Prairie View A&M University’s Director of Bands, Dr. Timmey Zachery, always has a group of students around him. They call him “Dr. Z.”
“The nature of my work motivates you to be the best. It is all about the students,” said Zachery. “If this were Star Wars, I would be Yoda, simply, leading my students to their destinations.”
Zachery started teaching music in graduate school about 20 years ago. He joined the PVAMU family in the summer of 2012. He teaches trumpet, symphonic band, jazz, and marching band, which is one of the largest classes on “The Hill.” “I’m always busy. This summer, we had High School Band Camp June 10-16, we have our Summer Band Program from July 8-August 6, and Marching Storm Camp is July 29-August 24. We will end Marching Storm Camp with our annual Family and Friends Day on August 25, where we reveal the band for the upcoming season,” said Zachery.
In case you missed the Marching Storm’s activities last year, aside from their usual performances at football games and other local events, they performed in the 369th Experience, Bands of America, Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Grand Prix, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Honda’s Battle of the Bands. All of those items were national events. Zachery says the band’s next step is to take an international stage. “Every year, the band takes on a new persona. It does not matter if you have the same people you had the year before. We are always expanding boundaries in
our performances. We are also letting the world know that Prairie View is more than the Marching Storm,” said Zachery. “As an instructor here at PV, we have an advantage. We are working for the best students on the planet. I would easily do what I do without a paycheck.”
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-This story by Marchita Shilo originally appeared in Academic Insights.