By JOHN DANIEL GARCIA
MARFA –Molly Ferguson of Presidio has been tapped to lead the Mar-fa ISD school band into graduation later this month following the abrupt resignation of former band director Vince Smith, Marfa ISD Superintendent Oscar Aguero said Monday.
According to Aguero, Ferguson was approached by the district to take the band director’s baton for the final three weeks of school to prepare for graduation, with her first day on the job Monday.
For Ferguson, the opportunity came as a bit of a surprise, as she will graduate from Sul Ross State University on Saturday.
“I think it’s cool that I got my first job by myself before even graduating,” she said of her temporary position, adding that she recently completed her student-teaching term at Presidio ISD, her high school alma mater and her hometown. “I was a little nervous on Monday, but once the students started walking in, for me, it was a beautiful feeling. It was the first time I had really seen any of their faces.”
For Ferguson, her first week at her temporary job was met with challenges, she said, as there was sheet music missing for all chairs.
Fortunately, the young musician’s mother, Lucy Ferguson, is the band director at Presidio ISD and was able to assist her in finding the needed sheet music.
“We were able to get all the pieces I was in need of and we have all the material we need for graduation. That’s my responsibility,” she said. Ferguson comes from musical family. Her father, John, is the former Presidio band director, and her brother Max is also a musician. The family has two bands, the Resonators and Mariachi Santa Cruz, and Molly won the Tejano Music Awards Teen Idol competition last year.
According to Aguero, the district was able to secure Ferguson as the temporary band director without a school board decision as the district did not have to sign a contract with her due to the nature of her employment.
Ferguson was chosen, he added, after receiving a list of candidates from Sul Ross.
Despite losing Smith, Aguero also said, the Marfa ISD Shorthorn Band is still planning on taking a trip to perform at Disneyland.