This “Hi-Stepper” has experienced various levels of Academic instruction and personal achievement. His body of work exudes excellence and will continue to be note worthy. We are proud to turn our attention to a seasoned professional in Hurst Texas; Mr. John Alstrin, Associate Director of Bands at L.D. Bell High School. Before providing the interview, we preface with a few of his “Hi-Steps”.
· A graduate of the illustrious Texas Christian University in Fort Worth Texas; and a Former Head Drum Major of the Marching Band
· Did his student teaching at LD. Bell High School
· Initiated his first professional run with the World Renowned Lake Highlands High School Dallas, Texas for 6 years; 2000 – 2006 where his focus was at the high school level for 5 years and middle school for 1 and all 6 having elementary school obligations.
· Moving to the University of Houston to undergo and complete a Masters Program and attain professorship and all the while having the opportunity to teach at The Madison Scouts & Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps.
· Mr. Alstrin has ended up right back where he did his student teaching and is currently the “Associate Director of Bands at LD. Bell High School!”
Question #1
What sealed your LOVE for Music and do you remember how old you were when you knew?
I knew that I loved music in the 8th grade. I remember playing Joyant Winds, thinking that it was the coolest song I’d ever heard. After that the goose bumps started to pop up more often when I heard a great recording or connected with a song that we were playing in band or jazz band. What sealed my love for music was realizing that this feeling was intensifying. As music became more challenging and my abilities to perform, understand, and appreciate it grew, I knew it was my calling to be involved with music. So, about my junior year of high school I decided to go to school to study to become a band director.
Question #2
As related to truly understanding what “Music Performance Education” means, what has your “Ever Evolving Perspective” been like for you? Please take us on a journey that chronicles your humble beginnings in music performance education to where you are currently in music performance education.
First of all, I think that your wording of this question is terrific. Music Performance Education really is what we teach. There are inherent values and undeniable lessons that we learn in our study of music and in my case band, but realizing that what we are teaching is so largely about preparing performers is a key aspect to Music Education.
I would say that my perspective has been molded by my experiences that began with my student teaching at LD Bell High School in 2000. I student taught with Joe Grzybowski, Jeremy Earnhart, John Pollard, Steve Madsen, and Christine Belle. The Bell cluster was experiencing growth and success in the marching and concert band venues; the Bell band performed at The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the Bedford JH band was the BBB Honor Band. The marching band was very successful in local area contests and was just starting their participation with Bands of America. In my student teaching I learned to listen. I listened and watched teachers who were achieving at a very high level. Coming from Kansas, I had never seen fundamentals or team teaching. Texas band was truly a mystery to me and I was fascinated.
When I finished my student teaching with Steve Madsen in the Spring, he sent me to visit with Bob Brandenberger who was teaching at Liberty Junior High in Richardson. Mr. Brandenberger had taught previously at SMU and before that was at Lake Highlands High School with Mr. Eddie Green. Mr. Brandenberger and I talked about teaching, his time at SMU, and band in general. I then went over to Berkner High School and met with Mike Brashear and observed his band. While I was in the neighborhood, I dropped in on an old TCU friend, Laura Appling, at Lake Highlands High School. She introduced me to Marion West and before I knew it, I was having lunch with the Lake Highlands team. This led to my first job.
I began working at Lake Highlands High School in the fall of 2000. I had taken a great job for any beginning teacher, but I really feel as though the universe crafted this JUST for me. I got to assist with the marching band, teach the jazz band, and most importantly, teach two beginning band classes. I would sit with Marion and ask her questions about what and how to teach beginning band students and that is worth its weight in gold. After teaching with the Lake Highlands Team and getting to learn from teachers such as Marion West, Ramsey MacDonald, Billie Nero, Robin Moffit, Joyce Boelshe, James McNair, Jason Williams, Fernando Medina, and Randy Phillips on a daily basis. The teachers of the Lake Highlands team were aggressive, talented, detailed, and worked VERY hard. This group was not afraid to put in a long day and then go out to dinner to talk shop, music, and life in general. I think this is where I cut my teeth and picked up the Texas band director work ethic. I say Texas because in my experiences I have seen dozens and dozens of teams who fit this same description. I think this is why Texas bands are what they are. Texas band directors are competitive, dedicated, and very proud people.
After 6 years with the Lake Highlands cluster I decided to return to school to continue my study of music in the University environment. I left my salary and benefits, took on a TA position and began my studies at the University of Houston under the tutelage of David Bertman, John Benzer, Tom Bennett, and Eddie Green. After my first year there I was hired as an Assistant Band Director and operated in that position for two years. To say that my experience at U of H was anything less than life changing would be an understatement. Maybe the most significant aspect of this change was having a clearer vision on the overall musical development and growth of students from 6th grade through college. Understanding the different levels of ability and potential at both ends of the spectrum allows for a deeper and more meaningful connection with all of the students I encounter.
I am currently teaching on a team of directors at LD Bell High School and am having a blast! I missed teaching beginners and working with this age group. I wasn’t “ready” to be a full time college professor at this point in my career. It was a GREAT job, and it was very difficult to leave it.
Question #3
What were the similarities & differences when you transferred from High School or just Public School Curriculum, into the Drum Corps World?
Working with the Madison Scouts in 2006 and with the Cavaliers in 2009 both provided opportunities to compare public school, University, and Drum Corps approaches to teaching music and performance. Some of the similarities consist of the dedication to fundamentals and an understanding that with the development of proper fundamentals, skills, and techniques the music comes together at a higher level at a faster rate. It is truly amazing how this is becoming more and more evident in the parking lots of Bands of America and DCI events. More groups are catching on to the ensemble skills and fundamentals that can be traced back to Mr. Green in the 1960’s at Lake Highlands High School.
One of the biggest differences is the attention to the individual. My observations are that the groups, be it public school or Drum Corps, that focus on the individual with concerted effort and structured listening and specific development have the most success. And that is happening more and more. There is only so much that you can do with grenade-like comments to a general area in a large ensemble.
Question #4
From your perspective.. Woodwinds to Brass to Percussion, in Elementary School, Middle School, High School or University level, give us some similarities that link all these degrees of difference in each of the four stages of development.
The link, in my opinion, is fundamentals. I’ve heard and seen very talented beginning teachers and college professors working: mouthpiece and neck on saxophone, mouthpiece and barrel on clarinet, head joints on flute, brass mouthpieces, hand positions, fulcrums, legato strokes, lip slurs, articulation, etc. etc. etc. You see the best teachers doing the SAME exercises with students at all levels of schooling. The key is being able to diagnose an older player with the fundamental that they neglected to be taught properly in the beginning and then knowing the limitations and potential for this to be corrected or re-taught.
I do feel as though you can go deeper into concepts with older students. And that said … too many teachers are overly cautious conceptually with their younger students. 6th graders are smarter than most teachers give them credit for. The most important thing here is knowing how to layer concepts in a way that builds grade by grade, level by level. And that takes awareness, practice, and of course trial and error.
Question #5
Do you have an idiom preference…. concert, orchestral, jazz, marching, drum corps?
I would have to say that one of the reasons I love my job is that I get to do a little bit of everything. As soon as I get too deep into one I usually take a break from it and then go back. If I had to pick, it would be jazz.
Question #6
What is your history with LD. Bell & what does it mean for you to be in the trenches with the program now?
I have given a little bit of the history in a previous answer, so I will answer the latter. For me, being in the trenches is significantly meaningful. Being at the school where I student taught, 10 minutes away from TCU where I went to school, buying a house in the area, raising a family and scouting out elementary schools in the district, all of that is very fulfilling to me as an educator and a father/husband. I am on a team of unique talents and I thoroughly enjoy working and being with the other directors, lesson teachers, field techs, etc. The three feeder Junior Highs are set up in a 7-9 grade model and have homogeneous beginning classes and amazing directors. It is really a dream job.
Because of the unparalleled success of Jeremy Earnhart and the Bell directors for the past ten years in the marching arena, we have tremendous shoes to fill and feel that pressure and responsibility to the community and our stakeholders past and present. We enjoy the challenge.
Question #7
Do you believe that “Music Education” EVER has to fear being taken out of school curriculum?
Yes, I do. I’m glad that there are people that are motivating to protect Music Education on a daily basis. I think that all in all, I trust that there is enough fight to counter the financial pressures to keep this from happening. I have heard of schools losing programs in California. It feels like a death in the family when I hear stories like that.
Question #8
What is you & your Head Director, the renowned Mr. Van Mathews vision for LD. Bell? What should we be expecting from you guys in say the next 5 years
The vision is to do our best and to keep the program growing and moving. We are truly standing on the shoulders of Giants. Realizing that this momentum needs railroad track in front of it to keep rolling is enough to keep us all busy. We are simply trying to maintain while continuing to develop all aspects of the band program on the whole.
Question #9
To the THOUSANDS of Band Directors, in our country alone, what would you say to your colleagues about the reason or reasons that makes you happiest for making the decision to be an “Instrumental Music Educator?”
When I thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life as an 11th grader, I thought to myself … I want to play music every day. That just sounded like a fun job to me. And it turned out that I was right.
Question #10
Describe for us, a moment, that was a major impact to a successful professional development… and did it spill over positively to your personal life?
Realizing that I had to follow through with kids. That they needed it. That they might not get that from anyone else in their life. And yes, that is spilling over into my role as a dad. Being a dad is making me a better teacher and being a teacher makes me a better dad.