Published November 17, 2022
MONROE, LA – The ULM School of Visual and Performing Arts is set to host “In Memoriam: Dr. Derle
R. Long,” on Tuesday, November 22 at 6:00 p.m. in Brown Auditorium on the campus of
ULM. VAPA students, faculty, and staff, as well as ULM administrators and alumni will
honor Dr. Long’s lasting contributions to the University and the community. The event
is free and open to the public.
Dr. James Boldin, Interim Director of VAPA, says Dr. Long dedicated his career to
the advancement of the arts. “We could think of no better way to honor and celebrate
him than through those arts,” said Boldin. “While we continue to mourn Dr. Long’s
passing, we hope the memorial concert will be an uplifting experience and reflection
on a life spent in service of the arts,” he added.
The memorial concert will feature performances from VAPA students and faculty including
the Wind Ensemble, Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, and the Sound of Today Marching
Band with alumni. There will also be a silent auction to benefit the Dr. Derle Long
Scholarship Fund.
Guest speakers will include Dr. Ronald Berry, President of ULM; Dr. John Pratte, Dean
of the ULM College of Arts, Education, and Sciences; Dr. Matthew James, Professor
of Music; Darris Waren, Vice President of the Miss Louisiana Organization, and recent
alumnus Solomon Abang. Other special guests include family members of Dr. Long and
numerous alumni and former students from his forty-year career as an educator.
For those unable to attend in person, the concert will be live-streamed on the ULM VAPA YouTube channel. A post-concert gathering will take place at Enoch’s Pub and Grill in Monroe.
