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Exposition: Jackson Director of Bands Discusses the School's Band Program

Tom Broussard talking with host Robert Gifford
Dan Woods
Tom Broussard talking with host Robert Gifford

Gifford:
Well, it's my pleasure this week to invite a guest, Mr. Tom Broussard, who is Director of Bands in the Jackson Public Schools. And to begin, Tom, I would like to ask you to tell us about the band program in the Jackson schools.

Broussard:
Well, the band program in Jackson schools is a source of great pride to the community. It's been long standing. It's a tradition that started many years ago. Actually, we're in year 99, I believe. And it began with A. W. Roloff in the 1920s, where the town decided they wanted to have a band. And so, he put together a boys' band. And, you know, it kept continuing to grow slowly and slowly, and then under the leadership of LeRoy Mason in the ‘50s, it really blossomed. And then continued on with Nick Leist, and I was fortunate enough to teach with Pat Schwent and Scott Vangilder, who also taught with Nick Leist. So, it's been a tradition that the community looks for and expects, and it's been a program that's been doing some wonderful things for quite a while. So, that's pretty much the Jackson band program.

And where we're at today in the program is we begin students in the seventh grade. So, in the seventh and eighth grade, they meet in like instrument classes, a class of saxophones, a class of trumpets. But once they transition into high school, ninth grade, and they really start the band experience where they meet as a band daily. Currently, we have around 360 students enrolled in band classes at Jackson High School. And you're going to ask me how many students go to Jackson High School. Well, I would say we're currently right around 1,800 students. So, about one out of every six students walking the hallways is a band student. So, it's fun to walk the hallways and say hello all the time, how’s it going.

Gifford:
Well, and I have to say that I really enjoy the times that I get to visit the high school. There is an atmosphere there that, both for a parent and a former teacher, that's really impressive. Just like everybody, and of course you realize it's not always the case, but it's like everybody's on the team and everybody's working toward a goal. And I've noticed this, of course, in your ensemble in your music program. What types of ensembles…if my child was wanting to go or going to be going to school in a few years at Jackson, what would be the opportunities as far as different choices of ensemble?

Broussard:
Well, in our curriculum, we have what's called high school band, and then we have a ninth grouping just for ninth graders. High school band is just 10th through 12th grade. Those students in high school band experience marching band for about 10 weeks. And after that, and we go into what we call concert band mode. And then ninth grade band, those students don't march since it's their first year of full ensemble. We just want them to play, learn what it's like to be in a band without having that added stress of performing, you know, Friday nights. Our Friday night performances generally gather 4,000-5,000 people. So, for a ninth-grade student, it can be a little intimidating. It can be a little intimidating for any student. So, we do have concert band as a huge part in a traditional concert band.

We also have a growing and emerging jazz program that…we've always had a wonderful jazz program. Pat Schwent has always kind of spearheaded that. She started in 1978, and she started it as a stage band grew into jazz band. Wonderful, wonderful teacher she was, and in jazz she was, she was wonderful. And so, we've grown into a junior high jazz band with just eighth graders now that has usually around 35-40 students. And then our high school program, currently, we have 47 students in just a second semester group or two jazz groups. But interest grew, so we created a jazz improvisation class. In the first year we had, it was for three years ago, we had 12 students take it. We just had 37 this year take it in the fall. So, you know, there are a lot of opportunities for students who want to explore band and if band is their thing. And if it's not their thing, they're going to get a good opportunity to experience what most school bands can offer. And we take pride in being able to provide the experience for the students.

Gifford:
Well, it's something you mentioned…the experience. What happens to a person in your program who doesn't really want to be a professional museum…musician? Some of us are in museums…But, and I think, that's probably the bulk.

Broussard:
Yes, absolutely.

Gifford:
So, what did they gain? What is the benefit for them?

Broussard:
Well, you know, first off, teaching community is the number one thing that we really strive for in our band program. We do push students to become the best musicians they can be. We recognize where each student is at, and we try to implement a plan to help each student to whatever their next level is. And so, we do…fortunately, we're blessed to have a wonderful staff, a full staff of specialized teachers. I am just part of a group of five. Paul Fliege, who specializes in saxophones and double reeds. Maria Mizicko specializes in clarinets and flutes. We have Cody Brockman who specializes in percussion. And then we have Krystle Boyd who specializes in high brass—trumpet and horn. So, we're able to break students down and give them, meet them where they're at, and take them to the next level. And so, I would say that our program is geared not towards… what we do in curriculum is not geared towards that those kids who want to be professional musicians. Where we work with those kids who want to be professional musicians, that's all the time after school. That's the lessons that we provide for students who want to put in extra time and those extra performing opportunities will all be at…maybe their goal is to make All-State Band or All-State Orchestra.

This past week, I just saw two of my students perform with the All-State Orchestra. The English horn played the most gorgeous solo and Berlioz's “Roman Carnival Overture.” She had the English horn solo, and it was absolutely gorgeous. And then a trombone…a student who plays trombone was first chair All-State Band and All-State Orchestra on trombone, and he was just…he played “Billy the Kid” in his solo and that was wonderful. And, and you can just see his eyes light up, especially in the Berlioz when it was time to bring the brass. He was ready to go. And he did. And, in fact, I was sitting next to a colleague of mine who teaches in Lebanon, he looked at me he goes, “I bet you never had to tell that kid to play that louder, do you?” And I was like no, no, no. He understands there.

So, I mean, we do have students that go to that next level. But I'm going to say that the most…the thing that we focus on is community with the students who aren't at that level. And band is like any other curricular activity. It's a chance for kids to be a part of something that's bigger than themselves. But yet, as an individual, they have to contribute. They have to push themselves. And so, I think that's a really important thing to have in schools. And, you know…a little story about our program…. We had a local politician come in. He's gone now. Retired. And he came in, and he met me. And our principal introduced him to me, and he said, “Oh, you got a great band here.” And I said, “Well, yeah, we do have a great band here. And we have a great choir. And we have a great FBLA group. And we have a great athletic program. We have great, great family and consumer science program. We have an amazing, amazing agricultural program, industrial arts program. And our teachers are great.” And I said it's because here everybody…it’s a community, and we're going to work together to put out the best product we can for these kids. And I can say that I've been very blessed to have been in this environment for the last 24 years. And I'm looking forward to continuing on for many more years.

Gifford:
Well, I can tell how enthusiastic you are and how proud you are of the program. And I can tell you, having worked all over the state of Missouri, that your program is considered one of the best in the entire state. And that's important for this part of the state, too. So, let me ask you, Tom, what do you foresee as the future of bands in American public schools? Where are we headed? Are they going to change? Will they be the same? What do you think?

Broussard:
Well, I think…the one thing that has remained consistent through the last 50 years of technological advancement is choirs and bands, the music on their stand, and they perform. And the instruments haven't changed that much. Now, they’re…every year they're fine tuning these instruments because you know, that's how instrument manufacturers work. I mean, they're always trying to put on the best product, so they can sell it for the best price. And so, but the basic…the basic of what we do hasn’t changed. Now, how we teach has changed quite a bit. It's, it's fascinating. You know, I do consider myself a dinosaur, because this is, I mean, even though I've got 24 years of Jackson and this year 29 as a teacher, and now, I have this iPad that has everything that I need to put on the screen behind me just on it, and I just press…tap, tap this link, tap this link and immediately shows up in front of my classroom. Metronome? Tap this. I have a metronome. A tuner? Tap it, and it goes on the screen. There's…oh, you want to see what the music looks like for the whole score? Tap. There it is. And so, it's just, it's amazing. The tools are amazing, what we can do. Oh, you want to hear a professional recording of this so you can kind of understand what I'm talking about? Boom. Here you go. It's just…I don’t even have to leave the podium. I’m right there, right in front of the kids, and it's just an amazing thing. And I'm so happy to be able to, first off, teach in a school district that recognizes that, in the classroom, that's important, and that they do provide that for us. That…all that stuff is school provided. And then with the advancement of AI with smart music and things like that, you know, we incorporate that, as well, in the classroom. Now, and again, I never have to leave my seat or my podium. I just tap and there it is. So, the kids benefit from…the biggest, the biggest change I see in the future is, I think, getting that technology in the schools so teachers can be more efficient, so the time that we spend with the kids is more productive is basically where I think we're going to head. But I also see kids in our bands and choirs really become interested now in video editing and music editing and things like that. And so, I do you see that becoming…growing, interest in that growing. I tell you, it’s hard for me. I know several directors who, man, they have mastered social media. They are sending things out constantly about their band and themselves. I just…I almost feel like if I have to do that all the time…is what’s the purpose? You know what I mean?

Gifford:
I do.

Broussard:
If our kids are awesome and our program is awesome, people are going to know. But my coworkers are like, “We really should do this” and “We really should do this.” I know, I know, but I don't want to feel like I'm pushing our program on people, you know?

Gifford:
Yeah.

Broussard:
But, but no, I just don't see it changing. I just don't. And if you look at music history, you look at all the innovations. You know, I think it was Pasternak wrote, “The genius of Mozart was he took the familiar and transformed into something totally new.” And I think that's where we'll always be. We’ll always, always have the familiar. It's just…what will be innovative is the compositions, the types of compositions, and things like that.

Gifford:
Right. Well, good. Looks like a bright future, really.

Broussard:
Oh, it is.

Gifford:
I know there are lots of naysayers in the world, but I think your enthusiasm and the enthusiasm of our colleagues, and of the students and the parents, is going to keep things moving forward.

Broussard:
Oh, without a doubt.

Gifford:
Do you have any upcoming concerts that you would like to mention for our listeners?

Broussard:
We do. March is when we start our contest season. So, March, I believe March 6, we have a…Tuesday, March 6. No, Monday, March 6, I'll get this right my head. We have our festival concert at Jackson High School at 7 p.m., where you'll get to hear all of our groups who are performing at the Missouri State High School Activities Association Large Ensemble Festival. You’ll get to hear their selections for that. And then, our spring concerts are in May. One thing I would like to note is we do…we're one of the very few schools in this area who do a night of percussion, where it's just an evening performance of just percussion instruments with our percussion teacher.

And that is, I believe, that's the first Monday in April. If I'm not mistaken, it’s the first Monday in April. The date eludes me, I apologize. But yeah, those are the upcoming performances that we're working on. I'm really excited about our spring concert. I've got an eclectic program. You'll hear music from a Missouri composer. You'll hear music from “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” You'll hear all sorts of things, and so I'm really looking forward to that program.

Dr. Robert Gifford holds degrees from the Universities of Kansas, Michigan and Iowa, and has completed post-graduate studies at Oberlin Conservatory and Loma Linda University. He spent four years as a member of the USAF Strategic Air Command Band and has been a teacher/conductor for more than 50 years, which included 25 years as Director of Bands at Southeast.