New School of Music award expands opportunities for instrumentalists

New School of Music award expands opportunities for instrumentalists

The Steve Rhodes Achievement Award for Wind Band Instrumentalists will help Lipscomb music students pursue competitions, conferences, masterclasses and other opportunities beyond the classroom.

Robin Ghosh | 10/21/2026

The Nashville Wind Symphony and Lipscomb University's School of Music have established a new award honoring Steve Rhodes, the longtime Lipscomb music educator who founded the original Nashville Wind Ensemble.

The award was announced during the Nashville Wind Symphony's recent Fiesta: A Musical Crossroads concert in Franklin was invited to stand as his contributions to Lipscomb and Nashville's instrumental music community were recognized.

"I was floored," Rhodes said of first learning about the award. "I was very honored-and humbled-by it."

Rhodes taught at Lipscomb for 40 years beginning in fall 1978. He arrived to direct the concert band, which later became the Wind Ensemble, and also led jazz, string and chamber ensembles.

The original Nashville Wind Ensemble grew from a chamber orchestra Rhodes had been asked to direct. When the orchestra disbanded, he gathered several of its wind players and enlisted their help finding other musicians.

The resulting ensemble included approximately 40 highly skilled adult musicians, generally with one player assigned to each part. During its three-decade run, it performed at universities, high schools and churches throughout Middle Tennessee, as well as state, regional and national music conventions.

"It was his passion project," said Carole Smith Grooms, president of the Nashville Wind Symphony's acting board of directors. "He planted the seed for where we are today."

Grooms, a retired band director, knew Rhodes professionally before joining the ensemble's flute section in 2007. She remembers him as an unassuming leader who cared deeply about musicians and the wind band tradition.

"He is not going to draw attention to himself," Grooms said. "He's passionate about band and band music. He's kind, patient and competent-just the nicest guy you could ever want to know."

For Rhodes, seeing the ensemble continue is especially meaningful because music offers opportunities for lifelong enjoyment.

"Music can be such a lifetime thing," he said. "This is something you can keep doing forever."

After Rhodes retired, the ensemble continued as the Green Hills Wind Symphony. Its members later reorganized it as the independent, member-led Nashville Wind Symphony.

Throughout those transitions, Lipscomb School of Music faculty, students and alumni continued to perform with and even direct the group, carrying forward a relationship that began with Rhodes and the original ensemble.

Although independence was important, the musicians wanted to preserve the relationship with Lipscomb that had supported the ensemble since its inception.

"Lipscomb has been such an important part of the group from the get-go," Grooms said. "Because of that support, we still exist."

Wendy Matthews, director of Lipscomb's School of Music and a trumpet player in the Nashville Wind Symphony, continued providing rehearsal space on campus. In return, the symphony wanted to invest directly in Lipscomb students.

Along with the Wind Symphony's contributions, individuals and other organizations may also contribute to the award, allowing its impact to grow over time.

The award will help music majors in Lipscomb's School of Music, part of the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts, cover costs associated with experiences beyond their required curriculum. Funds may support registration, travel, music, equipment or other expenses related to workshops, conferences, competitions and masterclasses.

For the college, the award reflects a commitment to providing unique growth opportunities for students as they prepare for meaningful careers in the arts.

"We are so grateful for university and community leadership that continually champions and strategically invests in the arts at Lipscomb," said Beth Morrow, assistant dean of the CEA. "Honoring Steve Rhodes' legacy through an award that directly fuels our students' experiential learning beyond the classroom is truly meaningful for the entire CEA family. It reminds us of the relationships, collectives and groups we belong to outside of campus and their great impact on the Lipscomb student."

The emphasis on experiences beyond the curriculum is especially meaningful to Rhodes.

"I like the specific nature of the award," Rhodes said. "I can't think of a better way to use it than providing very special opportunities for Lipscomb music students."

Matthews said the award could help students participate in national competitions and other events where they can develop their abilities alongside musicians from universities across the country.

"It will allow them to do these things on a national level," Matthews said. "It's going to help them develop their craft and their ability to perform."

Music education students could also use the award to attend professional conferences and bring new techniques and ideas into their future classrooms.

Eligible students must be music majors in good academic standing who study a wind band instrument and participate in a School of Music instrumental ensemble. The School of Music may distribute up to $2,000 annually to one student or divide funding among multiple recipients.

When asked what he hopes students will gain from the opportunities the award makes possible, Rhodes' answer was simple.

"I hope they have the experience of a lifetime."

Support the Steve Rhodes Achievement Award for Wind Band Instrumentalists.