Tag Archives: Music Teachers

Old-time singing cowboy became a CA music teacher

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Many times talented entertainers find their way into classrooms, influencing impressionable young minds to pursue similar interests in the performing arts. One of these was Ernest “Skeeter” Hubbert, a singing cowboy who became a popular music educator in Riverside, California.

Ernest was born on July 10, 1924, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was musically gifted as a child, and when he grew up, he studied at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music and the Sorbonne in France. Eventually he enrolled at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he earned his Master’s degree in Music.

In the mid-1930s, Ernest landed a position in the band of Stuart Hamblen, and he also played rhythm guitar and trumpet on commercial recordings with Texas Jim Lewis. When WWII erupted, Ernest formed his own group of Western musicians which he dubbed Skeeter Hubert and his Cowboys. The Standard Transcriptions Company created approximately 40 recording with this group. These recording received widespread national airplay, earning Ernest a reputation for being the most popular singing cowboy on the air. In addition to performances as a musician, he also worked as an extra in many Western movies.

After the war was won, Ernest earned a living teaching music and directing choral groups in the Los Angeles area. Eventually he relocated to the city of Riverside, located in Southern California’s Inland Empire. There he accepted positions as a music teacher, first at Chemawa Junior High School, and then at Matthew Gage Junior High School. Next he taught music at Alcott Elementary School for two years before returning to Gage. He also directed civic choral groups in the area. Eventually, the former singing cowboy retired from the teaching profession.

Ernest passed away on Oct. 12, 1989. He was 75 years old. But the impact he made on young student musicians lives on to this day. To read more about Ernest “Skeeter” Hubbert, click on this link to an article written about him from his former student, Steve Lech, published on Dec. 18, 2022, in the Press Enterprise.

Educator Della Watson earns recognition from Humanities Texas

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High school English teacher Della Watson (at right) has earned a coveted Outstanding Teacher Award from Humanities Texas. Photo Credit: Humanities Texas

It is always a pleasure to share stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Della Watson, an English teacher and music educator from Paducah, Texas. She has earned a coveted 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Humanities Texas.

Della teaches English, Reading, and Band at Paducah High School since 2018. She has also taught music education and choir at the junior high school level. In all, her career has spanned 15 years.

The honored educator is obviously views teaching as her calling. “I believe that learning should be engaging and fun for students so that they look forward to coming to class,” asserts Della. “I do my best to ensure that all of my students have many opportunities to succeed. Students very rarely fail my class, as I believe that if they fail, I have failed at doing my job, which is to teach all of my students,” she continues.

Clearly, Della has earned the respect of her colleagues. “[Ms. Watson] goes above and beyond what is expected because she deeply cares about her students and their learning, especially in the area of the humanities,” says Gary Whitman, Superintendent of Paducah Independent School District. “She connects with her students and causes them to enjoy learning as she makes it fun and exciting,” Whitman continues.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Della volunteers at Mel Mel’s Boutique. The boutique, a local business created in memory of a former Paducah student, earns funds to pay for scholarships for seniors from Paducah High School and nearby communities.

Della earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1990 and her Master’s degree in Education, English, and English as a Second Language, both from West Texas A&M University.

As part of her honors from Humanities Texas, Della received a $5,000 bonus, with an additional $1,000 going to her school to support further excellence in the instruction of the humanities.

 

Exceptional music educators lead students in 2022 Macy’s Parade

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Once again, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year has wowed spectators, both in person and on television, including me! After watching the talented high school musicians who performed in the annual spectacular, I am always left in awe of the superlative music educators who prepared their students for this event. Here is a little about each of these educators.

 

The Carmel Marching Greyhounds, Director Chris Kreke

Director of Bands Chris Kreke led the Carmel Marching Greyhounds in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: Jacob Musselman

The Carmel High School Marching Greyhounds from Carmel, Indiana, made their second appearance in the parade, this one under the direction of Director Chris Kreke. Chris earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Ball State University in 1995 and his Master’s degree in Music Technology from Indiana University in 2000.

The Marching Greyhounds garnered the Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Champion Award five times, and was a Grand National Finalist a whopping 24 times. They were named the BOA Super Regional Champion six times and the BOA Regional Champion 17 times. At the state level, the Marching Greyhounds are five-time ISSMA State Champions and have made State Finals for 30 years. The 300-member group made their previous appearance in the Macy’s Parade in 2011, and they also performed in the Rose Parade in 2014 and the London New Year’s Parade in 2004.

The Bourbon County High School Marching Colonels, Director Michael Stone

The Bourbon County Marching Colonels under the direction of  Michael Stone appeared in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: Bourbon County High School

The 100-member Bourbon County High School Marching Colonels marched in the parade under the leadership of Director of Bands Michael Stone. This was the first Macy’s Parade appearance for the group, who hail from Paris, Kentucky. Michael earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2014 and his Master’s degree in Music Education in 2017, both from Eastern Kentucky University. In 2020, Michael was named the Phi Beta Mu Young Bandmaster of the Year in Kentucky.

Under Michael’s leadership, the Marching Band won the 2018 KMEA Class AAA State Championship and the 2018 and 2019 Bands of America Class A National Championship in his first year as Director. What an accomplishment!

Vandergrift High School Viper Marching Band, Director Katie VanDoren

Also appearing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was the Vandergrift High School Viper Marching Band from Leander, Texas, under the direction of Katie VanDoren. Photo credit: Four Points News

Director of Bands Katie VanDoren led the 300-member Vandergrift High School Viper Marching Band from Leander, Texas, in the parade. Katie has been teaching at Vandegrift since 2014. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She is currently in her sixth year at Vandegrift High School and her seventh year of teaching high school band.

Their selection for the Macy’s Parade is just the most recent honor the Vandergrift Vipers have earned. The group garnered first place in the 2022 UIL State Marching Band Contest held in San Antonio. They also won the Bands of America Grand National Championships in 2019. The group also captured the Sudler Shield International Marching Band Award and won the Bands of America Regional Championships four times.

Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble, Director Kevin Ford

Appearing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was the Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble under the leadership of Director Kevin Ford. Photo Credit: Pinellas County Schools

Hailing from Tarpon Springs, Florida, the Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble under the leadership of Director Kevin Ford also appeared in the parade. Kevin is presently in his 28th year of teaching in the public school system. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Florida. He is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the Florida Bandmasters Association, the Pinellas County Music Educators Association, and he serves as a member of the Bands of America (BOA) Educational Advisory Board.

The 200-member Tarpon Springs group is making its second appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in under 10 years. The ensemble was featured in the 2013 parade. In addition to their selection in the Macy’s event, they were named the BOA Grand National Champions in 2014. The group was crowned BOA Division AA and AAA Class National Champions seven times.

Clovis North Educational Center Bronco Band and Color Guard, Director David Lesser

The Clovis North Educational Center Bronco Band and Color Guard under the leadership of Director of Bands David Lessing also appeared in the 2022 Macy’s Parade. Photo credit: YourCentralValley.com

And finally, Director of Bands David Lessing appeared with the Clovis North Educational Center Bronco Band and Color Guard from Fresno, California. David was honored in 2020 by the John Philip Sousa Foundation as a Legion of Honor Laureate. In 2006, he was recognized as one of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” by School Band and Orchestra (SBO) Magazine. In addition, he was the Fresno Madera County’s Music Educator Association Jazz Educator of the Year in 2005. This is David’s 22nd year of teaching.

The group has been named Western Band Association’s (WBA) Class or Grand Champions five times since 2010. This year’s appearance is the first time the 100-member Bronco group participated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Retired music educator and Idaho politician Jerry Shively

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Retired music educator Jerry Shively also served his community as an elected member of the Idaho State House of Representatives. Pictured here with his wife, Ann. Photo Credit: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Idaho Falls

Many fine classroom teachers have also served their community in public office. One of these was Jerry Shively, a high school music teacher who also served a two-year term in the Idaho House State of Representatives.

Jerry earned both his Bachelor’s degree and his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Idaho. Once he earned his degrees, Jerry taught music at first Idaho Falls High School and then Skyline High School. Later he accepted a position as the music coordinator of the Idaho Falls School System #91. After he retired from teaching, Jerry worked as a member of the staff of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Idaho Falls.

In 2007, Jerry was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent Idaho’s 33rd District in the Idaho State House of Representatives. He served there from 2008 to 2010.

In addition to his political work, Jerry was involved in numerous community organizations. He served as the President of the Idaho Music Educators Association from 1990 to 1992. He served as the President of both the Idaho Falls Arts Council and the Idaho Falls Rotary. He was also a Board member of the Idaho Falls Opera Theatre, The Idaho Falls Symphony, and Idaho Falls Community Concerts. Furthermore, he served as the Idaho Representative of the Arts Northwest Board.

Annelise Tedesco named Louisiana’s 2022 Teacher of the year

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Music educator Annelise Tedesco of Chalmette, Louisiana, has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Louisiana Life Magazine

There are many fine educators who support music education, and some of them have even earned recognition for their work in this area. One of these is Annelisse Tedesco, a music educator in Louisiana who has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Annelise currently teaches music and arts electives to students in grades 9-12 at Chalmette High School in Chalmette, Louisiana. Her career as a music educator has spanned 14 years, but she’s been employed at Chalmette since 2008. Annelise coaches many scholarship winners and award-winning soloists and ensembles in her work as the school’s Music Director.

Passionate about providing music education to underprivileged students, Annelise is the co-founder of the Performing Arts Academy, a district-wide program dedicated to in-depth training in the arts at little or no cost to the participants.

The honored educator says part of working with students is remembering that many things are going on in the students’ lives outside of the classroom, both at home and on social media. She asserts that leading by example is important, not just in teaching students the material, but also in teaching the students how to navigate in the world. “Shakespeare once wrote that all the world’s a stage,” she declares. “We’re teaching kids how to perform on the stage of life,” she concludes.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Annelise serves as the Educator Advisor to the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. With Donna Edwards, the current First Lady of Louisiana, the honored teacher serves as a vocal advocate for the importance of arts education in Louisiana schools.

As if all this were not enough, Annelise also works as a professional musician. She has collaborated with musicians from the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, where she was once designated a featured soprano soloist. She has also performed in Mahler for the Children of AIDS; Beethoven for the Indus Valley; as Hucklebee in The Fantasticks; as Annina in La Traviata; a summer season with Opera in the Ozarks; and two Carnegie Hall benefit concerts to raise funds and public awareness for pediatric AIDS patients and victims of the floods in Pakistan.

Annelise earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Loyola University, summa cum laude, and her teaching credential from the University of New Orleans.

To learn more about this remarkable educator, click on this link to an article about her published on nova.com.