For Sarah and Brandon Rodriguez, their love story includes music, three diplomas, three states, and a decade of togetherness.
It began in 2013, when they met at band camp at Chalmette High School. Over time, each became a leader or chair of a section of wind instruments, so they would often collaborate musically. “Our ambitions to pursue music brought us closer,” Sarah Rodriguez said.
Her love for the flute started in sixth grade. “I was given the choice of joining P.E. or band as an elective. I always hated playing sports, so the decision was pretty easy.”
On day one, students had to decide which instrument to pursue. “My teacher, Ms. Meg Lancaster, played recordings of what each instrument sounded like.”
After listening to a recording of Sir James Galway, internationally known as the man with the golden flute, she was hooked. “I fell in love with the sound of the flute from that point on,” she said.
For Brandon Rodriguez, music was always a part of his life. “I came from a musical family,” he said. “I grew up playing guitar with my dad, and at our family reunions, everyone in the family would bring their instruments and we would all play together.”
Band was also his middle-school elective, and like his wife, he began his formal training in music as a sixth grader.
Sarah and Brandon Rodriguez as part of the Mississippi State University Golden Eagle band.
Starting high school, together
The duo would continue to develop musically in high school, and each was screened and accepted into Chalmette High School’s Gifted Music Program under the guidance of teacher Kenny Kerth.
Kerth, now retired, called the couple a perfect match. “They have shared a love of music and each other since high school, and are both extremely talented musicians who are very sharing of their talent.”
Their high school band director, Jason Rusk, said, “Their talent, skill, personal drive and love for music is unmatched. … I knew when I first met Brandon and Sarah that they had bright futures.”
In addition to performing at concerts, recitals, and special events while at CHS, the duo also played at another iconic venue: Disney World. Brandon Rodriguez said marching in a parade at the Magic Kingdom was wonderful, but there was something else magical about that trip. “Being able to share that experience with each other made it even more special.”
Next comes college
After graduating high school in 2017, the couple continued marching together as part of the band program at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Both were scholarship recipients and music majors. Brandon Rodriguez said the biggest difference between being a high school musician and a college one is the commitment of time.
“Music at USM took the majority of your day — music theory classes at 8 a.m., piano lessons, our flute and clarinet lessons, music history, ensembles. Our days were music-filled and lasted from about 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
Before the start of their junior year, the couple took on another commitment: They married in August 2019. From there, they continued their college careers as a couple, graduating in May 2021 with degrees in music — hers in wind performance with a concentration in flute, and his with a concentration in clarinet.
Sarah Rodriguez chose this degree because of her passion for creating music and sharing her art, while Brandon Rodriguez said his degree would allow them to play music and travel.
Post grad, post South
And travel they did. In summer 2021, the young couple received scholarships to pursue master’s degrees much further from home — at Wichita State University in Kansas.
Brandon Rodriguez said he was pleasantly surprised by the size and vibrancy of the cultural arts scene there. “It’s a pretty big city, and we live directly in the middle of it. It was a very new way of life for us. We’ve come to enjoy it though, as there’s a good bit of entertainment options and lots of things to go see and do with friends.”
As graduate assistants at WSU, the pair also assumed a slew of new responsibilities. Since the college doesn’t have a doctorate program in music, they were two of the oldest and most experienced musicians in their respective departments or studios. “Not only did we have to serve as a role model to younger students, but we also worked for the school of music,” Brandon Rodriguez said.
The master’s program is intense in its focus. “In graduate school, it’s only music, and much more in depth on music,” he said. “A topic in music history during our undergrad years may have taken a whole day to learn about. In our master’s, we could take an entire semester for that topic and really dive deep into it.”
Making music together
The Rodriguezes have flourished in Kansas, winning competitions, playing in a wide array of music ensembles, and of course, earning master’s degrees.
Sarah said a highlight this year was when she and Brandon won the WSU concerto-aria competition as a duet and got to perform with the full orchestra on Valentine’s Day. The couple also started and manage a music tutoring business — sharing their time and talent with young, promising musicians.
Brandon said their next goal is to enroll in a program to pursue doctorate degrees in music. “Deciding what school to go to next, which area of the country we should move to — these are huge decisions that take a great deal of time and discussion.”
While uncertain of what comes next, he is sure about one thing. “Sarah and I are kind of a package deal, so whatever we do, we plan on doing it together.”
