Winter 2024

Photos provided by Dr. Corey Spurlin
Corey grew up in Anniston surrounded
by music leaders. His father was his band
director in middle and high school. His
grandfather also had a love of music and
taught singing schools for churches, with
Corey’s father playing the piano.
“My father and grandfather passed on a
love of music to me,” says Corey. “I began
as a trumpet performance major at the
University of Alabama, but I found myself
talking and thinking more about teaching
than performance. I changed my major to
music education.”
When Corey graduated from Alabama in
December 1999, he began teaching middle
school in Tuscaloosa. After one semester,
he became the band director at Tuscaloosa
County High School. “I really wanted to
direct a marching band,” he says, “and teach
a higher level of band music. The opportunity
to move to the high school level fit my
career goals.”
Two years later, he had the opportunity
to return to the University of Alabama as
the interim assistant director of the marching
band, pep band director, and conductor
of the Symphonic Band while working on
his Master’s degree.
He then attended Louisiana State
University (LSU) for his doctorate. A year
after his move to Baton Rouge, Corey married
his wife Ashley, who had been a violinist
in the orchestra when they met at
Alabama. While at LSU, Corey was a graduate
assistant for the concert bands, Tiger
Marching Band and Pep Band for basketball,
directing them at the 2006 Final Four.
He received a Doctor of Musical Arts
degree in wind conducting in 2007. In
spring of that year, Corey was hired at
With care comes
confidence
From personal assistance and companionship to
24/7 care and even family caregiver respite,
we provide full support for fuller lives.
Auburn University as the Marching Band
director, associate director of Bands and
assistant professor of music. He has since
been promoted to associate professor with
tenure and now professor of Music. He also
directs the Pep Band for basketball, conducts
a concert band, and teaches undergraduate
and graduate courses in music.
Corey’s halftime shows have been innovative
over the years. “The halftime shows
are a team effort,” he says. “We get music
suggestions from students and fans. Nikki
Gross, assistant director of Athletic Bands
since 2015, and I typically brainstorm different
ideas.”
Eight years ago, he decided to enhance
halftime shows by collaborating with other
entities that are not typically associated
with the band. In 2017, they collaborated
with electrical engineering students to
build LED light strips to fit around band
member’s hats. For a night game, they can
turn lights down in the stadium and light
up the band. They can individually program
every band member’s hat, and the
lights can create patterns and designs.
Corey and his team once collaborated
with NASA to create a space-themed show
Call us. We listen.
334-203-1850 SYNERGYHomeCare.com
EAST ALABAMA LIVING 11