Ģ������Ƶ

The experiences that shape students at Ģ������Ƶ don't always end when they leave campus. Some become lasting connections to the university and to the people who shared those experiences with them.

For Keith ’67/’74 and Glynn ’67 Bartels, music was one of those lasting connections. Keith's involvement in music at SDSU helped strengthen his relationship with the university, while Glynn's experience as a member of The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band gave her a lifelong affinity with the program. That connection continued through their daughters, Whitney ’97 and Kristin ’92, who also performed with The Pride.

The family’s shared experiences have solidified the couple’s belief that music and The Pride can give students a strong sense of belonging at SDSU.

After decades of giving back to SDSU’s music programs, Keith and Glynn’s philanthropy has culminated in an investment in the future of The Pride of the Dakotas. The couple has funded the Keith and Glynn Bartels Endowed Director of Athletic Bands. The university currently has commitments in place for 70 endowed faculty positions; of those 70 total commitments, 13 support the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The couple’s endowment provides a permanent source of support for the leadership and continued growth of The Pride of the Dakotas, while recognizing the role the program has played in the lives of generations of students. With the perpetual funding from the endowment, the holder of the endowed directorship is empowered to prioritize the group’s greatest needs and address challenges as they emerge.

For Keith, the investment is rooted not only in his own experience as an SDSU student but also in how he’s witnessed The Pride grow and progress over the years. Though he wasn’t a member of The Pride himself and sang with The Statesmen instead, he holds a great deal of nostalgia for the marching band. One of Keith’s favorite State moments comes at the end of each home football game, when the team joins arm in arm on the field and sings along as The Pride performs “The Yellow and Blue” — a tradition that brings him goosebumps.

For Glynn, the couple’s gift is a nod to her time in the band as a student. Playing the flute, she was a part of The Pride’s milestone performance at a Vikings game her senior year. Now, she’s giving back to serve her overall goal of enhancing the entire music program for Jackrabbits.

Keith and Glynn’s gift builds on their longstanding commitment to SDSU beyond just music and performing arts, with ongoing support for students, facilities and academic programs across the university and across campus, as well as decades of time and service to State.

Kevin Kessler, who has led The Pride since 2015, has been named the inaugural holder of the position. It’s an especially fitting arrangement, with Kessler having performed in The Pride with Keith and Glynn’s daughter, Whitney, during his undergrad career.

Kessler ’98 earned his Bachelor of Music Education from SDSU, where he studied trumpet and conducting. He earned his Master of Music from the American Band College of Southern Oregon University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in band conducting with a minor in music education from the University of Iowa.

Before coming to SDSU, Kessler spent 14 years as a band director in the Brandon Valley School District, where his concert and marching bands consistently earned top rankings and ratings at regional and national contests.

After years of building successful band programs and more than a decade leading The Pride of the Dakotas, Kessler now has additional resources and flexibility to respond to the needs of the program, expanding opportunities for students and strengthening the band's future through performance opportunities and equipment and infrastructure enhancements.

“Keith and Glynn have been extraordinary supporters of our work for many years, and this endowed position represents yet another transformative investment of theirs at SDSU,” said David Reynolds, director of the School of Performing Arts. “Their generosity brings online a significant new resource base that will be key to ensuring The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band lives up to its name, status and potential for years to come.”

For Kessler, the position is both an honor and a responsibility to the generations of directors, students and supporters who built the program before him.

“We are not where we are now without the incredible people before me,” he explained. “This endowment is an acknowledgement of 137 years of serving students and audiences.”

The endowment comes at a period of significant growth and momentum for the School of Performing Arts. Alongside historic retirements and transitions, major performances and national recognition for The Pride of the Dakotas, the Bartelses’ investment reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunities for students.

“All of this is an indication of first, spectacular students, because that’s where it all starts,” Kessler said. “Those students are then being cared for and instructed by really spectacular leadership and faculty.”

Kessler said the couple’s investment provides both opportunity and responsibility.

“Our gratitude to Keith and Glynn is boundless … there are not enough thank yous,” he emphasized. “Now, we have to do them proud.”