New Stillman band center honors former director
By Ashley Boyd Staff writer
Published: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 4:23 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | Evidence of Thomas Lyle’s ten-year history as band director at Stillman hangs along the walls of Stillman’s new band center, which has been named for him.
Lyle and Stillman’s new director of bands Robert Williams were both on hand Tuesday during a ceremony to cut the ribbon on the Thomas E. Lyle Band Center.
“We are gathered here to recognize him and to make a statement about a life well led,” Stillman President Ernest McNealey said.
Lyle, who served as Stillman’s band director from 2000 to 2009, has been a music instructor for 55 years. He was first introduced to music at 14 when he learned to play clarinet in his high school band. He later played in a number of marching and concert bands. In addition to playing tenor saxophone with the famous Fess Whatley Jazz Orchestra, Lyle would also serve two years as the first clarinetist and tenor saxophonist with the 3841th Army concert and jazz bands.
Lyle’s passion for music eventually translated into teaching. After completing his master’s degree in music education and his doctorate in performance from the University of Michigan, Lyle served as the director of bands at Alabama State University for over 30 years.
“When the president brought Lyle to Stillman, it was a commitment to being the best. We celebrate Dr. Lyle’s contributions to Stillman and to higher education,” Williams said.
Williams’ first ever band class was with Lyle, and he would later follow Lyle to the University of Michigan and later to Alabama State before coming to Stillman.
“I followed him because he was my teacher,” Williams said. “I thought the band was the greatest invention since the wheel, and there’s nothing else I wanted to do.”
Following Tuesday’s ceremony, Williams conducted an original piece by Lyle called the “Prowl of the Stillman Tigers,” before launching into Stillman’s alma mater. When McNealy asked Lyle if he was pleased with the ceremony and the building being named in his honor, Lyle chuckled and said that was an understatement.
“Now that I’m here, I’m exuberant with ecstasy,” Lyle said.
“There’s only one way to do this, and it’s the right way. What bothered me when I first started playing at 14 was that everyone could play, and I couldn’t. So I went to work, asking questions of others and did what I could on my own,” Lyle said.
Lyle also complimented Williams’ work.
“Robert always had to be the first chair. He had to be the best and always was so you’re in good hands here,” he said.
NcNealy said Lyle committed himself to helping others.
“There are some who aspired to be great and spend all their time promoting themselves and their achievement, and then there are others who commit themselves to their calling,” McNealy said. “In the case of Dr. Lyle, his significance is he did the right thing to inspire young people to be their best.”
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100216/NEWS/100219648/1007
Author
