Pops and Byron

One of my proudest associations is with my Byron Center Band Family and some of this is redundant because I've blogged on them before.

​The maintained standard of excellence across the entire band program, is achieved through hard work and character building. Not one decision is made without careful consideration of does it fit our core values, will it advanced the goals and desired outcomes we have set for the program and the students,  will it character build, does it have a greater purpose and on and on. 

Much is built on leadership and student ownership of being a responsible member of each ensemble. It also sometimes is not surface level fun, however a more mature "fun" is realized much later after many hard sectionals, rehearsals, and performances. 

Marc and I sat, at a Buffalo Wild Wings for hours, one night upon Marc taking the job at Byron and we discussed the vision and dreams for the jazz program. We had a year goal, 5 year goal, 10 etc... Most of those dreams came true much sooner than we had ever planned. Marc is truly one of my best friends and his family is my family. 

One of the really special moments for each performance is "The Circle" . It usually starts with Marc asking the question, " What do you want tonight to be about"? Sometimes the tears start already! LOL As the year progresses, and the bonds begin to form both from strife and harmony, from the hard work and dedication of everything they have been through together throughout the year, the let downs the celebrations, by the last few concerts, (usually last one being at Jazz at Lincoln Center) the kids have realized the incredibly special group of people they just spent the last year with and only each one of them know what they have been through to get to where they are by the shared experience. 

This circle mostly for the members of the ensemble, is sometimes joined by principals, superintendents, many times me and Marc is always so gracious to call me out to say something, and always our guest artists who also share inspiration and wisdom. On so many occasions, the comment is made "I have never seen anything like this"  If our country could see this, we'd be in much better shape. Many tears have been shed by the incredible journey we've all just been on. 

The kids are more mature than you think. They get it. They know the demands put upon them are out of love. Even one year they had tee-shirts made up that said, "mean Mr. Townley, takes us places" Those places have included the  Savannah Music Festival and the Essentially Ellington Competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center and in my humble estimation the most prestigious Jazz festival in the world for high schoolers, and if I'm not mistaken for the 10th time this year. And yes it was our goal to make this once in our career when we planned at Buffalo Wild Wings. 

I'm now just getting to the point of this blog! LOL 

I don't know if you would call it a core value, but one of the main objectives for everyone at Byron is how you treat people. Everyone from your classmates, your instructors, but also the agents at the airport, the ticket takers at a concert we will be attending, the people who have planned tirelessly to give you the best experience possible at their music festival, and on and on. Thank you notes are written by the kids to visitors. In this day and age of phones, this is sometimes harder than you think, but these kids have been taught and always deliver. Personal responsibility is crucial and excuses not tolerated. 

One of the objectives we wanted to do from the very beginning is bring in the worlds greatest musicians to inspire the kids and the list at this point is very long and I believe is a major component to this day, of the success of the program. I really want to make a self deprecating joke here but one of my greatest honors is to have been on that list for which I don't belong 3 times and is some of my most cherished memories. Thank you. 

With the emphasis on treating people with respect, love, and dignity, Marc is very big on honoring the people who have helped him along the way. One of those people he has honored every step of the way was my Father. It started with I think emails back and forth, then Marc always having a ticket for my Dad for any concert he wanted to come to. But then he and his parents went further. I think it was the 2nd time we made EE in NYC, Marc and his parents wanted to honor my Dad by paying for all his expenses for him to be able to come and watch the event in person. 

My Dad humbly accepted this most gracious gift and my Dad and I went together. They would have paid for the flight but Dad was in kind of bad shape with his nerve pain issue so we drove instead. ( a move that was I guess smart because on the way home he was in so much pain he just screamed in the backseat for 12 hours straight as I drove all the way home. Not sure what he would have done on the plane.)

My dad couldn't have been more proud of Marc and it was a very special time. 

The connection with my Dad and Byron is very strong. Mr. Klein was a student teacher for my Dad when I was a student at Northview. He was a very bad duct tape basketball player in the band room! LOL inside joke but a great student teacher! Also, a very special student teacher for my dad was Megan Soukup, all 3 were the band directors at Byron. (the bond was so close that my Father had wanted both Marc and Megan to speak at my Dad's celebration of life ceremony and they were awesome)

Marc wanted to continue to give my Dad respect and honor him and ended up having him be a guest twice to work with the bands so that his kids could experience a little of Marc's high school experience. (oh yea, should have mentioned my Dad was Marc's band director! LOL)

I believe Marc told me the last concert linked below, was my Dad's last time in front of a concert band. 

Megan was also so good to my Dad always staying in touch and he had so much respect for her and of course was always so proud of her. 

Marc and Megan thank you for honoring my Dad. His legacy continues though you both and he always was so proud of you both!  Love you both madly! 

I've also included a few photos from over the years. I have thousands I think!  (sidetone: this platform for making these blogs will resort to a previous picture I may have posted with the same number of the picture, so if you see pictures of the Arizona Desert, lol, it does that while scrolling but if you click on the pictures I don't think it does that. very annoying)

I also have to mention that I'm thankful also to my dear brothers and families at West Ottawa with Mike Hamann and Rockford with Cullen McCarthy who both share the same philosophies and mindsets about jazz and kids! I'm thankful for their confidence in me, to bring me in weekly to teach life through jazz, and I take it very seriously because I'm required to do so. 
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