One student’s passion for music was made possible through scholarships like those you can support on Day of Giving.

The whole crowd fell silent as Edward Dylan Torres made his way to the 50-yard line of the football field at Jones AT&T Stadium, trumpet in hand.

He was donned in the iconic Goin’ Band from Raiderland uniform of Texas Tech University, featuring red and white scrolls on the swooping cutaways of the white jacket. This was complemented by a flowing black cape reminiscent of the original matador-style outfits from the 1920s, and a distinctive black gaucho hat completed the signature look.

“I was very nervous,” recalled Torres with a big smile. “It was a special show, and I had the honor of being the soloist for it.”

This was not just any performance; it was the Centennial Halftime Show. The band brought the centennial to life with songs performed throughout the university’s history in a special three-movement performance worthy of 100 years of Red Raider tradition.

A moment of silence followed the powerful sound of the full band finishing the opening measures of Journey’s 1981 hit song, “Open Arms.” 

Next came the moment he had been waiting for – without a microphone, just his instrument and months of preparation. Torres took a deep breath, raised his trumpet to his lips and began.

The high notes from his trumpet were the only sound in the stadium as he performed the lead solo during one of the band’s biggest performances of the year. 

“I knew I had it down, but it was still very nerve-racking to me,” Torres said. “It was a big solo where I played something, and the band had to respond. It was such a fun experience, one of the most memorable I’ll ever have in the Goin’ Band.”

There is no doubt this special moment was made possible by countless hours of practice, passionate dedication to his craft and innate talent. However, Torres also credits the support of mentors, professors and scholarships like the Goin’ Band Association Regents Scholarship Endowment for helping him get to where he is today – support donors like you can help provide on Texas Tech Day of Giving.

Finding His Cadence

Born in Hereford, Texas, Torres comes from a close-knit family. He is the youngest of four siblings and is the only boy.

“I like to say I have four moms,” Torres said lovingly.

All three of his sisters participated in the high school band growing up, but Torres initially did not have ambitions of becoming a musician.

“When I was little, my sisters would always be playing music on the stereo,” Torres said, laughing. “But I would sneak in and turn it off. I hated music. I don’t know why.” 

However, his perspective shifted when he was in fifth grade and his family moved to Lubbock. 

He entered Texas Tech’s University Interscholastic League competition for memorizing musical pieces and joined the school choir shortly after. As a sixth grader at Terra Vista Middle School, he auditioned for the beginning band using one of his sister’s trumpets. From then on, he played throughout middle school, where he continued developing his talent and passion for music. 

By the time he entered Frenship High School, Torres was looking for a new challenge. He joined the marching band that year. 

“They had a very competitive marching program,” Torres said. “I did all four years there, and I was a section leader in that.”

After graduating from high school, Torres knew he would go to college but did not know what he wanted to major in. All he knew was he loved music. 

Torres began his jazz performance degree at South Plains College (SPC); however, one aspect of his college experience was lacking: marching band.

Living in the Texas Panhandle, and later in Lubbock, Torres was always a Texas Tech fan. 

“When I lived in Hereford, all my friends were UT (University of Texas) fans,” Torres said. “There was an NCAA football game we would play on PlayStation. My friends would always choose UT Austin, but I would always choose Texas Tech.”

With his longstanding affinity for Texas Tech, coupled with his love for marching band, Torres decided to transfer to Texas Tech and audition for the Goin’ Band. 

Torres was accepted into the Jazz Studies Program at the Texas Tech School of Music in the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts.

While his transfer to Texas Tech was a breeze, the auditions for Goin’ Band left him feeling nervous. 

“I had never done an audition like that,” Torres said. “It was online, and it was nerve-racking.”

While Torres had several takes to get the challenging pieces correct, he worried that the quality of the audio might jeopardize his opportunity to join the band. However, a few weeks later, Torres received a sigh of relief that calmed his nerves – an email congratulating him on his acceptance into the band. 

“I got the email, and I told everyone I knew,” Torres said with a beaming smile, mimicking holding his phone out to show his friends. “I was like, ‘Look! I’m going to be in the Goin’ Band!’”

Life at Allegro

While Torres was thrilled to be accepted into Goin’ Band, he quickly discovered the significant commitment it would require. Although Goin’ Band is a requirement for music education degrees, many students like Torres join solely out of a love for music and the community, driven by their passion for it. 

“I’ve always been struck by the fact that he doesn’t have to do it,” said Kevin Whalen, an associate professor of trumpet and jazz studies and Torres’ studio instructor. “He does it because he loves it so much.”

This represents an additional time commitment to their school schedule, which can be demanding. Besides the requirements for his major – class load, jazz band and jazz combo for soloists – participating in the Goin’ Band includes practice from Monday to Friday, attending all Texas Tech games, and performing at pep rallies, official athletic events and individual leadership events. 

For Torres, these individual obligations are not where he stops. He believes an important part of this community is mentorship and chooses to volunteer his time to be a leader to the younger students in the college and band. 

“I feel like I could be a role model for some people,” Torres said. “I feel like being able to show them, ‘Hey, this is what a leader would look like, this is how the music goes, this is how the drill should be.’ Being that type of person for those students feels like it’ll help build them into the same type of person for the next generation of students.” 

Torres has a full plate, yet Whalen is not surprised that his spare time is devoted to helping others. With Torres’ exceptional musical talent, dedication to his craft, and kindness and humility, Whalen could not imagine a better individual to serve as a mentor and leader for younger students.

“He is a leader and featured soloist because of the way he plays his trumpet, and all the young students look up to him because he’s such an exceptionally gifted trumpet player,” Whalen said. “But he’s also a really nice and genuine young man. He’s humble, he works hard, and he shows up prepared. All the students in our trumpet studio and jazz area look up to him because he plays some of the hardest stuff that you have to play, but they also get together with him, and they just practice together, and he gives us his time to do that.”

From Dissonance to Consonance

Beyond the considerable time commitment that Torres willingly makes to the Goin' Band, his college and his classmates, there is another type of commitment required of these dedicated students – a financial one. 

Being part of this beloved Texas Tech tradition comes with its costs. Not only must students pay a class fee and a lab fee to be a part of the Goin’ Band, but they also face several other expenses, such as band apparel, uniform rentals, instrument rentals and more. These costs can pose a financial burden for students pursuing their passion. 

To compensate, Torres, similar to many other students, must work to offset the expenses of participating.

“I work night shifts at a part-time job,” Torres said. “This is when I would normally do homework and finish projects. It does take a lot more effort because I don’t have that time during the day or evening to complete it.”

Torres recalled a time when he was particularly affected by this reality.

One day, as he was preparing for Goin’ Band rehearsal – opening his trumpet case and warming up his instrument – he logged into his RaiderLink and checked his e-bill. Right there, in the middle of his phone, he was faced with a harsh truth: a message stated, “amount due: $1,000.

“I didn't know how I was going to pay at the time,” Torres said, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. “With my part time job, it would have taken three months to even earn that much money.”

The $1,000 bill continued to weigh on his mind throughout practice, taking his mind off what he loved and what he was there to do.

During a break in rehearsal, Andrew J. Stetson, director of the School of Music, and Whalen, called Torres up to the front. Thanks to scholarship support, the rest of Torres’ tuition was covered. 

“I immediately checked my e-bill, and it was zeroed out,” Torres said with relief. “I felt very grateful and emotional that they would be so generous to consider me. They told me that they were observing the hard work that I was putting into everything, and that made me feel very proud and excited to do even more.” 

From Solo to Ensemble

Torres’ experience is exactly why the Goin' Band Association has made scholarship support a cornerstone of its mission for student success. 

As the Goin’ Band celebrates its centennial this year, it is looking to the future with new goals to support student success. In the long term, the association hopes to provide enough scholarships for every Goin’ Band member through its endowment to help cover the additional expenses that students face.

“Many students wouldn’t be at Texas Tech if they didn’t have scholarship support,” said Whalen. “There is no shortage of students who want to study music at Texas Tech, and scholarships are incredibly important and necessary for them to attend. The scholarships aren’t just a pat on the back; they’re paramount to everything we do.” 

For Torres, the scholarships he received from the Goin’ Band Association and others represent much more than just financial relief. These scholarships have transformed his educational journey, enabling him to concentrate on his education and passion instead of financial barriers. Looking ahead, Torres envisions multiple paths made possible by his education.

“If I follow the music education path, I’d love to teach private lessons or at a high school,” says Torres. “If I take the performance route, my dream is to be a professional jazz player like Wayne Bergeron, who plays lead trumpet for famous movies and studios. I’d love to do something like that.”

Torres also emphasized the broader impact of scholarship support. Every gift helps students realize their full potential. 

“I was thankful for the extra support,” Torres said. “Scholarships have helped me out so much. They provide support for a lot of people who would maybe not be able to attend due to finances. They incentivize so many people to apply and come to Texas Tech.”

How You Can Make an Impact

The 2025 Texas Tech Day of Giving will occur on March 25-26. To make a donation to the Goin’ Band Association Regents Scholarship Endowment of Texas Tech University or for more information on Texas Tech’s Day of Giving opportunities, please visit the Day of Giving website.