.
Gunter said he does not know where he will go now, but he is confident he will find another job.
"I have a big faith system in God, and I believe he has a place for me," Gunter said.
During Gunter's tenure, the Razorback Marching Band has performed at several bowl games and two Southeastern Conference Championship football games in Atlanta, while the Hogwild Band performed at multiple NCAA basketball tournaments.
In 2007, the athletic bands transitioned to the newly expanded Lewis Epley Jr. Band Hall under Gunter's leadership. In 2006, the band program won the Sudler Trophy, the highest honor bestowed upon collegiate marching bands.
The Sudler Trophy is the "pinnacle achievement" for any band, and it was earned because of the hard work and sacrifice of the students, Gunter said.
The UA is the 25th school to receive the Sudler Trophy, an award that a university band can only receive once, said Valentine, who was a member of the award-winning band in 2006.
"I am proud for many reasons - for the students on the band at the time, for the alumni who worked to get this band program where it is, and for the future students who will hopefully understand what an honor this is," Gunter said.
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