Musicians shared so much at school, concert

Wow! As a high school band director, I was over-the-top impressed with the Navy Band concert on Feb. 13 in Everett. The musicianship and professionalism of the ensemble is impeccable, and the opportunity to hear the live performance was inspirational to the young musicians I teach each day.

The morning of the concert, we were fortunate to have four band members come to our classroom for one of our rehearsals. Percussionists Juan Vazquez and Stacy Loggins, along with a trumpet player and oboist (I wish I could remember their names) talked to our students about what it is like to be in the Navy Band and then sat in with us as we rehearsed. They had an instant and fabulous rapport with the kids, using their musical skills and encouraging words to elicit improvement from the students as we practiced that day. Mr. Loggins and Mr. Vazquez even took the extra time after rehearsal to go through my percussion inventory and give advice about repairs and replacement of our equipment that would be beneficial for us to consider in order to maximize what students can do with their music-making.

Each of the high school band directors in our district was given the opportunity to nominate four outstanding musicians from our band to play “Washington Post” with the Navy Band at the concert. What an incredible experience that was for our kids! I was beaming from the audience to see my students on stage that night. The students and their parents were in awe of the experience, and since one of my students who performed is also my daughter, I can tell you from a parent perspective that it was life-changing. All the way home in the car (and in the two days since), my daughter has not stopped talking about it. She has researched the Navy Band on-line and is asking all kinds of questions about what it would take for her to be a part of it some day. Whether or not she or any of the other kids end up as Navy musicians, they have at the very least raised the bar for their own musical journeys, as have my other students who were in the class when the four gentlemen came to our school or who were at the concert. They were all abuzz with comments they wanted to share about what they saw and heard.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of the musicians who were so gracious with my kids (including the ones who didn’t come to our school but took the time to put the kids at ease when they went on stage to perform), to Courtney Williams, the commentator, who talked to the kids before the concert about the protocol for joining the ensemble so they would not have anxiety about how to handle that part, and Captain Brian Walden, the conductor, for his willingness to let these young musicians share the stage with the Navy Band.

For my students, their families, and me, the Navy Band concert was truly much more than just a performance. It was an inspirational experience that gave us a peek into what it means to be the best of the best. The musicians with whom we interacted modeled exemplary musicianship and teamwork, and it has left a lasting impression upon us all.

Thank you so much.

Lesley Moffat

Director of Bands, Jazz, &Percussion

Jackson High School

Mill Creek

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