What is School
Band All About? Wikipedia defines school band as… a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. This is a pretty good definition, if I say so myself. But band is much more than student musicians rehearsing and performing. They are a family that comes together for a common purpose. Sometimes that is to rehearse or perform, but many times other activities occur during school band (like social activities, parties, banquets, pep rallies, bus rides, lifelong friendships and just good times). Band teaches us to work together for a common goal, giving it our all when we are tired, exhausted, and seemingly cannot go any further we dig down deep and find a way to push forward.
I have been a band director for over 29 years and have taught hundreds of students, received many band awards, had students in all-state band, all-star bands, students in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade performing for millions, but never was I so proud of my students than on October 10, 2015 at the Southern Showcase Marching Invitational when we received the Challenge Cup for Best Overall Band in our Class. But it wasn’t the Challenge Cup that made me so proud of our seniors on the field representing our band but it was the way they reacted by sending out their classmate and fellow band member for 7 years. The finest young man you would ever meet but with a disability of autism. The seniors chose not to walk with him to accept the trophy but instead sent him on his own way encouraging and clapping for him all the way to the fifty yard line center stage to accept the most valuable piece of hardware they had received all year at competition. Only the Valley band students and parents knew what was going on because none of the other thousands of spectators knew of their classmate’s disability. Only we knew of his disability which gave our senior band members the ability to show us all WHAT BAND IS REALLY ABOUT. Band is about life and showing love and appreciation to others no matter who they are, where they come from, what color their skin may be or if they may have a disability.
I believe our children possess an ability to teach the adults life lessons also. Instead of we adults worrying about the future of our world maybe we need to handle the present because it looks like to me the youth has the future under control.--
Shannon Chandler, Band Director Valley High School
ala breve
Notewor th y
Pictured are Alabama band directors in attendance at the Pizitz Middle School performance during the 2015 Midwest Clinic in Chicago. The Pizitz Band is directed by Kim Bain and Leah Seng.
Jon Bubbett, Thompson High School (3rd from left) presenting the clinic session, Tips, Tricks, and
Techniques at the 2015 Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Pictured along with Jon are co-presenters Brandon Crawford, John Cisetti and Jim Cude.
The All-National Honor Ensembles performed during the NAfME National Conference in Nashville, October 25-28, 2015
Alabama students selected to the All-National Ensembles:
Carrie Ciecierski, Dothan High School Ben Cooper, Austin High School Hannah Love, Saraland High School Devan Payne, Austin High School
Lian Remley, Shades Valley High School 31
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