Political Quotes

“conductor Vernon Raines is one of those rare individuals who has been truly blessed with a divine talent for music, and who has worked effortlessly to spread musical enlightenment to the citizens of south Alabama. It is as if the music has always been in his heart, as if it were his destiny. At the age of 6, Vernon had already written his first violin composition, and had begun to play the piano by ear. By the time he was 18, he had become the musical director of the Mobile Chamber Orchestra and had begun a career that included over 28 years as conductor and musical director of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. He also served for 3 years as the conductor of the University of Southern Mississippi symphony, opera, and ballet; and was the associate professor of music and the chairman of the music department at Livingston University, in Livingston, Alabama for nearly 8 years. In addition, Mr. Raines was an organizer of the Mobile Chamber Orchestra, was a key facilitator of the Mobile Symphonic Society, and served as the guest conductor of the Kwangju Philharmonic of Korea in 1987. He has also performed many times on public radio and television, and has made five guest appearances at the Mobile Opera Guild Workshop. Mr. Raines graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile, and received his bachelor of music degree from the University of Alabama.”