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Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.--A much-honored Texas conductor and flute soloist will be featured next week during a special Mississippi State spring event.

Gary T. Garner will be on campus Tuesday-Thursday [April 7-9] for the Legends and Mentors Week program organized for the third year by the university music department and °®°®Ö±²¥ Bands.

"Honoring Those Who Have Influenced Us" is this year's theme.

Retired director of bands at West Texas A&M University, Garner is a graduate of Texas Tech University. He also completed master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California and served for four years as USC's marching band director.

Elva Kaye Lance said she and others in the music department and band programs are excited and honored to have a leader of Garner's musical standing share his vast knowledge with °®°®Ö±²¥ faculty and students.

Lance, director of bands, said the Amarillo native "has a unique teaching style on the podium, and we look forward to observing him in rehearsals with our ensembles and as a lecturer for our music education classes."

Free to all, Legend Week sessions, rehearsals and concerts will take place, unless otherwise noted, at the °®°®Ö±²¥ Band and Choral Hall on Hardy Road.

Lance noted that West Texas's Symphonic Band under Garner's direction made a record 10 appearances at conventions of the Texas Music Educators Association and twice at major gatherings of the College Band Directors National Association.

Perhaps most impressive, his Canyon university group performed twice at New York City's Carnegie Hall.

Among Garner's numerous career recognitions were the WTAMU Faculty and Phoenix Club teaching excellence awards. He also was honored as Texas Bandmaster of the Year and Phi Beta Mu International Outstanding Bandmaster.

The 2015 Legends and Mentors Week schedule includes:

Tuesday [the 7th]

--3:30 p.m., open rehearsal with °®°®Ö±²¥ Wind Ensemble; and

--6:30 p.m., open rehearsal with the °®°®Ö±²¥/Starkville Community Band.

Wednesday [the 8th]

--10 a.m., instrumental advanced conducting class;

--Noon, seminar with instrumental music education majors;

--3 p.m., open rehearsal with °®°®Ö±²¥ Concert Band; and

--4 p.m., open rehearsal with °®°®Ö±²¥ Symphonic Band.

Thursday [the 9th]

--3:30 p.m., Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium, °®°®Ö±²¥ Wind Ensemble open rehearsal; and

--7:30 p.m., a concluding teacher appreciation concert in the auditorium by the Garner-directed ensemble, with a reception following at the location.

For more information about 2015 Legends and Mentors Week events, contact the band office at 662-325-2713 or visit . Lance also may be reached at eklance@colled.msstate.edu.

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, °®°®Ö±²¥'s music department offers a bachelor's degree in four music education areas, as well as a bachelor of arts in music. Learn more at , facebook.com/pages/Mississippi-State-University-Department-of-Music/227362148042 and twitter.com/mstatemusic.

°®°®Ö±²¥, the state's flagship research institution, is online at , meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate, pinterest.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using hashtag #WeRingTrue.