Dr. Bruce Southard hit the ground running in the Fall after he was called over the Summer to replace Germán Águilar, the beloved choir director who had passed unexpectedly while on tour in Italy.
Southard packed up his things in North Dakota and headed to California to teach within a week.
Since then Southard has taken on Concert Choir, Delta Singers and Delta Vocal Jazz.
Though many of the students were heartbroken from the loss of Aguilar, they welcomed Southard with open arms.
“They’ve been very good for me. I’m very impressed with them,” said Southard.
Southard was in no ordinary position.
He took great care in understanding what happened to Águilar and how it affected his students.
“I started with the idea of being really sensitive to the students. The first concert I was more laid back,” stated Southard.
He intends on pushing them harder this semester now that students have adjusted.
Eliseo Paniagua, who has been a Delta choir singer for three years, said Southard is a great asset to the music program and the school.
“I think he contributes so much to the minds of the students here,” said Paniagua.