Educational Opportunity for Colton Gallandat

Dear WT Band Alumni,

Hello, my name is Colton Gallandat and this next fall will be my 4th year as a percussion music education major at WT. I grew up in Joshua, Texas and first found out about WT through our fellow WT band alumni, Trenton Fox, Kimberely Hanna, and Stephen Smoot. With these three all being my band directors at Joshua ISD (along with a few of my high school percussion friends choosing WT for music), I was sure to end up here as well after all the amazing things I had heard.

For the past 3 years, I have been a returning member of the WT Symphonic Band (performing at CBDNA 2023 in Georgia and TMEA 2024 in San Antonio), WT Symphony Orchestra, and the WT Percussion Ensemble. During my time here I have also occasionally subbed as a percussionist for the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, WT Brass Choir, WT Horn Choir, Amarillo Master Chorale, WT Opera, and the Town and Gown Band under the direction of Gary Garner. At WT I was given the opportunity to study under Dr. Susan Martin Tariq, being one of her last students before she retired. Outside of WT, I have performed as a member of 7th Regiment DBC in ‘22 as a snare and in ‘23 as a quad player. I will also be returning for my second year as a drumline tech and visual choreographer at Canyon High School. Other than Canyon, I have also taught or given masterclasses at Highland Park Amarillo, Tascosa HS, and Happy ISD.

The longer I have been at WT, the more I have learned about our generous and kind community. Members of the WT Band Alumni new and old(er) are able to come together and share our experiences and stories. Meeting more alumni at TMEA this past year was a great experience to be able to learn more about our history as a band and a family. This sense of community is why I come to you today. I have recently been accepted into the 16th Keiko Abe International Marimba Academy in Tokyo, Japan from August 2nd-5th! This means that I will be traveling to the Toho Gakuen School of Music to play “Two Movements for Marimba'' by Toshimitsu Tanaka for world-famous marimbists Keiko Abe, Pius Cheung, and Momoko Kamiya. I have been putting in my best effort on practicing this more traditional Japanese marimba solo to make the academy and represent WT the best I can. Since being 1 out of the 20 international applicants, I will be able to learn more about this completely unique form of percussion, a style completely different from anything written in the states. Learning more about this style will help me in my future educational endeavors as I will be able to more accurately teach future percussion students in this important art form.

Here is a link to my audition performance of Two Movement for Marimba: https://youtu.be/G3FVzIimNt4

However, as a student, the cost of this trip is beyond my current means. I am reaching out to the WT Band Alumni community for assistance in raising $2,500 to cover travel, accommodation, and academy fees. Your support will not only help me achieve this dream but also allow me to represent WT on an international stage, showcasing the talent and dedication nurtured at our university.

Thank you for your time and for considering my request. Even if you cannot contribute financially, I am grateful for your continued support and for making WT the incredible place it is for all aspects of music education.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Colton Gallandat

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Links to other past performances at WT:

Palpitations - Cody Holmes

Asventuras - Alexei Gerassimez

Game of the Century - Connor Shafran

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