RCEditions

This is a unique category, and represented best perhaps, by The Floyd Brothers of Austin, Texas. It sounds like a country-western group. And in a way it is. Robert and Richard Floyd have contributed as Texas Band Directors and at this writing, as long time Executive Directors of Texas Music Educator's Assn., and University Interscholastic League in Texas (20 years each). They have affected, for the good, the lives of millions and millions of school children, and in an unbroken continuum, which stretches over many generations. Bobby Floyd, as many call him, is at Texas Music Educator's Assn., is the largest such Assn. in the United States, with over 15,000 members and with a larger convention than the Music Educators National Conference. Their All-State Convention offers each student lucky enough to attend, a personal experience, which carries them through, to a lifetime love of music. Indeed, even those who don't make it to All-State as a participant, can listen, look and aspire, to those heights. I did. Despite not making All-State, I competed, in District, Region (not achieving All-Area or All-State). Texas is a big place! Richard Floyd's University Interscholastic League, administered through the University of Texas, is responsible for every 'competition' (Music, Athletic, Science, Math, etc. etc.) For example, students learn to play a solo of their choice (chose from a massive list compiled and updated regularly by UIL) graded by difficulty at the district level, judged, at that level, and then if a 1st division is received, may elect to compete (against a standard, not a person) with judges which include leaders in their field from all over the country. I remember playing for the great clarinetist Mitchell Lurie, former principal in the Chicago Symphony and Los Angeles Phil., when I was 16 years old. I received a second division, and was happy to have had the chance to play for him, and reminded myself to keep trying to make it better. And, there is ALWAYS a next time. I have always been the tortoise in the race. I just kept going. Thank you Robert and Richard for keeping music education alive, in creating and/or maintaining the infrastructure to take care of all of us.

All of my music educator friends, indefatigable day in/day out examples like Matthew McInturf (Schoolmate and former Pres. of Texas Bandmasters and currently Band Dir. Sam Houston State Univ.), and all my classmates who became band directors like Larry Matysiak, Rick Yancey, Bill Quillen, Joyce and Les Boelsche, Denis Kidwell, Floyd Burden, Pasquale Tassone (Longtime Supervisor of Music in Arlington, Mass., with a Phd. in Composition from Brandeis who IS 'Mr. Holland '(see the movie Mr. Holland's Opus), and who was my children's teacher, Paul Alberta (Norwood, Mass. Schools.), Cynthia Napierkowski (Salem HS), Jeff Leonard (Lexington, Mass. Schools), Brian Gibbs, now also at Sam Houston State U, after many years as a successful Texas HS Band Director...

The teachers in the trenches--Every day, teaching every child--this is the real definition of the George W. Bush slogan 'no child left behind,' or Hillary Clinton's 'It takes a village to raise a child.' But when the slogans and the candidates have disappeared, the everyday music teacher (and public school teacher in general, I might add) is the one, who is responsible for that child's love of music, thirst for knowledge, and developing that child's potential, whether as a musician or just a better person overall (whom I hope and hope will remain a musician (whether avocational, professional or occasional, for life).

Debbie Thompson

A Salute to (My) Teachers

7. 'We get by with a little help from our friends' - thanks to The Beatles (cont.)