TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DR. WILLIAM J. MOODY, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF MUSIC EMERITUS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE PALMETTO CONCERT BAND, FOR HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC EDUCATION AND APPRECIATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Whereas, it is with great pleasure that the South Carolina Senate honors those who give freely of their time and talents to benefit the citizens of the Palmetto State and so make it an even more enjoyable place to call home; and
Whereas, Dr. William J. Moody, Distinguished Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of South Carolina (USC) and co-founder of the Palmetto Concert Band, has contributed many years of such service to this great State and is thereby worthy of praise; and
Whereas, during the course of his career, Dr. Moody served as band director in public schools, director of bands at the University of Southern Mississippi and University of Texas at Austin, and director of the USC School of Music. His university bands performed for a Southern Divisional meeting and a national meeting of the College Band Directors National Association, as well as for the 1973 convention of the American Bandmasters Association; and
Whereas, Dr. Moody started master of music and doctor of musical arts conducting degrees for band directors at both the University of Texas and USC and served as coordinator of conducting at USC. During his years as director of bands, he wrote several articles on band pedagogy for various music-education journals, and in 1990 he edited the book Artistic Intelligences, Implications for Education. He was on the first National Band Association (NBA) Board of Directors and is past president of that organization. A member of the NBA Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts and the NBA Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors, he was elected in 1966 to the American Bandmasters Association (ABA), where he has served as secretary-treasurer since 2003, and he was editor of ABA's Journal of Band Research from 1995 to 2009; and
Whereas, while at USC (1973-1990), Dr. Moody compiled an enviable record of notable achievements. He doubled the size of the music faculty from twenty to forty-one; increased the number of graduate assistantships from eighteen to forty-eight; helped transform the Department of Music in the College of Liberal Arts into the USC School of Music; spearheaded the enlargement of the school's facilities, which culminated in the construction of the Koger Center for the Arts; and created Carolina Alive, a popular choral group that still performs today. Further, he started the Holiday Music Festival, which continued for twenty-five years; worked as producer and conductor of the Columbia Lyric Opera for seventeen years; and created the USC String Project; and
Whereas, as co-founder of the Palmetto Concert Band, William Moody worked with James K. Copenhaver to bring this performing ensemble to reality in 1999. Now in its sixteenth season, the band is comprised of professional and semiprofessional musicians from throughout South Carolina, with members also from North Carolina and Georgia. A large majority of the ensemble's members are alumni of the USC School of Music, and more than half its members are public school band directors; and
Whereas, grateful for the legacy of consistent excellence Dr. Moody has bestowed on this great State, the Senate is proud to add its collective voice to the many warm expressions of praise so well deserved by this dedicated educator and artist. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate:
That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor Dr. William J. Moody, Distinguished Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of South Carolina and co-founder of the Palmetto Concert Band, for his many contributions to the advancement of music education and appreciation in South Carolina.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to Dr. William J. Moody.