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Gardner-Webb University (GWU) senior Connor Settlemyre, of Rutherfordton is back at school after being a percussionist in the National Small Band Programs Intercollegiate Band in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the first student from GWU to be selected for this honor. The concert, featured 124 musicians, and was held in conjunction with the 2025 National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA). Accompanying him on the trip to Texas was Dr. Sarah Fabian, director of bands and assistant professor of music at GWU.
Connor is the son of Greg and Kelly Settlemyre of Rutherfordton and is a graduate of R-S Central High School where he played in the band. He was also a member of the R-S Middle School band.
"We are so proud of him," said his mom, Kelly Settlemyre, minister of music/education at Spencer Baptist Church.
"I am incredibly proud of Connor and all that he has accomplished throughout his college career," said Fabian. "He has shown tremendous dedication and hard work, and this performance represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm honored to have played a small role in helping him reach this remarkable milestone."
During an interview after his return home, Connor talked about how his interest in music began.
"Growing up, music was always around me. My mom, uncle, and brother are all in music so I was mixed in with it all the time," Connor said. "I think that this upbringing is what pushed me towards music, but I was never forced to go into it. When we would go watch my brother's high school marching band competitions, I was always drawn toward the percussion instruments. My mom was also a percussionist in high school and college. When it came time for me to join the band in middle school, percussion was just what I really gravitated towards," he said.
Connor was a member of the R-S Central high school and middle school bands.
"Both of these programs helped pave the way for me to have success in college. Other than music literacy, I learned valuable leadership skills that would help me in my education classes and in the education field. My band director's at both R-S Middle (Mr. Walker and Mr. Kisner) and R-S Central (Mr. Jones) were also very influential in my music career. These individuals continued to push me everyday to practice and get better. They helped me to believe in myself and continue to be ambitious within my musical career."
"I want to thank CBDNA for the opportunity to perform in such a special group. This was by far the largest ensemble I have ever been a part of and probably the highest performing as well. Being able to perform with musicians from across the country helped to create interaction that would be impossible otherwise. For instance, in the percussion section, we had a student from Alaska. This experience also allowed me to see a conductor from across the country to learn new educational strategies from him. This whole experience helped develop my skills as a musician, as a performer and as an educator."
Connor said he was most inspired to pursue music from his high school band director, Broderick Jones.
"Mr. Jones showed me just how much of an impact a teacher can make on students' lives. No matter what we were doing, I could always tell that he deeply cared about me and the other students; we were his number one priority." Connor said.
"The most important part of being a music educator is the students. Mr. Jones showed me that music is just the vessel we use to care for the students. Mr. Jones would stay after school as often as I needed him to just to make sure I could practice for my college audition. During the COVID shutdown, he would go out of his way to have marching band leadership zoom calls to check in on us and see if we were doing okay while still giving us ways to push ourselves despite the circumstances. All of this to say, Mr. Jones showed me what it really means to be an educator and he is the reason I am where I am today."
Connor graduates in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, emphasis on music education and a minor in youth discipleship studies. He is doing an internship as a music teacher as he completes his college education.
"After graduation, I hope to become a high school band director," Connor said. "I want to inspire students in the same way that I was inspired by my directors. I also hope to be able to lead by example and help students to achieve their goals and aspirations. Overall, I want to provide the same experiences I was blessed to have with my future students."
For anyone interested in pursuing music, Connor encourages them to never give up.
"There have definitely been days where I felt like I was not good enough or where I was really questioning why I was doing it but those are the days that you have the most impactful breakthroughs. A career in music is not easy but I believe that it is the most rewarding. Music has the power to convey what words simply can't. That's why people relate with music so much. Music has taken me all across the United States and I couldn't imagine what my life would be without it."
