Commencement is one day away. An exciting day not only for the graduates of 2025, but also for their friends, their families, and the staff and faculty. The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s campus is ready to celebrate each and every one of the graduates’ accomplishments.
The university has had a lot of changes this year, bringing in new traditions and ideas, and bringing back old ones. A very important tradition that is being brought back is using an ensemble of USAO musicians at commencement.
Since COVID-19, USAO has been playing a recording from previous years instead of having an ensemble. This year, the idea of bringing the ensemble back was brought up early in the commencement committee meetings. This idea was brought to Catherine Conlin, Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music, by Thomas Buchanan, a junior art major.
“In high school we played Pomp and Circumstance for the graduates each year and it was a way we could support them and wish them well on their journey after graduation. I missed playing it for that reason once coming here to USAO. I brought up the idea to play live again last year, but it ended up being brought up too late and a change in the faculty department made it not feasible,” said Buchanan.
“I would personally like to say that we’re very grateful to the commencement committee for being supportive of the idea of bringing them back and really grateful to President Hale for being supportive of it,” said Professor Conlin.
Six students will be performing, made up of five brass players and one woodwind. The brass consists of Buchanan on euphonium, Trinity VanSchalkwyk on euphonium, Michael Thomas on trumpet, David Orgas on tuba, and Isaiah Young on tuba. The lone woodwind player will be Jack Fair on saxophone.
They will be accompanied by Dominic Massey, a community member who plays with the concert and jazz bands, on trombone.
The ensemble will be providing the ceremony music. They will be playing “Pomp and Circumstance Marches” while the graduates come in, and some recessional music as well.
The group will also be accompanying the college hymn, sung by Mobi Jones, a junior vocal education and piano performance student.
Come support these musicians and celebrate USAO’s 2025 graduates May 3 at 11 a.m. either in Te Ata Memorial Auditorium with a ticket or in the Davis Amphitheater to watch the livestream.
Cassie Srock is a second-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
