Q&A: CHS band director talks job and performing

Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of interviews with local officials. Bill Allred recently announced his retirement as Clovis High School's band director after a run of 11 consecutive state marching band championships.

Q: You have nearly three decades with the Clovis band programs. What themes have you seen in teaching students through this time?

A: Throughout nearly three decades of teaching within the Clovis community, my dedication and commitment to education and the art form has only grown.

Band is such an important part of this community and if you walk through the High School Band Room, students can see pictures of their parents and sometimes even grandparents that also participated in band.

This solidifies the understanding, to any educator within these walls, that what they do matters. Their interaction with students will influence whether the next generation's picture will appear on the walls, as well.

Ultimately, music has a way of bridging the gap of differences that students may experience socially. They find their solidarity and commonality within the sound. To witness that, and create an environment where that can exist is special.

Q: What does the band director do while the band is performing, whether it's halftime at a football game or during the state-championship competition?

A: As a director, you are always observing. It is much like an engineer, or scientist. You have calculated, formulated, and implemented. Then you have to allow the experiment to run, and observe.

You observe vulnerabilities, and opportunities, but most importantly, you relish in the collective success in the performance, for your students, so that they can also feel great about their experience.

It has to be about the journey, and the growth mindset for the students – always. The championships are a source of pride for the community – and that's great, but if the students fail to have a positive experience where they grow and learn about music and about themselves, then the trophy fails to be significant.

Q: As a band director, are you like a football coach? Do you watch films? Critique each student's strengths and weaknesses? Throw your clipboard when something goes wrong?

A: As a band director, yes, I watch recordings of all performances, to assess how to improve the experience for the audience and the students. Sometimes we have to alter the "playbook" in order to improve the performance.

But more importantly, we have to create an environment where there can be collective vulnerability and expression, as well as an ambitious drive towards excellence.

That is a hard balance that requires attention to detail and considerate implementation. Not only do we require these students to be quite powerful athletic on the field, but expressive and sensitive to sound.

There have been studies that have compared marching performers to elite athletes, and there are many parallels. I have to critique each performance, but it is also important not to let any negative emotions that I might feel bleed into the student experience, because not only am I a teacher, but a trainer, a coach, and a mentor.

A band director has to make their students believe they have super-powers and accomplish anything! No thrown clip boards – just a lot of careful planning, and constant assessment and correction, peppered with encouragement and support.

Q: What inspired you to be a public-school music teacher? Were you in the band yourself as a student?

A: I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, because of my own experience. I realized that as a music teacher I could create a space where kids could feel important, recognized, valued, and special regardless of family background or socioeconomic status. I was in band in high school and college and loved every minute!

Q: How does music education help students after high school?

A: Music in the high school classroom is not just about notes and rhythms. In the music classroom, students learn about responsibility, process, accountability, follow through, commitment, perseverance and resilience.

The average music student will miss a note hundreds of times, yet they have to find the will to engage their own self-awareness, dig into their inner strength, pack up the pride that will get in the way of progress, and go at it again until they get it right. This creates powerful people that will have the strength of character and purpose to tackle the hard problems that impact our communities.

Q: Do you have a favorite instrument to teach?

A: The whole band.

Q: Road trip, 100 miles to go, you're alone in your vehicle, what music are you listening to and why?

A: Right now, classic Christmas music. It reminds me to be grateful for my many blessings and find joy in the journey. I float between many genres for variety.

- Compiled by Madison Willis, the Staff of the News