Moody Campus Orchestra’s 55th Anniversary: A Family Affair

Moody Campus Orchestra and MCO alumni play for Founder’s Week 2025.

At Founder’s Week2025, some of the music was provided by the Moody Campus Orchestra (MCO), along with a number of alumni, in celebration of the group’s 55th anniversary.

For Joseph Marshall, saxophonist and sophomore intercultural studies major, and his mom, Mandie Chism Marshall (class of 2004), the performance was particularly meaningful. For the first time ever, Joseph was able to perform with his mom—an alumna of the group who plays both violin and cello.

“It was a very special day for our family,” Joseph said. “Honestly, I thought [it] was probably the best day I've had here at Moody so far, because I got to do something that involves family and music. It was just so much fun.”

The day was a busy one for the musicians, who spent time rehearsing and attending a reunion banquet before performing their set at the evening session in Torrey-Gray.

“We played, I think, seven different songs,” Mandie said, “but the one that was just us was ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’”

“I think that was my favorite one,” Joseph said. “My grandparents came; they said they were bawling.”

At the reunion banquet, Joseph said he really enjoyed meeting his mom’s college friends and seeing how tightly knit their community was, a feeling he resonates with. He recalled how, when telling his parents that he wanted to join the orchestra, they told him he would make at least one friend on the first day; he made several.

The MCO Reunion Banquet

“Some of them are actually on my floor. One of them is one of my closest friends; one of them is actually my supervisor,” he said. “[At the banquet] Dr. Mattix mentioned many times that this could be us 34 years from now: if we have another reunion we’ll get to meet our friends, make music together and have fun.”

It’s this sense of community that motivated all of the Marshalls—a self-described “musical family”—to join the orchestra at Moody. This includes Joseph’s father, Brannon Marshall (class of 2003), who was unable to attend the reunion but remembers his time playing the saxophone in the campus orchestra (then called the Moody Symphonic Band) very fondly.

“It was a place to belong very quickly,” he said in a video call from the family’s home in Canton, Ohio. “I remember Candlelight Carols when I first came here. That was pretty emotional. It felt like family pretty quick.”

Current MCO Conductor, Dr. Dan Mattix, and former MCO Conductor, Dr. Dave Gauger

His wife, who describes herself as introverted and a little shy, agrees. She said that even though there were 60 members in the group, spending hours rehearsing together and travelling on tours brought them all very close.

“I think that allowed me to break out of my shell a little bit and get to know people better on a closer level,” she said. “We were able to sharpen each other spiritually and be there for each other when things were down and rejoice with each other when things were up. And of course, that's where I met my husband. That's a big plus.”

Meet-cutes aside, the Marshalls encourage prospective students to consider joining the orchestra—or any other musical group—on campus. They siad these groups can broaden students’ perspectives by offering an opportunity to travel to different churches while doing something they love for the glory of God.

“That was my Moody Symphonic Band experience in a nutshell,” Brannon said. “I got to see what churches look like while actually serving the church. It’s the least risky investment you can make in your college experience: to do something you already enjoy doing, like music, and do it in a way where you get to meet people and travel and be a part of some really incredible things.”

Recently, those incredible things included a tour of Greece, which Joseph said was his first time in Europe and the best trip he’s ever taken. This mirrors the experience of his parents, who visited almost all 50 states and several foreign countries in their time in the Symphonic Band. All three Marshalls also mentioned how incredibly fulfilling it is to play sacred music in a group of Christ followers.

“[Former director] Mr. Gauger would always say, ‘You guys can play better than the Chicago Symphony Orchestra because you're playing for God,’” Mandie said. “‘You have a God -given talent and reason to worship and to play.’”