Langston places music in forefront
As recent high school graduate
Jesse B. Langston contemplates
his future, music steps into the
forefront of his plans for furthering
his education and establishing
a long-term career.
Langston became interested in
playing clarinet as an eighth-grader
at Dibrell School. His
introduction to the instrument
came five year ago in church. It
was there that a friend presented
the well-formed melody that got
Jesse hooked.
His grandmother, Margaret
Bryant, said she recollects seeing
a dedication in Jesse early on.
“When he didn’t have his clarinet
but had the training book,
he’d just air-play it to learn,” she
recalls.
Entering Warren County High
School, he became a member of
the Pioneer marching band and
symphonic band, being selected
to the All Middle Tennessee Band
for three years – this year first
chair.
“A combination of the top band
students from West, Middle and
East Tennessee are brought
together to form the Tennessee
All-State Band and Orchestra,”
Langston said.
The talented musician has
played with the Murfreesboro
Youth Orchestra, requiring
weekly rehearsals for two years
and three concert performances
each year. He was one of two
high school seniors from the
group earning the opportunity to
perform solos during the MYO
Spring Concert in May at Middle
Tennessee State University’s
Wright Music Hall.
Langston said he was surprised
when chosen from 15 or so fellow
musicians to be featured in the
MYO concert. The orchestra
provided plenty incentive for its
players to strive for the top two
spots in last November’s competition,
including a money prize.
His other musical experiences
and honors include being invited
to participate in Governor’s
School for the Arts; three times
for Tennessee Technological
University’s Southeast Chamber
Music Institute; four times for
TTU’s Festival of Winds and
Percussion and twice for MTSU’s
Wind Band Conference, both as
first chair this year.
Jesse plays in the Nashville
Youth Symphony as principal
clarinetist, rehearsing every
Monday night, and also
performed with the Nashville
Symphony Orchestra at the
Calsonic Arena in Shelbyville.
His primary focus this summer
will be as a participant in the
Sewanee Summer Music Festival,
being held June 19 through July
25.
“This program at Sewanee will
be a challenge, but I’m looking
forward to being a part of it,”
Jesse said. “I expect the music to
be even more difficult than selections
we play in the Nashville
Symphony Orchestra.”
He plans to attend TTU this fall
on a full scholarship to study
music education and music
performance. Looking to the
future, he’d like to play with an
orchestra and become a college
professor.
Although music fills much of
his time and concentration,
including private lessons in
Murfreesboro, he has also earned
the rank of Eagle Scout.
Jesse is the son of Cliff
Langston and the late Sherry
Langston and grandson of
Walker and Margaret Bryant.