(Connellsville, PA) Here's the kind of band director you WON'T find in DCIA
Catherine
story about a band director who teaches the importance of Veterans'
and Memorial Day parades, has had a POW in to talk to students, and is
involved in teaching abuse and abduction prevention classes.
Had we had such instructors, rather those who covered up for
pedophiles and those wanting to "evolve" drum & bugle corps, we would
have not only preserved our associations with the CYO, the American
Legion and VFW, amongst other sponsoring organizations, we would have
fought to PRESERVE and DEFEND the American Flag/Nationals Squad
honors, colour presentations, the American bugle in the Key of G, and
other formats and styles developed out of the patriotic past of drum &
bugle corps.
Fortunately, what has been destroyed can be rebuilt - once the
exploiters, liars and other corrupt mediocrities are gone.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/news/connellsville/s_656617.html
Connellsville Junior High West band director retiring
By Rachel R. Basinger, DAILY COURIER
Monday, December 7, 2009
It was a former band teacher who inspired Don Witt to dedicate his
life to teaching music.
Now, after 32 years of teaching band to students, Witt can only hope
he was able to inspire others as he looks to retire on Dec. 15.
Witt's love of music began in the third grade when he played a song
flute. By fourth grade he took up the trumpet, and by junior high,
Witt knew he wanted to teach band.
"The junior high band director at the time was Ron Scott. He became my
mentor and my leader, and it was because of him that I got into music
as a major at IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)," Witt said.
After obtaining his degree, Witt taught for one year in the Beth
Center School District before taking a position in the Connellsville
Area School District, where he has taught for nearly his entire
career.
"I was at the high school as the assistant band director and I spent
some time at the elementary level, but the bulk of my time has been at
Junior High West," Witt said.
He added that he always looked at himself as more than a band teacher.
"I was a band director, but one of my philosophies was to not only
make good music by kids, but use music to make good kids," Witt said.
"The joy of teaching was watching them grow and taking pride in
watching them accomplish things they had worked hard on."
He added that kids can do remarkable things because kids are
remarkable. However, one of the biggest challenges with his position
was getting the students to realize their potential and then to reach
it.
"My job as an educator was to push them and they didn't always like
that," Witt said.
One of the highlights of Witt's career came early. He came into the
high school band director position during the 1978-79 school year.
"I came in after being the assistant and someone said about taking all
of the students to Disney World," Witt said. "I found out that there
was no money, and in one year's time we raised enough money to fly
over 200 kids to Disney."
The second highlight for Witt was when the students were about to
march in either a Veterans Day or Memorial Day parade.
"I had (local veteran) Wally Schroyer come in and talk to the kids
about his POW experiences so the kids would understand why they had to
get up early to come and march," Witt said.
Former student Ben Haines said Witt was always patriotic.
"He always made sure we understood the importance of marching in
Veterans Day or Memorial Day parades," Haines said. "Mr. Witt taught
us a lot about music, but he also taught us a lot about life."
The third highlight is the Pennsylvania Music Educators Adjudications
in which his junior high students always came home with an excellent
or superior rating on their musical pieces.
While Witt won't be teaching junior high band anymore, he will
continue to teach.
Currently, Witt is involved with teaching abuse and abduction
prevention classes, a violence and rape prevention class for women,
and a survival street-defense class.
flu...@msn.com
> Since I am often accused of posting only negatives, here's a great
> story about a band director who teaches the importance of Veterans'
> and Memorial Day parades, has had a POW in to talk to students, and is
> involved in teaching abuse and abduction prevention classes.
>
> Had we had such instructors, rather those who covered up for
> pedophiles and those wanting to "evolve" drum & bugle corps, we would
> have not only preserved our associations with the CYO, the American
> Legion and VFW, amongst other sponsoring organizations, we would have
> fought to PRESERVE and DEFEND the American Flag/Nationals Squad
> honors, colour presentations, the American bugle in the Key of G, and
> other formats and styles developed out of the patriotic past of drum &
> bugle corps.
>
> Fortunately, what has been destroyed can be rebuilt - once the
> exploiters, liars and other corrupt mediocrities are gone.
Good ...now be on your way so the healing can begin...
>
> http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/news/connellsville/s_656...