The USM Steel Pan Orchestra, helmed by Dr. John Wooton, visited our campus last week and performed lively music for our Crusaders.

Dr. John Wooton, the professor of music at USM, serves as director of the 35-member Steel Pan Orchestra (SoMiSPO). As an instructor and performer, Dr. Wooton has been associated with five P.A.S.I.C. Marching Percussion Forum champions. He marched snare drum for four years with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Rockford under the direction of Marty Hurley. There, Wooton would become lifelong friends with Marty Hurley. They would eventually collaborate as music composers and educational ventures like Summer Drummin', which is an annual percussion camp for percussionists held on USM's campus.

From 1981 to 1984, Wooton would occasionally visit Brother Martin to take lessons from Mr. Hurley. Wooton held the Drum Corps Midwest Individual Snare Drum title and the Percussive Arts Society Snare Drum Individual title. From 1987 to 1989, he served as the percussion caption head for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.

Brother Martin Graduate and former Drum Captain, Samuel Martinez '17, is one of the lead players in this ensemble.

We would like to thank all members of the USM Steel Pan Orchestra for their delightful performance on our campus last week!