Congratulations Dobyns-Bennett High School Band! Dobyns Bennett High School Marching Band was awarded the Class AAA National Champions at Bands of America Grand National Finals. Below is a conversation with their band directors.
Where is Dobyns-Bennett High School? Located in Kingsport, Tennessee, about 90 minutes northeast of Knoxville, TN
Who are the directors and staff at Dobyns-Bennett High School? Lafe Cook, Ryan Gilbert; Turner Hawkins, Dave Whaley, and Jed Garvey
How would you describe your band program? The Dobyns-Bennett High School band is a comprehensive scholastic band program located in Kingsport, TN. Consisting of three full concert bands, a football halftime marching band, a nationally recognized "competition band", two winterguards, and a robust percussion program, the Dobyns-Bennett band serves more than 380 students from the Kingsport community.
What music are your bands currently performing? Current literature selections include Shostakovitch's Festive Overture (Wind Ensemble), Brian Balmages' Within the Castle Walls (Symphonic Band), and Roland Barrett's Cimarron Sketches (Concert Band), among other selections.
Will you please share a fun moment or great memory? Our rehearsals are full of little moments and vignettes, as everyone's are! The best part of teaching band is that band kids are the same, they are a unique breed of funny all over the country.
Can you tell us one thing about your program or staff that people would be surprised to know? Many would be surprised to discover that the demographics of Kingsport are different than what would traditionally be expected of a city and school district that supports strong fine arts programs. Dobyns-Bennett is a Title I school with almost 60% of students on free or reduced lunch, and the median household income of Kingsport is less than $40,000/year.
Why do you believe it is important to be a part of TMEA? TMEA membership gives access to a lot of meaningful musical opportunities to our students. All-East and All-State honor bands, concert performance assessment festivals, and solo and ensemble are important parts of how student musicians grow, and attending the TMEA conference is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in an awesome educational environment.. Perhaps as importantly, TMEA is now actively involved in legislative advocacy in Nashville--important work that is certainly in the category of "something you don't need until you do". I'm glad my dues are helping fund a lobbyist who helps us monitor education legislation that might impact music classroom instructional time.
Thank you for sharing with us! Best wishes to Dobyns-Bennett High School's students and staff for continued success. May we all try to create cultures for success and represent our state as well as they have.
Where is Dobyns-Bennett High School? Located in Kingsport, Tennessee, about 90 minutes northeast of Knoxville, TN
Who are the directors and staff at Dobyns-Bennett High School? Lafe Cook, Ryan Gilbert; Turner Hawkins, Dave Whaley, and Jed Garvey
How would you describe your band program? The Dobyns-Bennett High School band is a comprehensive scholastic band program located in Kingsport, TN. Consisting of three full concert bands, a football halftime marching band, a nationally recognized "competition band", two winterguards, and a robust percussion program, the Dobyns-Bennett band serves more than 380 students from the Kingsport community.
What music are your bands currently performing? Current literature selections include Shostakovitch's Festive Overture (Wind Ensemble), Brian Balmages' Within the Castle Walls (Symphonic Band), and Roland Barrett's Cimarron Sketches (Concert Band), among other selections.
Will you please share a fun moment or great memory? Our rehearsals are full of little moments and vignettes, as everyone's are! The best part of teaching band is that band kids are the same, they are a unique breed of funny all over the country.
Can you tell us one thing about your program or staff that people would be surprised to know? Many would be surprised to discover that the demographics of Kingsport are different than what would traditionally be expected of a city and school district that supports strong fine arts programs. Dobyns-Bennett is a Title I school with almost 60% of students on free or reduced lunch, and the median household income of Kingsport is less than $40,000/year.
Why do you believe it is important to be a part of TMEA? TMEA membership gives access to a lot of meaningful musical opportunities to our students. All-East and All-State honor bands, concert performance assessment festivals, and solo and ensemble are important parts of how student musicians grow, and attending the TMEA conference is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in an awesome educational environment.. Perhaps as importantly, TMEA is now actively involved in legislative advocacy in Nashville--important work that is certainly in the category of "something you don't need until you do". I'm glad my dues are helping fund a lobbyist who helps us monitor education legislation that might impact music classroom instructional time.
Thank you for sharing with us! Best wishes to Dobyns-Bennett High School's students and staff for continued success. May we all try to create cultures for success and represent our state as well as they have.