08/15/2024
I visited my hometown this summer. My mom still lives in the home I grew up in, just a short walk down Northman Drive to my high school.
These photos are of 8 👏different 👏trailers👏 that are currently used by ✨️the band.✨️
I'm very fortunate to have gone to a public school that valued music so much that funding was there to support a robust music department. In my town of less than 6000 people, we had THREE BAND DIRECTORS, in addition to some auxiliary staff, to cover our high school and middle school band programs, as well as two choir teachers. They did not also teach another subject (which is common in many schools).
We had state award winning Marching Bands, Concert Bands, Jazz Bands, a Wind Symphony and, what you'd expect from a small Northern Michigan town, a Steel Drum Band (that every few years would & I believe still does, travel to Louisiana to play in Marti Gras Parades, on their double decker bus).
When you're young, what's around is what's around, and you don't know that there is something you may have easy access to that others did not have the opportunity to experience. In my case, I had a rather elite level music education, from fairly extraordinary instructors, 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 7 school years.
For many of my young students, our lessons once a week are the one music class they have, and I try to make them as impactful as I can. I feel very fortunate that all of my students have chosen me for their music lessons & that I can pass on the education I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to receive in my public school, that helped to develop me in to the musician I am today.