Employee Profile: Dr. Andrew Necessary
Photo courtesy of Gabriel Delvalle
Dr. Andrew Necessary has been part of Bluefield University for the past five years. He has served not only as head of the Bluefield University music department but also as the director for the BU Ram Band, concert bands, and jazz ensembles.
Dr. Necessary grew up in Tazewell County, Virginia, not too far away from Bluefield. However, he started his professional career as a high school band director in Dublin County, North Carolina. He then moved back home with his family and worked for the Tazewell County School District for one year.
He first came to Bluefield in the fall of 1998 when the university wanted to add an instrumental component to their music program. He then worked for Concord University for ten years before being asked to come back to Bluefield University as a full-time employee.
Besides his role here at BU, Dr. Necessary is also an esteemed member of the Music Educators Association (MEA) and the International Trombone Association. Outside of work, Dr. Necessary enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his four children and his grandchildren. His strong fatherly nature and many honors help him do what he enjoys most about teaching music, helping the band and students grow their skills as musicians.
“I enjoy the process of taking something that doesn’t sound great and making it sound as good as possible. You know, a lot of the time people walk by us at a football game and say, ‘You all sound great to be so small!’ and well, that’s what I do; it’s what I claim to do; it’s the job is to make the band sound better, and there are definite ways to do that, and I enjoy that process.”
When asked what the greatest challenge in his job was, he answered simply: recruiting. Bluefield University’s music program is much smaller than other programs found here at BU. The Ram band itself only bolsters seven full-time students, and the jazz band consists of three members. But despite this, Dr. Necessary not only wants to grow the music department but also to strive for excellence in all aspects so that he can give as many students as he can opportunities to succeed in music.
“I think the students who I’ve asked to come here have legitimately enjoyed their time here at Bluefield University; they liked the bands and they liked the process of putting shows together. I enjoy just being able to give them the experience they want to have.”
Dr. Necessary goes on to invite new students into Bluefield’s music programs.
“If you played in high school or know how to play an instrument, we would love to have you. You don’t have to be a music major to be in the concert or marching band. I work with your schedules; even athletes who would like to participate, we would love to work with them and have them in the bands.”
Dr. Necessary plans to keep music strong, not only within the university, but also to keep it in the hearts of the entire surrounding community. He hopes to grow the music department and keep things running smoothly for the many musical talents both on and off campus.