Just a few minutes ago I learned some shocking news about a certain faculty member at the UGA School of Music that has been treated in the most poor fashion that I can remember in a long time.

To give you some history, the UGA SOM has a pretty long standing tradition of taking care of their own. All the way from Roger D. until today, there has been tradition after tradition of people "being their brother's keeper" and being a good friend and neighbor to those around them.

However, tonight, this great man was left off of a short list of candidates for the head position at the SOM. A position in which he has been in interim for a period of 3 years.

To put it bluntly...it's bullshit.

Before I go into my tirade about why he should've been at least granted the "honor" (ironic term now) of being published on this list, let me give you some background as to the situation he came into.

He stepped into his current interim role when this walking, talking pile of dogshit had just been discovered "misappropriating funds" as well as cheating on his wife with the world's ugliest graduate student. When the walking, talking pile of dogshit was booted out of his role, the man I speak of (whose name I cannot publish for "google" reasons) stepped in and did his best to hold a frustrated group of kids together who demanded change or they would all leave (and this is just the RCB). The walking, talking pile of dogshit was so bad that out of 400 kids, at least 250 stayed for an hour and a half after practice one night so they could write how bad he was in faculty reviews. Even I spent some quality time with the Dean of the SOM to express my concerns.

So, the WTPofDS is kicked out and you insert a man with fine character, a good heart, and someone who gives a damn about where the program has been and where it's going. Every organization, every band, every kid appreciated his candor, honesty, and pure craftmanship in regards to music and humanity.

Now, he's the victim of a group of people who have their heads so far up their own asses that if you pushed them, they would roll instead of fall. There is no reason worth mentioning as to why he was left off this list. Even if they found him to not be qualified for the job, as a courtesy they could have at least included him just to say thanks for all he has done to put some integrity back into a shamed program.

I have nothing to lose in writing this letter. The music business in any form can be highly political and your fall from grace can be quicker than you could ever imagined, so I doubt you will hear much about this from anyone in the know...especially in print. However, something like this that is done to someone who has meant so much to so many people (both in and out of the SOM) is disheartening to say the least.

To put it in terms that a football fan would understand, this is like what Michael Adams did to Vince Dooley.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people. But good people have friends that will fight back.

This winter just got a lot colder.