I am very grateful to Mirror reporter Mike Davies for coming to an early morning band practice at Carihi last week and writing about our latest adventures.
I am, however, compelled to clarify a point in the article, though not in any way due to poor reporting on his part.
The article in Friday’s paper put far too much credit for the success of Carihi’s band program in my lap.
While the program has indeed grown over the past few years, there are many contributors to that success. First and foremost, dedicated and highly skilled elementary music teachers guide and inspire our very youngest students from an early age.
Then, both of our middle schools, Southgate and Phoenix have extremely large and successful band programs. Ably and energetically led, they feed both Timberline and Carihi wonderful young musicians. There, the seeds planted in elementary schools, fully take root, blossoming in our secondary programs.
Without a doubt, support for music in general and band programs specifically, reflects a solid commitment to them and their continued growth on behalf of our school district and its leadership.
The community at large also plays a hand supporting both sports and music with numerous bottle drives, chocolate sales and bagging days at many of our local grocery stores.
Reflecting on music at Carihi in particular, there are and were many hands tilling that soil. A long tradition of popular and successful musicals, a choir, guitar and music composition classes, in addition to the bands, are the result of numerous dedicated and hardworking teachers, students and parents as well as a supportive administration and PAC.
Finally, and to address specifically the band program at Carihi, I was extremely fortunate to inherit a very solid, well run and established program from my friend and predecessor, Jim Vining, and the countless hundreds of students he has taught throughout his career.
While I am very proud of the growth of the band program at Carihi, a house is only as good as its foundation and I didn’t pour the concrete.
Phil Cassidy
Band and History Teacher
Carihi Secondary
