Meet F&C Scholar Aaron Huffman
Aaron Huffman, originally from Willard, MO, is a music education major at Missouri State University. Aaron works as the organ scholar for First & Calvary.
Aaron started out as a piano player in middle school. He says his mom, who is also a pianist-turned-organist, is one of his biggest influences: “When she was in college, she played piano and her piano teacher said, ‘you should take organ lessons.’ And she said, ‘why would I do that?’ but then she did and now she’s an organist. I was kind of the same way. I thought organ was really cool, so my mom suggested lessons. I started doing that, and it changed the course of my degree.”
Aaron’s plan for his career is to finish his bachelor’s degree, then go on for his master’s in organ performance. His ultimate goal is to teach organ at a university while also playing at a church. First & Calvary is giving him the exact experience he needs to achieve this goal.
Aaron’s primary duty at the church is assisting with Sunday morning music. Aaron says, “Every week, Jim gets together with Tyler and finds out what the hymns are. He’ll basically let me pick and choose what I get to play. This position is easing me into an organ job, so I know how to do it by myself.”
Having led a rich musical life, Aaron cites one of his greatest accomplishments as being chosen to march in a nation-wide honor band in 2022 as a baritone player. This band, made up of 300 top musicians in the nation, played in the Rose Parade. He says, “It was a wonderful experience.” Aaron has also been a part of MSU’s top wind ensemble since his freshman year, as well as the marching band and tuba euphonium quartet.
He says another one of his accomplishments is being chosen for his position at First & Calvary. His favorite thing about the church is its community: “I love how nice everyone is. After almost every week I’ll have someone from the congregation come up and say things like ‘oh, you did so good today; you’re doing such a great job.’ It’s a different person every week and it’s such a great feeling. I’m very grateful that I was given this opportunity to learn more.”