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(Photo courtesy of Air Force Musicians Association). |
Some 52 years after receiving his SUNY Fredonia degree in Music Education, Jerry Surra will return to campus to direct the Fredonia Wind Ensemble in a performance of the “Fredonia State Alumni March,” which he composed expressly for Commencement.
The march conveys the rhythm of the word “Fredonia,” with a slow, majestic middle section which Surra says is ideally suited for a commencement ceremony.
Many of Surra’s SUNY Fredonia former classmates, including Andy Christina, John McGlarry and Jim Newton, along with Surra’s brother, Robert, who lives in Buffalo, and other family members will see Surra direct the ensemble during the afternoon pre-concert. Robert Surra’s daughter, Amy, a 1992 SUNY Fredonia grad, will also be in the audience.
Surra is a retired music educator who lives in Chandler, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix. He taught music in Buffalo and Erie, Pa., areas before relocating to Arizona, where he retired from the Apache Junction school district in 1993. He’s remained extremely active in music since then, playing bassoon in a community band in Mesa City and directing a 17-piece Glenn Miller tribute band. Surra still devotes considerable time to composing music via computer.
Before becoming a music teacher, Surra was a member of the U.S. Air Force Band and the MATS (Military Air Transport Service) Command Band based in Scott Air Force Base, near St. Louis.
Directing the Fredonia Wind Ensemble and creating a new chapter in his SUNY Fredonia connection is truly exciting for Surra. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. I never suspected to have this situation develop. I really enjoyed meeting all the people from the Alumni Association.”
Surra and his wife, Anne-Marie, have three children: Mark, Paul and Lauraine.
