THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9503300189
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
IT IS JUST past 10:15 a.m., and Don Hastings' guitar class at Manteo High School is warming up for its final exam. About 20 Jimi Hendrix wannabes are picking out everything from Pearl Jam to J.S. Bach.
``Look at this,'' Hastings says, pointing to a piano loaded with trophies and plaques recently claimed by the band students he directs. ``That's what we won this year.''
His eyes shift to a nearby shelf, where only a few trophies sit overshadowed by those on the piano. ``That's what we won the 10 years before that.''
Hastings is in his second year as band director at Manteo High School. This year, Redskin bands have captured some 37 awards for excellence in performance, a record unprecedented in the school's history.
Hastings, 33, came to Manteo two years ago from the Gaston County system. He says his arrival at the school was not without challenges.
``Our biggest challenge was getting kids to use self-discipline,'' he says. ``They are at the age where they are so much into `me' and `self' it's hard to teach discipline.''
The band carried its newfound discipline to marching festivals throughout eastern North Carolina and Virginia. Hastings began involving the unit in contests early on, and that has paid dividends.
``One of the purposes in taking the kids to contests was to expose them to other bands and other performances,'' Hastings says. ``Living out here, there's nothing going on. We don't have Class 3A or 4A schools that do big drum corps type performances. We have to travel so that our kids can see what other people are doing.
``The kids realize now that there's more to band than sitting and blowing a horn or banging a drum. It takes another step to be a musician and a performer.''
Hastings says building his students' self-esteem through music is a reward greater than any trophy.
``It's really gratifying to see a kid make something of his life through music,'' he says. ``When we go places, the kids are always good. They conduct themselves with pride and dignity, and it carries over into their performance. It also reflects well on the school and the community as a whole.''
Many school systems throughout the country are considering a reduction in extracurricular activities like music, in an effort to re-emphasize academics. Hastings says that would be a mistake.
``People need an outlet,'' he says. ``Music may not be for everybody. There are different forms of expression. You can cram so much knowledge into a kid's head. But that's not going to make him or her any more human. I can't think of anything more self-pleasing or self-gratifying.''
Based on pure numbers, the Hastings philosophy is catching on. The band has grown from 44 members to 60 in just two years. Hastings also works with band directors at Dare County's two middle schools.
``Some students think you can take up band whenever you want, and you can't. You have to have the basics. What I try to do is add to it and polish those skills.''
Hastings has seen the difference music can make in a young life.
``My first year as a teacher, a young man's father came to me, and asked if I could help him. The student was classified LD (learning disabled). The kid's father told me he wanted his son to have something positive happen in his life.
``They didn't have the money for an instrument, so I gave him a baritone horn I had in the bandroom. Within four months he was placed out of the LD class. He made all-state as a 7th-grader. In the 8th grade, he made all-state and all-district as a tuba player. Music gave him something positive. It made him believe in himself, and let him know he could do something well. It brought him out of his shell.
``That's worth more than any trophy,'' Hastings adds. ``When kids see that they can do things well, and they have self-assurance, I've done my job.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ROBIE RAY
This year, Manteo High's Redskin bands have captured some 37 awards
for excellence, a record unprecedented in the school's history.
by CNB