07/27/2017
A note to those of you who haven't heard yet, and a note to all of my band family.
Yesterday I had to do the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, as I stepped down from my position as Director of Bands at Albemarle High School and will be taking the reigns of the band program at Cabarrus Charter Academy. It was, with no sliver of doubt in my mind, the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make, but one I knew I needed to make.
It took me nearly a minute of silence to say the words to my family, and not my biological family, but the group of the most amazing young men and women I have ever had the absolute highest honor to have ever worked with in my life. You guys are (no usage of “were” here- you guys are and always will be) my family. Bringing pain to you in any sort (other than having you run around the field at insane tempos playing insane music in the hot sun, if you could call the awesomeness we do pain) was my greatest fear, and I knew how badly it was going to hurt you guys.
For the past 3 years, you jumped onboard all of my crazy (certifiably insane) ideas with reckless abandon, trusting me with everything you had, and because of it, you became amazing musicians and, more importantly, amazing people. For 3 years, we were Albemarle, the band that people wanted to make sure they saw; doing things that bands our size, or even bands in high school period, shouldn’t have been able to do. Winning competitions and trophies was a bonus- dominating the souls of our audience was the expectation, and people knew the name of our school for it.
You helped me re-discover my love for teaching music after it was nearly destroyed at my first job. You helped me discover my love and passion for marching band show design.
There is not a single doubt in my mind that this group of young musicians will continue to do amazing things and build upon what we have started over the past few years.
I’ve been told by all of you guys that you'll will miss me. I hope you know that you couldn’t possibly understand how much I will miss teaching all of you. (I won't miss you in general since I'll still be around!)
I’ve been thanked for all I’ve done for you. I hope you know I couldn’t possibly thank you for everything you’ve done for me.
Thank you to every single person who has supported the program and Savannah and I over the past few years. We couldn't have done it without any of you.
Soon, I will dismiss you for the last time as a director, but as much as that destroys me on the inside, when that happens, I will greet you for the first time as a friend. No matter the role Savannah and I serve in your lives, we will always be family, and we will always serve the purpose of your mentors and friends. It will never be a goodbye- only a see you again soon.
Mr. Cox
