Beginning Band Newspaper Article
Cookeville Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, Tennessee
Beginning Band in Putnam County – the Start of an Enriching Experience
That Can Last a Lifetime
by
Anne Thurmond
For many 5th and 6th grade students in Putnam County, starting a new grade in school includes
joining the Beginning Band. Whether they have chosen flute, tuba, percussion, or any of the
other instruments, these students have a great opportunity to discover how fun it is to play in
Band. The middle school music teachers, Clint Isbill at Algood, Carol Wright at Avery Trace, Kyle
Netherton at Cornerstone, and Nathan Hickman at Prescott South, work to lay a strong
foundation for the beginners who can one day be a part of high school marching and concert
bands.
Each middle school has a limited number of instruments available for students to use, but there
aren’t nearly enough to provide for all of the students who want to be in band. Some are able
to borrow one from a family member, and others are able to buy or rent their instruments from
a music store. But some students won’t be able to be in band simply because they can’t afford
to buy or rent an instrument. So, the band directors are holding an instrument drive to help
with this problem. Anyone who would like to donate a used band instrument can drop it off at
any of the middle schools. It is a tax-deductible contribution that will be put to use year after
year.
Recently, I visited the bands at Avery Trace and Prescott South middle schools. Carol Wright
and Nathan Hickman clearly love their work and starting the Beginning Band class is a big part
of it. They help the students pick the instrument they will learn and walk them through the
basics of putting the instrument together, how to hold it and take care of it, and how to make
their first sounds. This is such an exciting time for the beginners – they’re actually going to get
to play the instrument, take it home and practice, and they sense from the very beginning that
they are starting something new, challenging and fun.
As the teacher shows how to put each instrument together, the class seems glued to the
demonstration, whether it pertains to their instrument or not. It’s the same as they explain how
to make a sound. Each student tries playing, and they cheer each other on. Just like members of
a sports team, these band members begin to develop a sense of belonging as they support and
encourage one another. Many remember this bond for years after being in Beginning Band.
Rev. James C. Johnson, Pastor at Monterey United Methodist Church, continues playing as a
hobby with the Cookeville Community Band. He told me recently, “The strongest impression my
first weeks of band made upon my life was the extraordinary experience of hearing the first
sounds of music we created as a group. It is an experience that reminds me that some of the
most rewarding work happens when we all play our parts well and together, we make
something we would be unable to do on our own.”
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Beginning Band
Anne Thurmond
I asked some of the middle school band directors what memories they had of Beginning Band.
Carol Wright told me, "Beginning band was a very exciting time for me as a student. I attended
Brookhaven Middle School in Decatur, Alabama. We had around 100 students in our 6th grade
Beginning Band, and as I look back, I don't know how my band director did it! By the time I
reached the 6th grade, I had already been playing the flute for three years via private
instruction. I remember feeling special in class because I already knew how to play my
instrument, and thrilled by the sound of all the instruments playing together!"
Nathan Hickman told me about growing up with music around him. “I have always loved music:
listening and making. I started playing guitar when I was 6, and loved to listen to my uncle Dale
and his bluegrass band. When I was offered the opportunity to try another instrument, I
jumped at the chance! I remember getting to see and hear all of the shiny new instruments. I
thought the trumpet was the coolest, and it would also be a good chance to annoy my little
sister. That didn’t work out – she ended up playing trumpet too!
“The importance of the Beginning Band program is simply this: someone gave me a chance.
That chance led to a well-rounded education. That chance led to a great high school experience.
That chance led to traveling out of ‘my little world.’ That chance led to college scholarships and
a great college experience. It led me to where I am now, and I am thankful I had a chance.
Students today need all the chances they can get!”
For many, playing in band becomes an experience that inspires them to pursue music as a
career. They go on to become professional performers and music teachers. Others may choose
a different career, but they continue to play their instruments as a hobby, in church,
community bands, etc. Dr. Jane Anne Gotcher, family physician in Cookeville, still loves playing
clarinet in the Cookeville Community Band. She told me recently that her grandmother played
clarinet in her own town band in Wisconsin. So, when Dr. Gotcher wanted to join Beginning
Band, it was her grandmother who bought her a clarinet. “I still play that clarinet even now
when I can afford to upgrade.”
Andrea Batson, a Stay-at-home Mom and Librarian at Heavenly Host Lutheran School, also
appreciates how playing in band has enriched her life. “My years in band provided an ability
and affinity for music that have vastly bettered my life. At McNeill Elementary in Bowling
Green, Kentucky, I played a plastic Bundy clarinet in a worn burgundy case. Except for a few
side trips to the oboe and bassoon, the music played on – squawks, squeaks and all – through
high school and college. Now, decades later, when I have the privilege of playing with the
Cookeville Community Band under a gorgeous moon at Dogwood Park, my heart is beyond
grateful for the path that brought me here.”
If you have an instrument that is no longer being used, consider donating it to one of the
middle schools in Putnam County. It may provide just the opportunity a child needs.