Dr. Thomas Evans’ Legacy at Kalamazoo College 

By Alexa Wonacott

Despite the cramped space and escalating room temperature, Dr. Thomas Evans stands on the podium at the front of the room, smiling as he overlooks nearly 10 percent of the Kalamazoo College student body. 

The Beginning Band Methods Class, which holds the record for largest class in Kalamazoo College history, reached 128 this spring. Although popular among students and professors, the class is only held during Spring trimester. Students share music stands and sit shoulder to shoulder to accommodate everyone. 

Dr. Evans is the reason for the organized chaos that occurs in room 11. 

After 29 years as the Director of Bands and a Professor of Music, he retired following the 2023-24 school year.  

The passionate teaching style, kindhearted nature, and uplifting attitude that consistently draws students to Dr. Evans’ classes are inspired by his upbringing. Born into a poor family, Evans did not have enough money to buy new instruments. His father, a local musician, still encouraged Evans and his siblings to be involved in the arts. Evans started playing the euphonium, a brass wind instrument resembling a tuba, because his family had already owned one. 

Whether it was circumstance or fate that brought Evans to the euphonium, men in his family have been playing the trombone or euphonium since the mid 1800s, with some even becoming band directors before him. 

Following in his ancestor’s footsteps, Evans studied music throughout undergraduate and graduate school. Having borrowed his high school’s instrument for college auditions, he went to school as a music major without owning an instrument, unlike most of his peers. 

Despite this obstacle, Evans said he excelled in college – at the State University of New York at Fredonia – because of his determined attitude. He eventually purchased a trombone during his sophomore year, even earning himself a spot in the faculty brass quintet that same year. 

“I want people to know that I am an example of overcoming obstacles,” said Evans. “Life is all about problem solving.” 

These trials have shaped his philosophy on life, Evans said, and in 1995, he brought this ideology to Kalamazoo College. 

His arrival to campus coincided with a transition time for the school, the dismantling of their education department. The Woodwind and Brass Methods classes were residuals of this newly eliminated program. 

Originally designed to help music education students prepare for teaching classes, Evans combined the two, thus creating the Beginning Band Methods class. 

With a wide range of musical abilities, high enrollment numbers, and classroom management issues, “this class has failure written all over it,” said Evans. “There are not many people that can do this.” 

Evans said that his time as a middle school teacher adequately prepared him to handle these challenges. 

Although he can play all 15 instruments offered in the class and has years of instructing experience, Evans said that skill alone is not enough to teach this class. 

“I like to think my quirky personality helps,” said Evans. “I make it fun. If it’s not fun, I don’t want to do it.” 

Christopher Ludwa, a music department faculty member, said that the real key to success in this class is Evans’ constant, boundless, and palpable glass-half-full energy that leaves students wanting to work harder and achieve more. 

Ludwa said he admires Evans’ love for teaching and his authenticity. “Tom is the same guy on the podium that he is off the podium,” said Ludwa. 

Laura DeVilbiss ’25, a teacher’s assistant for the Beginning Bands Methods class, also spoke about Evans’ energy and ability to motivate students of all levels. 

“He has such an infectious joy,” said DeVilbiss. “The fact that he enjoys being there so much makes it so much easier for the rest of us to enjoy being there.”  

Music Department Chair Andrew Koehler echoed a similar sentiment, citing Evans’ inviting presence, positive demeanor, and ability to create excitement in students as the pillars to his success. Koehler said that he has admiration for Evans’ limitless enthusiasm for music and ability to transcend the rut of predictableness and simplicity that can come with a job. 

“He still has this profound passion for everything he does,” said Koehler, “Tom is always there to remind you that, in fact, it’s a really beautiful and wonderful thing that we get to do.” 

Koehler said that Evans’ legacy will be the generations of students who have worked with him and been inspired by him. All of whom, Koehler believes, have left with a “much richer appreciation for the arts.” 

“That is as great a legacy as any of us could hope for,” said Koehler. 

As Evans’ retirement neared, the transition was not seamless for the Music Department. Due to a financial deficit, Kalamazoo College cannot allocate adequate funds to all of its departments. Only three of the eight open faculty lines will be filled for this coming academic year. 

“We have made the strongest possible bid we can,” said Koehler about Evans’ unfilled line. He emphasized that Evans’ legacy is secured, but that the Music Department “would very much like that to be a legacy that gets to be passed onto someone else.” 

The faculty have been able to share input on the process and decision criteria, but Music Department faculty member Beau Bothwell said that ultimately fund allocation will come from the provost.  

The provost’s decision, which came at the end of Spring trimester, paused Evans’ tenure-track line for the next two years. In the meantime, the Music Department has hired three local, part-time adjunct professors to teach the Symphonic Band, the Jazz Band, and the Beginning Band Methods class for the upcoming school year.  

 Bothwell said that there is a high cost to switching to multiple part-time employee model. He said that recruitment, community building, and organization for the department will take a hit, calling it a “severe degradation of the capacity of our music department.” 

Questions remain about the fulfillment of a full-time position to replace Evans. This long-term uncertainty is unnerving for him. “The music program itself has grown both in quality and quantity,” said Evans. 

He emphasized the size of his class, saying that the mighty clarinet section of 27 students is larger than some academic classes on campus. 

According to Evans, pulling funding now would detract from the opportunities of students. “To me that’s a big mistake,” said Evans. 

Despite this uncertainty and the void that will come with Evans’ retirement, the Music Department faculty remain hopeful for the program’s future. Now, Evans’ is shifting his passion and enthusiasm to new areas he moves into this next phase of life. With grand travel plans, including hiking the entirety of the Appalachian trial, he hopes to fill his time with exploring, reading, and journaling. 

His endless curiosity and love for learning will take him to new places. “I want to see all the world,” said Evans, “I can’t wait to get started.” 

As he reflected on 29 years at the institution, Evans said “it’s been a good career; I have no regrets.” He said he shed a tear or two about the decision. “I’ll miss so many aspects of the job, starting with the students,” said Evans. “It’s hard to say goodbye to something you love.” 

As he sets off to see the world and start new endeavors, Evans said that he wants students to remain passionate about the arts and keep it in their lives. As his final lecture to students, he said to believe in yourself and treat everyone with kindness. 

“That’s how I live my life,” said Evans.