School Bands Start in Fifth Grade, Lead to Popular Foothill Band Review

Last Saturday’s 37th annual provided a testament to Pleasanton’s dedication to music education.

Fifty bands marched through Pleasanton’s downtown, presented performances all day, and concluded with field shows attended by thousands until nearly midnight.

To pull it off, teachers, students and parent volunteers prepared for months, some of them not stopping for more than a nap or a cup of coffee from Friday afternoon through the end of the field shows.

Among those parents were Kathaleen Beach, whose son and daughter, Matt and Anna, play in Foothill High School’s bands, and Terrie Bovaird, whose oldest daughter, Kevie, plays with Amador Valley High School’s bands. Her younger daughter, Jenna, plays with Hart Middle School’s bands.

“I love band!” Beach said Tuesday morning over coffee with Bovaird to discuss music with Pleasanton Patch.

Less than two days earlier, Beach had finished a nearly 24-hour shift volunteering for the Foothill Band Review.

Bovaird said the kids love it, too.

“If they didn’t love it, they couldn’t manage the effort they put into it," she said.

“Plus, when you’re putting in four hours every Tuesday night plus all-day every Saturday, you’re forced to learn how to plan every day three days in advance."

It’s dedication like this that keeps music education top-of-mind at the schools.

Despite regular cuts to school budgets and strains on academic schedules, enrollment in instrumental music programs continues to rise at all levels, from 5th through 12th grades.

Jon Grantham, band and orchestra director at Amador Valley High School credits administration for the school’s ability to accomodate the increased enrollment.

“Thanks to the support of (Amador) principal Jim Hansen, the music programs were able to survive and thrive this year as a result of creative scheduling solutions,” he said.

Mark Aubel, who teaches Amador’s Orchestra and Jazz A classes, echoed Grantham’s comment.

“The orchestra grew from 27 last year to 64 this year,” said Aubel. “This huge jump in enrollment is a direct result of the district allowing the music students to take seven periods instead of six.”

Aubel explained that last spring he presented a proposal to the school board that would allow music students to take an without it costing the district any extra money. As a result, certain music classes were moved to outside the regular school day.

The district, therefore, still pays for just one section of orchestra at Amador. But because the section happens before school, teachers can enroll more students in that class.

Amador also added a Jazz B band this year in an after school period.

Pleasanton families and students’ love of music has grown so much in recent years that when this year’s enrollment for Foothill’s marching band percussion section and drum line increased, the school community raised funds to purchase more instruments.

The resulting percussion and drum sections helped Foothill’s bands earn a total of five first-place awards at the Cupertino Tournament of Bands earlier this month.

Director Josh Butterfield, now in his third year heading up Foothill’s bands, said that separately Foothill’s wind ensemble was selected as the only high school ensemble to be showcased at the California Band Directors All-State Music Education Conference next February in Fresno.

Given the impressive achievements of Pleasanton’s growing high school bands, it can’t be coincidence that the excitement of younger students feeds into high school programs.

At Harvest Park Middle School, for example, band director Paul Perazzo this year hired to direct an added class period of sixth-grade band.

In addition to a sixth-grade strings class of approximately 40 students, more than 100 Harvest Park sixth graders enrolled for band, divided into two classes. Normal band enrollment in previous years is 60 to 70 students.

Borris teaches a sixth-grade band class daily during an ‘A’ period before running off to conduct the city’s nine elementary bands.

Up the road from Harvest Park, Dennis Aquilina, director of instrumental music at Hart Middle School, also noticed a spike in sixth-grade band enrollment.

“We have 70 in sixth grade band and 44 in sixth-grade strings,” said Aquilina, noting that in the past seven years, annual sixth-grade band enrollment has been 60 or so.

“The Strings 1 (6th grade) class has never been bigger and I am excited about that.”

It’s logical to assume that the increase in middle school instrumental music programs comes from a successful elementary program, which this year has also seen an increase in enrollment.

Ironically, Borris’ job as director of elementary bands requires an annual “wait-and-see” period each spring when he learns if the district will have the to support the fifth grade bands that feed into the middle schools. The same is true for elementary strings teacher, Marti Muldoon.

Looking at families whose children have come through the band program from start to finish, one has to appreciate the patience and determination of those who support music education.

“Kevie has received more leadership training in marching band than any other activity she does, including scouts,” said Bovaird.

“It’s going to follow her throughout life.”

Beach appreciates the life skills Pleasanton’s band programs instill.

“It’s character building,” she said.

“And there’s a social component that you can’t beat, when you see the kids sharing their experiences with the younger kids and helping them manage their school work with their love of music.”