Brady Massey, director or bands at Williams Baptist University, recently had a piece of band music published. The work is entitled “In A Better Place.”
This piece was commissioned by the Marion High School Band in Arkansas, under the direction of Brandon Robinson. It was written as a memorial to Thad Williams, the late husband of Mrs. Cathy Williams, who is the director of bands at West Memphis High School and the cross-town rival of Marion High School.
Thad Williams was an advocate and mentor for thousands during his tenure as a coach at West Memphis High School. He also served as the long-time recreation director for the Dixie Band Camp, one of the largest and longest running summer music camps in the United States.
The music composed by Massey, while reverent, is not intended to be somber. Rather, it represents the hope and optimism which were such a huge part of Williams’s enormous personality.
Massey said the music is written for specifically for Williams, but it is meant to be shared with everyone who has a loved one who has gone to be “In A Better Place.”
In addition to his role at WBU, Massey is the owner of Ovation by Design, which creates custom music and arrangements for bands and other media. He is also the director of the Arkansas Ambassadors of Music, which produces a concert tour of Europe every two years.
Massey resides in Pocahontas with his wife Carol and his daughter Makenzie.
Williams is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge, Ark.
