Teachers hold one of the most important positions in our society and play such an essential role in our development. They foster creativity, instill confidence, help us discover our talents and lay the foundation for our future. I am certain we can all name at least one teacher who made an indelible impression on our lives.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we would like to share a few teachers and directors who have made a profound impact on the students they serve. These educators have been featured in the annual “Directors Who Make a Difference” edition of the SBO+ magazine, and our team takes pride knowing Pyware is a fundamental tool used within their careers in music education.

 

Cliff St. Clair has a 45-year career as a music educator, and the staff and students at Sheldon High School in Iowa hope he maintains his position as the band director and instrumental music teacher for years to come. The joy he ascribes to teaching his students is apparent in his long-lived career, and the encouragement that comes from his students imploring him to keep teaching makes it clear Director St. Clair is making a lasting impact.

Our team at Pyware is honored to know Director St. Clair and the Sheldon High School band program invested in Pyware early on and have journeyed with us as the features in Pyware 3D evolved. The ability to print tailor-made drill instructions for each member of the band has been an effective feature for the program, but now students can view drill on their mobile devices for a more modernized way of learning.

 

“Teaching marching band drill without Pyware would be like trying to teach the music without music notation. The individual coordinate sheets, drill pages, animations, and now the ability to send drill and music to students’ phones makes Pyware almost infinitely versatile to provide multiple ways for students to learn efficiently,” said Director St. Clair.

 

 

The relationships Director St. Clair cultivates with his students he relates with his family bonds, in that he hopes to guide them to be as successful as possible.

“On top of that, every morning we make music together, and I work with them individually in weekly lessons — it gives my life purpose to invest in the lives of my students,” he said.

 

For 22 years, Matt Kozacek has led several bands in Arizona to numerous awards and championship titles. In the time he has served as the Director of Bands at his current school, Campo Verde High School, the program has nearly tripled in size and has risen to one of the best band programs in the state. Matt’s wish for his students is to gain a strong appreciation for music, but additionally, an appreciation for the lessons and life skills that can emanate from the art of music.

 

 

Director Kozacek has had great success teaching his students drill through the UDBapp. The band’s drill writer simply uploads the show designed in Pyware to the app, and students can learn coordinates and pathways right from their mobile device. Any revisions made to the drill in Pyware can be automatically synced to the UDBapp so students can view real-time updates to the show.

 

“Our program has loved the integration of Ultimate Drill Book with Pyware so that our drill writer can seamlessly upload charts for our students to use immediately on the field. If there are changes that need to be made, their apps get updated, and it is very helpful and fast,” Director Kozacek said.

 

 

Jonathan Roode has 17 years of experience in music education and is currently a band director at Eastwood High School in Ohio. He has the unique privilege of teaching his students from 5^th grade music all the way through high school band, guiding them through each stage of their music education.

“Seeing the students through their whole time in the band program is rewarding in its own way. But also, I get to see them become the dynamic and unique young adults they are as they leave high school,” he said.

 

Prior to joining the Eastwood High School staff, Jonathan learned drill design as the graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee. He now writes drill for Eastwood in addition to his roles as teacher and director. Jonathan works alongside Director Brian Myers to both design and teach students drill through Pyware.

“The Personal Drill Book feature in Pyware has been a great asset for us in the teaching process. Students can view their own on-field perspective,” Director Roode stated.

 

The opportunity to see students through their entire musical journey, which adds up to upwards of 8 years of mentorship, is a privilege Director Roode makes the most of. He hopes that learning music will build positive traits and provide valuable lessons the students can carry with them throughout their adult lives.

 

 

Robert Glasscock has proudly taught in the same school system in Alabama for 23 years and has served as the Director of Bands at Tallassee High School for 19 of those years. Consistency is the most important trait for Robert that he strives to implement in every area of his life, and that is reflected in his long-standing role at Tallassee. It is also shown in the successful band program he has built — a direct result of the way he treats students on a daily basis.

 

Robert has also used Pyware 3D consistently for the past 15 years.

“Early in my career, I either bought re-written drill or paid another band director to write it for me. After attending a drill writing clinic hosted by one of our local colleges and sponsored by Pyware, I started writing my own drill. I could not imagine writing drill without Pyware,” Director Glasscock said.

 

Responsibility is one of the values he hopes to instill in students throughout the program. One of the ways he teaches this is by printing out individual coordinate sheets in Pyware, and having students take authority of setting themselves.

“I have the students take the responsibility of setting themselves during drill. When I was in school usually only a section leader received a drill chart and it was their responsibility to set their group of students. Now, I can give everyone their own coordinate sheet and they are all responsible for themselves. There is a learning curve for the new marchers, but once they get the hang of it, learning drill goes much faster,” Director Glasscock explained.

 

 

Besides being able to teach important values such as consistency, work ethic, and accountability, another thing Robert loves about being a director is seeing how much students enjoy performing in new environments. Seeing their eyes light up when they march in a parade or perform in a new city is his favorite part of being a band director.

 

Thank you to all the wonderful band directors and music educators for shaping not only great musicians, but excellent future leaders and human beings. We appreciate everything you do; your work does not go unnoticed.