Bethel announces resignation of Brad Shores
Shores plans to move to Estero, Fla. His resignation becomes effective at the conclusion of the spring semester.
On Monday, Bethel College VP Bob Milliman announced via email that Brad Shores, director of the pep band/steel drum band and instructor of music, has resigned. The move becomes effective at the conclusion of the spring semester.
With plans to move to Estero, Fla., Shores leaves Bethel, where he started in May of 2016 after a 30-year career as a 5th through 12th-grade band instructor at Haven High School (2000-2016) and Nickerson High School (1987-2000).
Shores was hired as the athletic band director and formed a pep band that would perform at football and basketball games. He recalls his first year only having around nine participants in the group — which consisted of mostly first-year students. During that same year, Brad also formed Bethel’s steel drum band, which consisted of 10 members.
“It has been a great honor to be associated with Bethel College because the students, faculty, and staff are some of the best people I have ever had the privilege to know,” Shores said.
“One of my fondest memories was when the steel drum band was selected to perform at the Kansas Music Educators Convention in 2019,” Shores said. “We had an outstanding group of musicians that included many student-athletes.”
2019 was also the year that the trash can band was formed, which performed at several sporting events. Shores’ most recent favorite memory is playing for the men's and women's basketball teams last year as the men fought their way to the national tournament.
In addition to the student steel drum band, Brad formed a community steel drum band, Steel Paradise, that featured both Bethel staff and community members alike. Steel Paradise has performed many times, including at formal concerts and appearances at Moxie.
“One of the things I will always remember is the variety of students that I have been honored to teach in the steel drum band.” Shores acknowledges that by being a member of the music faculty, he doesn't often get a chance to meet students that are not in any music ensembles or classes. However, the steel drum band class gave him the opportunity to meet students from every area of campus, which he believes made the band that much more special.
No timeline was provided for the hiring of Shores’ replacement.