The middle of three Big Red Band trumpet-playing brothers, Thomas Brunt primarily learned to play trumpet from his older brother, Clayton.
“Clayton would come home and play his trumpet, then I would pick it up. Following his example, I’d play on it and before long I knew how to play. I picked up the trumpet easily and joined the band in junior high at my mother’s urging,” said Thomas. “However, I fell in love with band. I liked learning music and I liked the theatrics of marching band. It also brought out the competitive aspect in me, which I used to prepare for contests.”
Jesse Yates was Brunt’s band director during his first three years of high school.
“I was section leader for the trumpets, and Mr. Yates asked me during the spring of my junior year to try out for drum major. I tried out and got it. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made,” he remembers. I never thought I was a leader, but I discovered that I liked it and was good at leading a group of people.”
Steven Culpepper came on as director for Brunt’s senior year, 2017-18.
“We were already good friends, so that was an easy transition,” Brunt said of the change.
Band has had a great influence on Brunt’s life.
“I didn’t do band in college, and I regret that decision. I have really missed it. Band has taught me the importance of working as a team for one goal. It was great to have 130 people work together as a unit, be driven, and be on the same page, and winning the state championship! It really brought out the spark of competitiveness in me,” Brunt told The Star-Herald.
Growing up as the middle of three brothers, Brunt was very competitive with them.
“We might play a game of baseball and get mad at each other if we lost. All three of us are very competitive. During my freshman year, I really learned to compete when Clayton and I both tried out for symphonic band and we both got it. He was first chair and I was second. At one point, Clayton, Ben, and I were all three in the trumpet line in Big Red,” Brunt said.
Now a senior Biological Sciences major at Mississippi State, he will graduate in December and plans to apply for nursing school.
Brunt is looking forward to the completion of the Skipworth Performing Arts Center.
“I was able to be in some concerts in the auditorium during junior high and part of high school before it was closed. When it closed, we were really displaced. We needed an acoustic concert venue to play in. The Skipworth Center will be a great place for that,” he said.
He is happy that the center is being named for the late band director.
“Skipworth was a major influence on the Kosciusko band, and it is amazing that it is named for him. I’m also glad that Grove Hall will be named for Mr. Grove. He is really one of the greatest examples of love for the band, giving his own time to the band just because he cares about it,” Brunt said. “I think that the center will be a great way to open the door for all of the arts, not just the band.”
