Steve Rhodes named for new Lipscomb music award

The Nashville Wind Symphony and Lipscomb University’s School of Music created a new scholarship to honor Steve Rhodes. The award will pay for expenses like travel and registration for music students who study wind band instruments.

Rhodes taught at Lipscomb for 40 years. He started his position in the fall of 1978. His first job was directing the concert band. That group later became the Wind Ensemble. He also led jazz, string, and chamber groups on campus.

The award was announced at a recent concert in Franklin called Fiesta: A Musical Crossroads. Rhodes attended the event. He stood up when his work in Nashville’s instrumental music community was recognized.

“I was floored,” Rhodes said about the announcement. “I was very honored, and humbled, by it.”

Rhodes started the original Nashville Wind Ensemble after a chamber orchestra he directed disbanded. He gathered wind players from that orchestra. He asked them to find other musicians to join the new group.

The ensemble included about 40 adult musicians. Each part had one dedicated player. The group performed for 30 years. They played at universities, high schools, and churches in Middle Tennessee. They also performed at state, regional, and national music conventions.

Carole Smith Grooms is president of the Nashville Wind Symphony’s acting board. She knew Rhodes professionally before joining the flute section in 2007. She described him as a quiet leader who cared deeply about the wind band tradition.

“He is not going to draw attention to himself,” Grooms said. “He’s passionate about band and band music. He’s kind, patient and competent, just the nicest guy you could ever want to know.”

After Rhodes retired, the group became the Green Hills Wind Symphony. Members later reorganized it as the independent Nashville Wind Symphony. Lipscomb faculty and students kept performing with the group. Wendy Matthews, the director of Lipscomb’s School of Music, is a trumpet player in the symphony.

Matthews continues to provide rehearsal space on the Lipscomb campus. In return, the symphony wanted to support Lipscomb students directly. The new award allows the symphony and other donors to give money to the school.

The award is for music majors in the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts. Students must study a wind band instrument and join a School of Music instrumental ensemble. They must also be in good academic standing.

The school can give out up to $2,000 a year. That money goes to one student or is split among several. Funds can cover costs for workshops, conferences, competitions, and masterclasses. It can also pay for music, equipment, and travel. Wendy Matthews said the award helps students perform at a national level. She said it will help them develop their craft and ability to perform alongside musicians from other universities. Music education students can also use the money to attend professional conferences. This allows them to bring new techniques into their future classrooms. Beth Morrow, assistant dean of the college, said the award honors Rhodes’ legacy. She said it fuels experiential learning for the entire college family. Rhodes said he likes the specific nature of the award. He said he cannot think of a better way to use it than to provide special opportunities for students. He hopes they have the experience of a lifetime.