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Co-Lin Band and Colette Alumni Chapter to honor Loftin, Sanders at Homecoming
WESSON – The Band and Colette chapter of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Alumni Association will induct Randy S. Loftin of Magee into the Hall of Fame and will honor Allen Sanders of Southaven as the Stanley Stewart Outstanding Young Alumni recipient during Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Loftin
Loftin is a 1982 graduate of Co-Lin where he studied music education. While at Co-Lin, Loftin was a member of the Blue Wave marching band and concert band where he was first chair trumpet for two years. He also participated in various brass ensembles and was selected as a member of the Mississippi Community and Junior College Band for two years. After Co-Lin, Loftin attended the University of Southern Mississippi and received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Mississippi State University. He earned a master’s degree in music education from Mississippi College.
Throughout his career, Loftin has served as band director at Starkville Academy (’85-87) and Ackerman High School (’87-92), assistant director at Winona High School (’92-95), and director at Wesson High School (’95-13). While Loftin was director for Starkville Academy, the band received superior ratings in all three years of his tenure. At Ackerman, his band received a superior rating and the title of Mid-America Champions in St. Louis, Missouri. The Winona High School band received superior ratings throughout Loftin’s tenure and were Grand Champions of the Dixie Classic Championship in Washington, D.C. At Wesson High School, the band received superior ratings eight years in a row and earned a superior rating in concert and sight reading for 13 years. The band was also consistently one of the top three bands in the state. He retired from teaching in 2013 and is now a full-time driver for Bus Supply Charters of McComb.
Loftin is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Marching Bands of America, past president of the East Central Band Association, a Mississippi Lion’s All-State Band Adjudicator, and past member of the Mississippi Lion’s Band, who won the International Band Championship while he was director in 2009.
He is married to Terri Price Loftin and they have one daughter, Lindsey, and two grandchildren. They are members of First Baptist Church of Mendenhall where Loftin sings in the choir and is a past deacon.
Sanders
Sanders is a 2008 graduate of Co-Lin where he studied music education. He was a member of the Blue Wave Show Band. After Co-Lin, Sanders attended Mississippi State University and received a bachelor’s degree in music education with concentrations in both piano and saxophone. While at Mississippi State, Sanders was in the MSU Symphonic Band, a member of the MSU Chamber Singers, the Maroon Marching Band, MSU Wind Ensemble, MSU Jazz Band and Saxophone Ensemble.
Sanders is the director of choral activities at Southaven High School and the musical director for Southaven High School theater. He is the accompanist for the CoroFuente tenor bass choir, where he previously taught music theory. Sanders has been a church musician for over 12 years and is currently serving as pianist at First Baptist Church of Horn Lake and organist at Maples Memorial United Methodist Church.
He has previously been an accompanist for the Mississippi ACDA All-State Treble Honor Choir, the Mississippi ACDA Male Vocal Symposium, and the Southern Division ACDA Treble Honor Choir. In 2018, Sanders was awarded the Best in Class A cappella Choir and Best in Class Men’s Choir at Riverland Choral Festival. He has also received consistent superior ratings at the Mississippi State Performance Assessment since 2016.
Sanders is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Florida State University and is a member of the National Association for Music Education. He is married to Caysee Sanders.
Loftin and Sanders will be honored during Homecoming festivities on Oct. 19 at the Band and Colette Chapter’s annual meeting at 10 a.m. in Taylor Chapel on the Wesson Campus, and again at the Alumni Association’s awards luncheon at 11 a.m. in Henley Cafeteria. For more information on Homecoming events and activities, visit https://www.colin.edu/alumni-foundation/homecoming/ or call (601) 643-8313.