Get to Know McKay Humpherys
Get to know the members of the Salem Symphonic Winds through this series of mini-interviews! Don’t miss hearing all of the Salem Symphonic Winds musicians perform June 15th at 3:00pm during our performance of Return To Middle Earth with Festival Chorale Oregon.
McKay Humpherys
McKay Humpherys plays the trombone and has been playing with Salem Symphonic Winds since August of 2023.
McKay has been playing the trombone since middle school. In high school he advanced through auditions to play with three All-State Bands, and also performed at the Texas State Solo & Ensemble competition, earning Outstanding Performer his senior year. While attending Brigham Young University studying Computer Engineering, McKay performed with the Cougar Marching Band for 4 years as well as performed with the BYU Symphonic Band, and BYU Wind Symphony. McKay now works for Garmin in Salem as a Software Engineer while performing with Salem Symphonic Winds.
What do you enjoy the most about playing?
I enjoy both the challenge of learning new music, as well as the experience of creating music with others.
Do you have a favorite musical memory?
I was privileged to perform during the last concert of Dr. Seville while at BYU, and it was an amazing experience to be able to celebrate both his amazing tenure, and to play some really wonderful music.
Share a fun fact about yourself
I enjoy working on electronics projects, especially 3D printers, and have built several different printers over the last 10 years.
What is on your Spotify playlist or in your music library?
Honestly I listen to audiobooks more than music (basically anything and everything by Brandon Sanderson), but when I am listening to music it’s classical of some sort. My favorite piece is Má Vlast by Bedřich Smetana.
List three words to describe the Salem Symphonic Winds
Musical, Enthusiastic, Joyful
