By
By Chris Brown
The Louisville Cardinal
Students were worried that they would be without an experienced instructor after the athletic department announced Jan. 31, it would be taking over the University of Louisville pep band and replacing Dr. Gregory Byrne with new director Alan Greener.
Band students’ concerns grew when Kyle Moats, U of L associate athletic director for marketing, said he couldn’t discuss Greener’s credentials, deferring inquiries to Greener.
Students involved in the band said athletic department officials couldn’t answer their questions about Greener’s education or teaching experience when officals broke the news to them at a rehearsal meeting.
Greener, who many band students say they haven’t had a chance to meet yet, could not be reached by phone or e-mail for comment.
However, an open records request filed by The Cardinal last week turned up a number of records from the university, including Greener’s resume and information regarding his previous employment at U of L.
Greener, who holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Iowa plus 30 hours towards a master’s degree, served as assistant athletic band director at U of L from 1991 until 1998, according to the records. He has also arranged music for numerous high school and collegiate bands across the country, and is credited with composing U of L’s spirit song, “All Hail, U of L.”
Since 1998, Greener worked as the band director at a high school in Shenandoah, Iowa, records show.
Byrne, who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, took over responsibilities with the marching band and pep band when he was hired in 1998. Last week, Byrne declined to elaborate on the situation, but said he plans to focus on his teaching duties.
Members of the band who were worried about the athletic department’s plan brought their concerns before the Student Government Association Senate last week. Senators passed a resolution at their Feb. 6 meeting calling for the “restoration of the pep band back to the School of Music until a proper dialogue” occurs between administrators and students.
And senators seem optimistic about the outcome. “I think in the past the administration has been very responsive to resolutions by SGA,” said Arts & Sciences senator Matt Flairty. “Hopefully it will bring new talks to the table.” Flairty is a junior political science major.
The Senate’s response, Resolution 15, passed unanimously and called for the athletic department to “issue a public apology to the student body … for not consulting them on [the] policy change prior to its enactment and expressing its autonomy to make such decisions without the input of the student body.”
