Tag Archives: Music Teachers

Thirteen Remarkable Band Directors Lead Their Student Musicians to the Tournament of Roses Parade

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Happy New Year, everybody! One of my favorite activities of New Year’s Day is to watch the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, whether in person or by telecast. Since I was born in Pasadena, this unique, flower-inspired parade has always been very special to me. I have many happy childhood memories of standing on the curb on Colorado Boulevard to watch the spectacular floats, outstanding bands, and wonderful equestrian groups march by. This year, I was especially impressed with the many talented high school bands that participated in this marvelous parade. Let’s pay tribute to them!

IMG_0113[1]The Hawaii All State Marching Band Na Koa Alii is one of the most impressive high school bands in this year’s parade. This three-hundred-ninety-five-member band is comprised of student musicians from forty different public and private schools representing the state of Hawaii. I truly enjoyed the talented Native Hawaiian dancers that accompanied this impressive band. The massive group gathered under the expert leadership of Managing Director John R. Riggle, who was the band director at Kamehameha Schools from 1977 until his retirement in 2009, and Lead Music Director Kerry Wasano, current band director at Maui High School in Kahului, Hawaii. Kerry is in his fifteenth year at Maui High School, where he conducts the Concert, Symphonic, Marching, and Pep Bands. He graduated from Maui High School in 1989, completed the requirements for his bachelor’s degree in music in 1996 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and earned his teaching certificate in secondary education in 1998. Aloha!

JHS-Band-News_2-300x200[1]Equally impressive was the Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School Marching Band from San Antonio, Texas, directed by Jarrett Lipman. Jarrett graduated magna cum laude with dual degrees in music education and euphonium performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. In this young school’s five-year history, Jarrett has led his two-hundred-nineteen-member band to earn both state and national recognition, having been named a finalist in the University Interscholastic League State Marching Band Contest in 2012, and having placed eighth at the Bands of America Grand National in 2011. They have also garnered the Winterguard International Scholastic Open Silver Medal in 2013, and the Texas Colorguard Circuit Scholastic Open Gold Medal in 2013.  The most amazing feature of the Johnson High School Band is their inclusion of acrobats, a first for the Tournament of Roses Parade! Well done, Johnson Jags!

img_0090[1]Then there was Band Director Kevin Long leading the very colorful two-hundred-forty-nine-member Liberty High School Grenadier Band from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Kevin is himself a 1981 graduate of Liberty High, and earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1985. He has been his alma mater’s band director since 1990. When I watched this band, I truly enjoyed  the authentic kilts, not to mention the twenty-two bagpipers, which sounded every bit as impressive as a four-hundred strong “mass bands” at Highland Games! The Grenadier Band musicians wear the exact uniform of the Coldstream Guards of the official band of Queen Elizabeth of England. The bagpipers wear the uniform of Her Majesty’s Scots Guard Pipers. Eighty of the musicians wear genuine bearskin hats, and the pipers all wear traditional feather bonnets. The majorettes wear a uniform inspired by highland dress and a Guards musician’s tunic. Very nice, Grenadiers!

Dobyns-Bennett-Quartet-2014-tn[1]Lafe Cook directed the Dobyns-Bennett High School Marching Indian Band from Kingsport, Tennessee. Lafe is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he served as the drum major for the Southland Marching Band. He is a former president of the Tennessee Bandmasters Association and a former member of the Board of Directors for the National Band Association. This gifted educator is also a four-time recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence, and he was recently honored by the John Philip Souza Foundation as a Sudler Flag of Honor Laureate. Lafe has been at Dobyns-Bennett High School for eleven of the sixteen years he has served as a band director. His talented group of student musicians can boast numerous achievements. They were named a Band of America Regional Finalist, a Band of America Grand Nationals Semifinalist, a Western Carolina University “Tournament of Champions” Grand Champion, a Middle Tennessee State University “Contest of Champions” Grand Champion, and a Tennessee State Marching Band Champion. This impressive three-hundred-fifty-member group also performed in President Barack Obama’s 2013 Inaugural Parade.

cv0710-616_WHS_t670[1]Then, of course, there was the two-hundred-seventy-five-member Westfield High School Marching Bulldogs from Chantilly, Virginia, directed by Stephen Panoff. “It’s just exhilarating — a bucket-list achievement for a band director,” Stephen expressed. “It’s one of those iconic moments you hope for, and I’m thrilled for the kids.” This thirty-year veteran teacher and band director earned his bachelor’s degree in both math and music from The College of William and Mary in 1983, and his master’s degree in music teacher education from Shenandoah University in 1998. Stephen’s talented students have been recognized as a Virginia Honor Band nine times, and they have been named an International Music Festival Grand Champion. The group has also earned the title of  NYC Big Apple Music Festival Grand Champion. Way to go, Bulldogs!

1508550_10152491680393626_867753605_n[1]Another impressive group was the two-hundred-eight-member Rosemount High School Irish Marching Band from Rosemount, Minnesota, directed by music educators Leon Sieve, Steve Olsen, and Bojan Hoover. Leon Sieve earned his bachelor’s degree in  music education from South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, in 1993, and his master’s degree from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon, in 2005. Steve Olsen  earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and his master’s degree in music education from the University of Minnesota. Bojan Hoover, a third year teacher, earned his bachelor’s degree in  music education and music performance from the University of Minnesota. Like the other bands that marched in this year’s Rose Parade, Rosemount students can boast an impressive list of achievements. Several times they have been named  Minnesota State Marching Band Champions, Minnesota State Fair Parade Grand Champions, Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional Class AAA Champions, and Band of America St. Louis Super Regional Finalists. Well done, Irish!

With thirteen remarkable high school bands participating in the Rose Parade, it isn’t possible to fit them all into one blog post. But don’t worry about anyone being left out! Tomorrow, I’ll write about the other remarkable high school band directors and their impressive students who were chosen for the honor.

The Power Couple of Music: Distinguished Teachers Roland and Almita Vamos

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Roland and Almita Vamos are a talented husband and wife team who are considered among the most prominent violin and viola  instructors in the entire world. Their students have become accomplished soloists, members of world-renowned chamber groups and orchestras, and laureates of many prestigious international competitions. The musical couple has been recognized at the White House seven times. Both husband and wife have been named Distinguished Teachers by the National Endowment of the Arts. They have also been honored by the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) with the Distinguished Service Award, and showcased on CBS television show Sunday Morning News.

Both Roland and Almita attended the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York City. There Roland studied with Oscar Shumsky and William Lincer, and Almita studied with Mischa Mischakoff and Louis Persinger.

Roland and Almita are members of the faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago and at Northwestern University. Prior to teaching at Northwestern, they were on faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The talented teachers are also the co-founders of the Weathersfield Summer Music Festival in Weathersfield, Vermont. The festival, inaugurated in 1993, offers an opportunity for serious students of all ages to study intensively for six weeks in an enthusiastic and supportive atmosphere through private lessons, master classes, and performance opportunities.

Talented and Dedicated Band Directors Lead Students in 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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ss-131128-macys-tease.photoblog600[2]While enjoying today’s broadcast of the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I was struck by how many amazing high school bands were selected to perform in this celebrated event. This was the first year I have actually watched the parade all the way to the end, and, at its conclusion, I decided to share some information about the gifted and dedicated educators who have devoted their expertise to serve as band directors for these groups of talented young people.

Joel Denton led the Ooltewah High School Band from Ooltewah, Tennessee. Joel earned his bachelor’s of science in music education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Joel has served as chairman of the Fine Arts Department at Ooltewah from 1982 to the  present, and as the choral director from 1993 to 1997. This talented educator was selected as the  Ooltewah Teacher of the Year in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2011 and the Beta  Club Teacher of the Year in 1995. The Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts  has twice honored him for outstanding teaching and mentoring. He is active as an adjudicator, clinician, and consultant for bands throughout  the nation.

Band director Kevin Ford led the Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble. This group hails from Tarpon Springs, Florida. Kevin is the director of The Leadership Conservatory for The Arts at Tarpon Springs High School, and has been nationally recognized as an accomplished show designer for the past twenty-five years. This gifted educator has been a teacher in the public school system for eighteen years, all of which have been spent as the director of bands at Tarpon Springs High School. Kevin earned his bachelor of arts in music education from the University of Florida.

Directing the Union High School Renegade Regiment from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was Matthew McCready. Matthew, an eight-year veteran educator, graduated from the University of Kansas, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. While attending KU, this hardworking educator served as the assistant director of both the men’s and women’s basketball bands during the 100th year anniversary of Kansas basketball. During those years he was also selected to perform in the Walt Disney World All-American College Band. In addition to teaching, Matthew devotes his time to being a musician, adjudicator, clinician, and conductor.

Band director Greg Snyder led the Lakota West High School Marching Firebirds from West Chester, Ohio. Greg has been director of bands in the Lakota Local School District since 1987. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education degree from Bowling Green State University and his master’s degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. Most impressively, this talented director was inducted into the elite ranks of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA) in 2007.

Directing the Marian Catholic High School Band from Chicago Heights, Illinois, was Greg Bimm. Greg, who has taught for thirty-six years at Marian Catholic, earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from Illinois State University, his master’s from Western Illinois University, and his doctorate from VanderCook College of Music. Greg has received five National Band Association Citations of Excellence and the NBA Certificate of Merit. He was named the 1983 national winner of the ASBDA Stanbury award for young band directors, and received the Sudler Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 1991 and 1997. Most recently, this remarkable educator served as a member of the teaching staff for the Bands of America Honor Band that appeared in the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade.

Leading the Concord Community High School Marching Minutemen from Elkhart, Indiana, was gifted and talented band director Scott Spradling. This is the fifth appearance of the Minutemen in the Macy’s Parade. What is so impressive about Scott’s music program is that the Performing Arts Department at Concord High School involves approximately half of the school’s 1500 students in their course offerings of marching band, concert band, jazz band, pep band, string orchestra, symphony orchestra, choir, piano, dance, and AP music theory.

Director of Bands Scott Burgener led the Mountain View High School Toro Marching Band from Meza, Arizona. Scott has been a high school band director in Arizona since 1993, and has taught at Mountain View since 1999. This dedicated teacher holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in instrumental music education from Arizona State University. Scott has been honored with the Champion of the Arts Award by the West Valley Fine Arts Council, and in 2006, he was chosen as one of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” by School Band and Orchestra (SBO) Magazine. In 2009, he was recognized with AMEA’s George C. Wilson Leadership/Service Award.

Also making an appearance in the parade was Macy’s Great American Marching Band, comprised of students from all fifty states. These amazing student musicians rehearse together for only one week prior to the parade. This band was led by Dr. Jon Woods from the Ohio State University and Dr. Richard D. Good from Auburn University.

Chalkboard champions, all!

Hollywood Actress Dee Green Takes Center Stage as Beloved Music and Choir Teacher

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g2e22e201a0004e53a615765e863ab4ebf8422bf84baa13c98654927754[1][1]Often times talented educators achieve success in fields other than education. One such educator was Delores Mae Green, who is better known as Dee Green. Dee was a beloved music and choir teacher who was also an acclaimed actress. In Hollywood, her claim to fame is that she worked with the Three Stooges, and she is well-known for playing the part of one of Shemp’s potential brides. She was the plain, tall, and fawning Miss Fanny Dinkelmeyer in the comedy short Brideless Groom. She also portrayed the homely and unattractive fiance in I’m a Monkey’s Uncle and the daughter of King Rootintootin’ in Mummy’s Dummies. Dee was born on November 16, 1916, in Peoria, Illinois. After her career in show business, she earned her master’s degree in music. She taught music and choir classes at Peoria Heights Grade School in Peoria Heights, Illinois, in the 1960’s. Throughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s she taught Language Arts and Drama at Roosevelt Junior High, which is now known as Rockford Alternative Middle School, in Rockford, Illinois. She produced annual events, including a production of Babes in Toyland and numerous elaborate Christmas pageants that included every student in the school. Dee inspired more than one student to pursue a career in theater, some of whom eventually earned success on Broadway in New York. She was often described by her students as kind and generous, and a woman of great courage, talent, and vision. This amazing chalkboard champion passed away on April 24, 1985.

Zitkala Sa: The Music Teacher Who Became a Political Activist and the Champion of the American Indian

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portrait[1]One of the most amazing chalkboard champions and political activists in American history is Native American Zitkala Sa, whose Indian name translated means Red Bird.

This remarkable educator was born on February 22, 1876, on the Yankton Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Her father, an American of European descent, abandoned his family, leaving his young daughter to be raised alone by her Native American mother. Despite her father’s absence, Zitkala Sa described her childhood on the reservation as a time of freedom and joy spent in the loving care of her tribe.

In 1884, when she was just eight years old, missionaries visited the reservation and removed several of the Native American children, including Zitkala Sa, to Wabash, Indiana. There she was enrolled in White’s Manual Labor Institute, a school founded by Quaker Josiah White for the purpose of educating “poor children, white, colored, and Indian.” She attended the school for three years until 1887, later describing her life there in detail in her autobiography The School Days of an Indian Girl. In the book she described her despair over having been separated from her family, and having her heritage stripped from her as she was forced to give up her native language, clothing, and religious practices, and to cut her long hair, a symbolic act of shame among Native Americans. Her deep emotional pain, however, was somewhat brightened by the joy and exhilaration she felt in learning to read, write, and play the violin. Zitkala Sa became an accomplished musician.

After completing her secondary education in 1895, the young graduate enrolled at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, on a scholarship. The move was an unusual one, because at that time higher education for women was not common. In 1899, Zitkala Sa accepted a position as a music teacher at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Here she became an important role model for Native American children who, like herself, had been separated from their families and relocated far from their home reservations to attend an Indian boarding school. In 1900, the young teacher escorted some of her students to the Paris Exposition in France, where she played her violin in public performances by the school band. After she returned to the Carlisle School, Zitkala Sa became embroiled in a conflict with the Carlisle’s founder, Colonel Richard Henry Pratt, when she expressed resentment over the rigid program of assimilation into the dominant white culture that Pratt advocated, and the fact that the school’s curriculum did not encourage Native American children to aspire to anything beyond lives spent as manual laborers.

As a political activist, Zitkala Sa devoted her energy and talent towards the improvement of the lives of her fellow Native Americans. She founded the National Council of American Indians in 1926 and served as its president until her death in 1938. She traveled around the country delivering speeches on controversial issues such as Native American enfranchisement, their full citizenship, Indian military service in World War I, corruption in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the apportionment of tribal lands. In 1997 she was selected as a Women’s History Month Honoree by the National Women’s History Project.

Zitkala Sa: a national treasure and a genuine chalkboard champion.

If interested, you can read more about the Carlisle Indian School in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available from amazon.