Central Methodist University’s newest director of bands didn’t begin his college journey at Central, nor did he start his teaching career in Fayette, but as both a student and now as an educator, he’s found his way “home.” After 27 years of teaching at the high school level, Chuck Moore ’91 is ready to take the baton for his alma mater.
Moore, who will take over after the departure of Dr. Kara Metzger this summer, says it still feels “a little surreal” to be stepping into the role held by so many legends of Central, but he is excited for new opportunities to create music in a college environment and be an inspiration for young music students, as Keith House once was for him.
“It’s an honor, it really is,” said Moore of joining the esteemed list of Central band directors. “Prof. House was a profound influence in college, but several other Central grads have been mentors and trusted confidants throughout my teaching career, such as Skip Vandelicht ’77, Bob Hansen ’67, and Keith Ruether ’86. These musicians helped shape who I’ve become as a director.”
As a public school educator and band director for 27 years, most of which were spent at Fulton High School (2000-2012) and Sullivan High School (2012-2025), his programs have gained widespread state and national recognition. His concert bands were selected to perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association conference on three separate occasions, once at Fulton and twice at Sullivan, and the marching bands competed at numerous national, regional, and state festivals under his direction.
Moore himself has served on the MSHSAA Music Advisory Committee and as district president of the MMEA Northeast and East Central Districts. He has also served as lead trombone judge for the All-State Band auditions since 2001 and as an adjudicator and band clinician for many years, all of which helped make him a prime candidate to join the team of educators for the Swinney Conservatory of Music at Central.
“Chuck is the perfect puzzle piece for what we need – enticing more students to come to CMU,” said Dr. Melissa Simons, chair of the division of fine and performing arts. “He is well-known around the state and has an amazing reputation not only for the quality of his bands, but for the students that have worked with him. If you go to any school, they recognize his name, and I think that’s going to be an incredible recruiting factor for us.”
It’s a fitting, full-circle narrative for Moore, whose own connection to Prof. House through the recruiting cycle is what brought him to Central in the first place. Moore says he visited campus while in high school, and while his educational path took him first to the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri, the impression left by House stuck with him and made the eventual move to Central an easy choice. Now, he finds himself “saying the same phrases that Keith House said to us” as he teaches.
“They weren’t just music things; they were profound bits of wisdom that just stick with you,” Moore said of the so-called House-isms. “The one I probably use most is ‘Never louder than lovely.’ The kids at any age can really relate to it.”
Moore’s musical connection to Central goes back even further than House, in fact. He credits his high school teachers for being influential in shaping his future, including his choir director and English teacher, Central alumni Dave Goodwin and wife A.B. Goodwin, both class of 1958. His deep roots within the CMU community and connections to other music alumni make him the ideal candidate for such a pressure-packed job.
“Our alumni are very excited. We’ve had lots of them reach out to us and tell us how excited they are to have heard the news,” said Simons. “Chuck has great knowledge of who we are and what we provide. I think knowledge is power, so that is going to help a lot.”
Moore – alongside his wife, Natalie, whom he met at Central and is who set to join the Glasgow school district as a vocal music teacher – is ready to get to work in Fayette this summer. He is set to serve as a guest conductor at the 50th Annual Alumni Band event on June 14, and then will be hard at work shaping the bands for the fall semester and beyond.
“My wife and I are very excited to be back where our lives started together. My goal is to share many of the unique musical opportunities and wisdom, that were afforded to me as a student, with a new generation of students,” he said. “The music faculty is close-knit and incredibly supportive of one another and of the students, and I’m looking forward to being part of the team. I am elated to bring prospective students and families to campus so they can see who we are and experience the one-of-a-kind educational value that Central can provide.”
***
Central Methodist University fosters a diverse and caring community, empowering students to become lifelong learners, committed to academic excellence, prepared to engage in a complex world.