David Goins’ trumpet has led him all over the world. He’s played in Taiwan and across Europe. He’s also played all around the U.S., including once for a Bush inauguration in Washington, D.C.
“My trumpet was my Willy Wonka ticket,” Goins said.
Goins grew up in Frankfort — he had what he needed, but there wasn’t a lot of extra money in his household.
“My dad never made it past the ninth grade,” he said. “My mom was the first of six to graduate from high school. My dad died my senior in high school.”
Goins graduated from Western Hills High School in 1990. He joined the band in middle school.
“I wanted to play the tuba like my older brother who went to Ohio State, but they convinced me to play the trumpet,” he said. “And, it stuck. If it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college.”
Goins said growing up, he was surrounded by local musicians willing to give him lessons. He said there were people from his church and Clayton Fugate — who was the band director at FHS in the 1960s — who gave him lessons.
“These people along the way, they saw something in me,” he said. “I was able to use that to go to college.”
Goins attended the University of Kentucky and obtained a bachelor’s degree in music education with trumpet performance. When he was 23 years old, he became the band director at Franklin County High School. He held that position for four years, before deciding to work for Sturm Insurance, so that he could have more free time to play his trumpet at various gigs.
“I worked for David Sturm. He was another one of my trumpet teachers when I was a kid.”
He played with the Louisville Orchestra and with the Saxton’s Cornet Band, which he now owns. The Saxton’s Cornet Band was a real band based out of Lexington in the late 1800s.
“We are playing 1860s brass band music,” Goins said. They also play instruments that are from that era.
The band’s music has been in numerous movies and TV shows, and the band members themselves have made a few appearances in those productions.
“We played in the movie ‘Gettysburg’ and another movie called ‘Killing Lincoln’ with Tom Hanks,” Goins said.
The band has four albums that can be streamed on any streaming service. Learn more about the band at www.saxtonscornetband.net. Goins also performs locally with the brass band, Crawdaddies.
After the economy crashed in the mid-2000s, Goins took an assistant band director job at Scott County High School working under director Tom Brawner. Together, he and Brawner directed a 300-member band.
In 2013, Goins became the music ministry director, after Roy Nance retired, at First United Methodist Church — a position he held for 11 years. During his tenure at the church, he started the Wesley Academy of Music — a project he holds close to his heart to this day.
“We give kids who have no money private lessons for free and they receive mentorship,” Goins said. “I’m trying to give back for all of those people who helped me. I’m tired of being a consumer. I’ve reached a point where, at whatever cost, I want to give back because I only have so many years left on God’s earth.”
Goins said he has had in upward of 70 kids apply for lessons at the academy each year. However, he can only accept 30.
“It costs $1,000 a kid to give lessons for a year,” he said. “They start after fall break and go through spring break.”
So, each year, Goins steps out to raise $30,000 to cover the fees to pay the instructors for the year.
“I find the best teachers from Frankfort. Some drive from Louisville and Lexington. They are world-class. Most have masters in their instruments.”
To be eligible to apply for lessons at the Wesley Academy of Music, students must be enrolled in one of the instrumental classes at their school. For more information about the academy, and to donate, visit www.wesleyacademyofmusic.org.
Another way Goins gives back to the community is through the Community Band, which he directs. The Community Band started in 1986 by local high school band directors at the time. It’s open to high school students and adults in the community. He said the current age range is 15-80. There are 40-60 members currently in the band.
“This is an avenue for adults to still play their instrument,” Goins said. “We want music to be a lifelong learning thing.”
Goins said he played in the Community Band when he was in high school and performed in the band’s first concert at the Old Capitol. He said in 2008, the band was so good, it was invited to perform at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Convention.
“The band sounded like a professional orchestra,” he said.
The band is a standard brass and wind band, Goins said. Instruments being played include clarinets, flutes, trumpets, trombomes, saxophones, percussion and more.
“We encourage anybody who wants to play, even if you haven’t played in 30 years, to join the band,” Goins said.
Goins plans for the band to have a fall concert and a Christmas concert. The learn more information about the Community Band, visit the Capital City Community Band Facebook page.
Along with directing the community band, Goins served as the Frankfort High School band director from 2022 through August of this year. He left the position for the Director of Bands position at Georgetown College — a job he said that will allow him “more time to spend with the Wesley Academy.”
As for Goins future in music, he hopes to expand on the things he already has in place, and he hopes to bring more musicians together.
For Gov. Andy Beshear’s inauguration parade in December 2023, Goins brought all three local high school marching bands together to perform in the parade.
“I want to see that keep going,” he said. “If we do that, I think we’re going to make a big difference in overall quality of life.”
Goins is married to Meredith Goins, who is the choral director for Frankfort Independent Schools. They have three children, Ava, a sophomore and French major and vocal minor, at the University of Kentucky; Alex, a FCHS junior who plays trombone in the band and is an All-State choir member; and Aaron, a FCHS freshman who plays saxophone in the band, guitar and is a member of the choir.
“And, they all play piano,” Goins said. “We don’t push them on it. They do what they want.
“It is my firm belief that people with a musical background have a happier life.”
It is also Goins’ belief that the music he plays helps to heal people.
He said that he had a professor in college that said, “You’re going to walk into a concert hall sometime and you’re going to be zoned out and there will be someone hurting in the audience, and you need to play like you’re the doctor — play with passion and empathy.
“You’re not just doing this for yourself. When you walk out on stage, you’re there to heal.”
