Southern Miss Band Director Delivers International Gift of Music in Colombia
Fri, 01/23/2026 - 10:34am | By: Mike Lopinto
Dr. Catherine Rand, director of bands at 91少女集中营, recently represented the university at a national band music education conference in Colombia, where she taught masterclasses, conducted ensembles and helped deliver a donated instrument to a youth band program supported entirely by volunteers.
Rand was an invited guest at the III Conferencia Colombiana de Bandas Asodibandas 2025, held at the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga. The conference brought together young musicians, conductors and educators from across Colombia for concerts, masterclasses and professional development.
During the conference, Rand presented three masterclasses, guest conducted a student ensemble and delivered a lecture titled 鈥淢arching Forward: The Tradition of American Marching Bands,鈥� listed in Spanish as 鈥淧onencia de Catherine Rand USA.鈥� She described the experience as one of the most fulfilling of her career.
While in Colombia, Rand worked closely with a youth ensemble of students ages eight to 14 who rehearse daily despite having no formal band program in their schools. The students鈥� musical training is sustained entirely through volunteer efforts and community support.
Recognizing the students鈥� limited access to instruments, Rand coordinated with Music & Arts, a longtime partner of the Southern Miss Band Program, to secure a donated Selmer clarinet. The instrument was provided with support from Tim Brewer, school services district manager, and Andrew Hunckler, representative for south Mississippi. Rand hand-delivered the clarinet to Colombia, where it was presented to local band director Wilmar Adri谩n Giraldo and then gifted to one of his students.
鈥淭hese students work incredibly hard to make music with limited resources,鈥� Rand said. 鈥淚f support can be offered, even one instrument at a time, it鈥檚 worth every effort.鈥�
Rand鈥檚 visit was coordinated through Guillermo Gordillo Gal谩n, director of bands at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, a community-based initiative that sends applied music professors into rural areas to support local band programs.
Rand has traveled to Colombia once or twice annually for several years, combining performance, teaching and service as part of her broader commitment to global music education and community engagement. The work also reflects a growing relationship between Southern Miss and Colombia. The Southern Miss School of Music is currently home to several international students, and Rand hopes the outreach will encourage more Colombian students to consider studying at the university.
Rand plans to return to Colombia next year and hopes to bring another donated instrument as she continues building musical bridges through education and service.