Congratulations Loretto High School Band!  Loretto High School Band has recently been invited to represent the state of Tennessee in the 2019 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC. Below is a conversation with their band director Darrell Boston.

Where is Loretto High School?  Located in Loretto, Tennessee about 1 hour and 45 minutes southwest of Tennessee

Who are the directors and staff at Loretto High School? Darrell Boston and Kalee Richardson, guard instructor

How would you describe your band program? The Loretto High School Band is the recognized music program of Loretto High School in Loretto, Tennessee. The Loretto Band provides a medium through which students progress musically, academically, and socially. Musicianship, attitude, attendance, punctuality, conduct, and a desire for excellence are absolutely expected from each student. Building from the bottom up, the Loretto Band has made great strides. Hard work has become the norm with positive attitudes, pride and a focus on music excellence. With hardworking students, active and involved parents, and a supportive community all combine to make it possible for Loretto High School to offer an outstanding array of musical opportunities. 

What is the last piece your band played in a performance? The last piece we played would be from our Christmas concert and that was "Reindeer Galop."

Will you please share a fun moment or great memory? We were reading some new music and in the process of passing out a new piece my saxophone player asked, "Mr. Boston, what are you having for supper tonight?" I just looked at him and the class started to laugh and I said, "Why do you ask?" to which he replied, "You seem to know lots about food and I thought I would come join you." Well I said, "Just come on and we will go get us a steak." I really thought this was pretty funny. Guess they can tell I do like to eat.

Can you tell us one thing about your program or staff that people would be surprised to know?  We truly are a family. We like most brothers and sisters have our problems but together we learn to real time problem solve and make it work. I end every rehearsal with what has become our motto. I tell the kids, "I Love You and There Is Nothing You Can Do About It."

Why do you believe it is important to be a part of TMEA?  I am a member of TMEA because it is a group of music educators that will always be there to help and answer questions. There is tons of knowledge within our membership and it is nice to know when you need a friend or just someone to bounce ideas off of, you can always count current and past members to help.

Thank you for sharing with us!  Best wishes to Loretto High School's students and staff for continued success.  May we all try to create cultures for success and represent our state as well as they have.  

Congratulations Dobyns-Bennett High School Band!  Dobyns Bennett High School Marching Band was awarded the Class AAA National Champions at Bands of America Grand National Finals.  Below is a conversation with their band directors.

Where is Dobyns-Bennett High School?  Located in Kingsport, Tennessee, about 90 minutes northeast of Knoxville, TN

Who are the directors and staff at Dobyns-Bennett High School? Lafe Cook, Ryan Gilbert; Turner Hawkins, Dave Whaley, and Jed Garvey

How would you describe your band program? The Dobyns-Bennett High School band is a comprehensive scholastic band program located in Kingsport, TN. Consisting of three full concert bands, a football halftime marching band, a nationally recognized "competition band", two winterguards, and a robust percussion program, the Dobyns-Bennett band serves more than 380 students from the Kingsport community.

What music are your bands currently performing? Current literature selections include Shostakovitch's Festive Overture (Wind Ensemble), Brian Balmages' Within the Castle Walls (Symphonic Band), and Roland Barrett's Cimarron Sketches (Concert Band), among other selections.

Will you please share a fun moment or great memory? Our rehearsals are full of little moments and vignettes, as everyone's are! The best part of teaching band is that band kids are the same, they are a unique breed of funny all over the country.

Can you tell us one thing about your program or staff that people would be surprised to know?  Many would be surprised to discover that the demographics of Kingsport are different than what would traditionally be expected of a city and school district that supports strong fine arts programs. Dobyns-Bennett is a Title I school with almost 60% of students on free or reduced lunch, and the median household income of Kingsport is less than $40,000/year. 

Why do you believe it is important to be a part of TMEA? TMEA membership gives access to a lot of meaningful musical opportunities to our students. All-East and All-State honor bands, concert performance assessment festivals, and solo and ensemble are important parts of how student musicians grow, and attending the TMEA conference is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in an awesome educational environment.. Perhaps as importantly, TMEA is now actively involved in legislative advocacy in Nashville--important work that is certainly in the category of "something you don't need until you do". I'm glad my dues are helping fund a lobbyist who helps us monitor education legislation that might impact music classroom instructional time.

Thank you for sharing with us!  Best wishes to Dobyns-Bennett High School's students and staff for continued success.  May we all try to create cultures for success and represent our state as well as they have.  

Congratulations Munford High School Band!  Munford High School was awarded the honor of performing in the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade. Below is a conversation with their director, Barry Trobaugh.

Where is Munford High School? Located in Munford, TN about 40 minutes northeast of Memphis

Who are the directors and staff at Munford High School? Barry Trobaugh, Gary Fite, Doug Young and Daniel Butler

How would you describe your band program and community?  The Munford Band is comprised of approximately 18% of the student body at Munford High School.  Our staff strives to provide an eclectic array of educational settings through music.  Ensemble opportunities include: marching band, two concert bands, two jazz ensembles, pep band and numerous small ensembles.  In addition, the Munford Band is a vibrant part of our local community, active in local community projects, charities and public gatherings.  Our community is reported at a $27,000 median income, yet this incredible society provides the opportunity for unique experiences for our talented and hard-working students.

What is the last piece of music your band played in a performance?  Our most recent performance was that at the Tournament of Roses Parade.  Our musical repertoire was in celebration of the music of Memphis and the great state of Tennessee.  The music of Chuck Berry, Elvis, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, Justin Timberlake led us down the parade...only to end with Rocky Top!

Will you please share a fun moment or great memory? During one of our events in Pasadena, a student remarked that a picture could never say all the things necessary to describe the occasion. I thought he was referring to the view of Newport Beach, but in fact he was referring to the awesome experience to have every member of this "small town band" in California, experiencing the sights and sounds of the West Coast AND marching in THE Tournament of Roses Parade.  I was incredibly humbled by his comment.

Can you tell us one thing about your program or staff that people would be surprised to know?  Gary & I are in our 25th year at Munford High School.  We have been blessed with an incredible local society. So many of our current students are what Gary and I call "grand students," meaning that they are the children of students we taught many years ago. It is heart-warming and rewarding to see these "children" as audience members as elementary students and later to see them in the Middle School eager to be a part of our "family" in music.

Why do you believe it is important to be a part of TMEA? Simply put, TMEA is our outlet to preserve the traditions of music education in Tennessee and also the portal to add innovative and unique opportunities for the many students across our great state.

Thank you for sharing with us!  Best wishes to Munford High School's students and staff for continued success.  May we all try to create cultures for success and represent our state as well as they have.