A graduate of the Horner Institute of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Music, William Levi Dawson later studied at the Chicago Musical College with professor Felix Borowski, and then at the American Conservatory of Music where he received his masters degree. Early in his career he served as a trombonist both with the Redpath Chau- tauqua and the Chicago Civic Symphony Orchestra. His teaching career began in the Kansas City public school system, which was later followed by a tenure with the Tuskegee Institute from 1931–1956. During this period, it was he who appointed a large number of faculty members that later became well known for their work in the field. Additionally, Dawson also developed the choir, the Tuskegee Institute Choir, into an internationally renowned ensemble; they were invited to sing at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall in 1932 for a week of six daily performances. As a composer, Dawson began at a young age, and it was early on in his compositional career that his Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano was performed by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra. Besides chamber music, he is also known for his contributions to both orchestral and choral literature. His best known works are arrangements and variations on spirituals; his Negro Folk Symphony of 1934 garnered a great deal of attention at its’ world premier, under the direction of Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The symphony was later revised in 1952 with greater African rhythms inspired by the composer’s trip to West Africa. The composition was - the composer conveyed - an attempt to convey the missing elements that were lost when Africans came into bondage outside of their homeland. In creating this work, Dawson was in- fluenced by the nationalistic views of Dvorˇák. Widely performed, his most popular spirituals include Jesus Walked the Lonesome Val- ley, Talk about a Child That Do Love Jesus and King Jesus Is a-Listening.


Gene Gooch was born on November 17, 1932 on the U.S. Corps of Engineers Reservation at Florence, Alabama. He was educated in Florence City Schools and graduated from Coffee High School in 1950. He began music study on alto saxophone in 1944 and began the study of bassoon in 1947. He studied bassoon privately with Mr. Pasquale Bria, who was band director in Cullman. He also studied alto saxophone and sousaphone under Mr. Floyd C. McClure, the band director at Coffee High School. He attended Murray State College in Kentucky after high school, but due to the outbreak of the Korean War, joined the U.S. Air Force after the first semester. He was a member of the Air University’s 604th the 584th


Air Force Band at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery Alabama and


Air Force Band at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton, Florida. In the Air Force he played bassoon in the concert band and saxophone in the dance band, and acted as drum major in the marching band. During these years he was a member of the Montgomery Symphony and an original member of the Pensacola Symphony.


Upon discharge from the Air Force in January of 1955, he enrolled at the University of Alabama. He received the Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education in August, 1957. He played bassoon in the Million Dollar Band, University Symphony and the University Woodwind Quintet and was drum major of the Million Dollar Band. He also played with the Birmingham Civic Opera orchestra. He was a member of The Capstoners Dance Band, playing alto saxophone. In August, 1960 he received the Master of Arts degree in Music Ed- ucation from the University of Alabama. In 1957 he became Band Director at Sheffield High School. In 1962 he became Band Direc- tor at Colbert County High School. He was appointed Band Director at Appleby Middle School in Florence in 1966. He was appointed Band Director at Coffee High School in 1972. The bands at Coffee High School consistently received Superior ratings at State Band Com- petitions and at other competitions. Each year there were students selected to participate in the All-State Band Festival. He retired from Coffee High School in 1986 but taught woodwinds at The University of North Alabama as an adjunct faculty member until 2001. He served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Alabama Music Educators Association from 1972 through 1978. In 1979 he became Secretary-Trea- surer of the Alabama Bandmasters Association and remained in that position until his retirement from teaching in 1986. In 1991 he was asked to return to service as Executive Secretary of the Alabama Bandmasters Association and still is in that position. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmasters Fraternity. He is a past-president of Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. He was the first undergraduate at the University of Alabama invited to become a member of Phi Delta Kappa, national education honorary. Other professional affiliations include Music Educators National Conference, Alabama Music Educators Association, National Education Association and Alabama Education Association. He is a member of the Phi Beta Mu Alabama Bandmasters Hall of Fame and the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band Association Hall of Fame. He has been married to Virginia Reed Gooch since 1953. They have two children. Gena Gooch Cape and daughters Lauren and Sarah Catherine live in Marietta, Georgia. Lauren is a student at The University of West Georgia and Sarah Catherine is a member of the Marietta High School Band. Gena is a member of the staff at Ma- rietta High School and serves as president of the High School Band Parents Club. Michael Gooch and wife Angela reside in Boston, Mas- sachusetts where Mike is employed by Saks Fifth Avenue and Angie is Head of the Voice Program at The Walnut Hill School for the Arts and performs with Opera Boston.


FEBRUAR Y 2008 51


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