Marvin Griffin, the band director at Southside High School and Tipton Durant Middle School, could hardly believe his eyes.

Someone from Brooks Construction had just walked into the band room with a brand-new Jupiter mellophone to donate to the schools’ band program.
“I was nearly in tears because I just didn’t really believe it,” Griffin said. “I was just astounded.”

Griffin said the donation was in response to a Facebook post he made earlier this summer saying he needed instruments for his students because the band program is growing.

“I’ve been having to borrow instruments from other programs and then return them, but she came in and said I’m just going to buy y’all a brand-new horn,” he said. “She actually came up to the band room with it.”

Griffin said he already has the horn assigned to a student to play this season. The addition of the new horn gives all three of his mellophone players their own horn.

“I had three mellophone players, but I only had one horn that worked all the way,” he said. “The second horn works when it wants to, and they just had to share between the three.”

Griffin said he is thankful for the donation, and said it will go a long way in building and maintaining the band program. Currently, he teaches over 60 students between the two schools.

“The music program at Tipton and Southside gives them another opportunity to go for higher education,” he said. “This past year I had three students receive close to $30,000 in scholarships to go to school to be in the band.”

Griffin said he is still looking for other instruments. The band is in need of trombones, trumpets and sousaphones. Anyone interested in helping out can contact him by email at griffinm@dallask12.org or call him at (205) 821-1684.