31 Jul 2023 The beat goes on

By Becky Bell

Being in love with instruments and bands as a young man eventually guided New Jersey native Brantley Douglas’ path to becoming a key part of the University of Central Arkansas band system.

For the past 12 years, he has served as the associate director of bands and director of athletic bands, but after a career of 38 years as a band director, he recently retired from his UCA post. “As an associate director of bands, I was dealing with concert ensemble and marching ensemble … and when I wasn’t dealing with that, I was handling the symphonic band, and unless I was ordering instruments, I was planning trips. And that has to do with what it takes to move a lot of people and move equipment.”

As director of marching bands, Douglas led the Bear Marching Band, which plays for the UCA football games, as well as the Purple Rage Pep Band, which plays for basketball games. As he looks back at his career with UCA, one thing he is most proud of is that his band is one of the few entities that did not let the pandemic shut them down. Through very creative and painstaking measures, they kept the music playing. “I tell you it was interesting. We managed to have marching band during the pandemic, and I think what is fascinating is while other programs were shut down, UCA had football and we had a socially distanced marching band,” Brantley said. “We had rehearsals outdoors and what makes it especially unique is we can say the band has been running continuously for 108 years now, while some organizations had to stop.”

Keeping the marching band going during the pandemic was difficult. A system was devised to handle band camp in a way where the students would be kept safe. “We managed to have no COVID-19 cases to spread because we were so careful,” he said. “Sitting six feet apart in the end zone was something very unusual. It was definitely the most challenging years of my career.”

Seeing the UCA bands through the pandemic and making sure everyone realized they had been an organization for more than 100 years is something he will always hold on to as huge milestones of his career in Conway. And despite his decision to retire as a full-time band director, Douglas in no way plans to slow down much. He plans to travel for fun and to be a part of more band programs. For example, after retiring, this summer he took a fun trip to Las Vegas and a college band director’s trip for the national foundation, attended a conference on band software, and helped at a junior band camp with 950 students and at a senior band camp with more than 400 students. In August, he will be attending the Drum and Bugle Corps German Championship in Indianapolis.

Douglas will never be far from the music notes that brought him into a career that sustained him throughout his life. He will always be ready to help if someone needs him to play, to teach someone to play an instrument, or if someone needs tips on leading a band. Keeping the music going is not just something he did at UCA; it’s something he will do throughout his life.