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Music director will be missed at NPHS In a student's eyes, tragedy hits hardest when it affects them personally. My world changed this year dramatically on Mon., Feb. 26 when Mr. Garcia, the band director at Newbury Park High School, indicated in a letter to his Panther Band family he had submitted his letter of resignation. On May 21 at the Civic Arts Plaza, Mr. Garcia conducted the All District Band Festival for his last time. Sadly, many students will never have the opportunity to learn from Mr. G, who teaches more than just music at Newbury Park High. He has led us to three state championships in the Class A Division of the Western Band Association in his brief five years. The WBA has more than 12,000 students that perform annually in competitions from Northern, Central and Southern California. He has had to creatively find strength in each and every one of his members in the Marching Band and Color Guard. Many NPHS band members compete on an instrument(s) totally different than the one they originally learned and practiced with for years. Our band is the smallest in Conejo Valley, but that does not stop Mr. Garcia from artistically composing music which will resonate the sound effectively for the judges. More importantly, we have learned from Mr. G that winning isn't everything. He has graciously taught us that sometimes you play well, march well and have an overall grand performance but the scores don't add up in your favor. Surprisingly, we as a band were prouder in these instances of defeat as he reflected on our season or improvement through our dedication to play at the greatest level of our potential. He sees that "potential" before any of us even realize it's there. He knows us and believes in us, and therefore we learn to believe in ourselves. As our confidence grows, our abilities to assist each other grows; this is the cohesive mix that makes a successful band program. We learn to depend on one another, to realize even the most gifted musician cannot embark on a journey of success without every member playing alongside. That in turn, makes us each a better member of society. We realize that not one movement we march nor note we play can be effective unless the whole group is prepared, dedicated and committed. I realize that's how in a utopian society each member would act. Each member would consistently work with the basic principle that every aspect of their life involves others. This is the main lesson he has shared with me for the past three years--that the cohesiveness we build as a band ultimately makes us a better person for society. I realized this year that acceptance, like defeat, is a part of life.
I should embrace the change and help rebuild our NPHS
band program. This will, in turn, continue Mr. Garcia's legacy at NPHS. | |||||
