richard@iolaregister.com
Robert McGuire, hired in August to become instrumental music instructor for Iola’s middle and high schools, knew coming in that he would be wearing many hats.
“A band director is never just a band director,” he said, pointing to the tasks of arranging fundraisers, handling the bookkeeping for such ventures or serving as a tailor for students and their uniforms. “It really is a multi-faceted position.”
McGuire, 23, has hit the ground running in his first three months on the job, part of a whirlwind summer in which he was hired just months after earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Kansas.
The IHS marching band, and its 56 students, is loaded with unbridled enthusiasm.
“Some of the enthusiasm comes from me,” he said. “I like to make learning fun. But much of it comes from the students. When I see them doing a difficult performance – and doing it well – that makes it even more exciting.”
The band has performed publicly a number of times, such as at the IHS home football games and during the homecoming and Farm-City Days parades. The band will traveled to Independence today to march in the Neewollah parade, and in Iola Nov. 12 as part of Veterans Day festivities.
McGuire is just as excited about watching the middle school band and its development.
“Both bands have played very well already,” he said. “When I got here, there were some students who needed help with basic concepts, but I was surprised to see how many were already excelling. It’s fun to work with them.”
THE BAND students are about one-third of the way to raising enough funds for a May trip to New York City, band instructor McGuire reported this week.
To date, the students have collected about $15,000 of the $42,000 needed for the four-day trip to the Big Apple, starting May 29, McGuire said.
The trip will include visits to several tourist destinations, a pair of performances for a local retirement community, lunch in Central Park and a visit to a Broadway play, most likely “The Phantom of the Opera.”
“This is a great opportunity because I’m certain not many of the students have seen a Broadway show before,” McGuire said. “I haven’t either.”
The itinerary is loaded with activities from start to finish, McGuire said, and will keep the band students on the run each day from morning to night.
“We’re packing a lot of activities in those four days,” he said. “It will be well worth the money.”
THE STUDENTS are preparing for a pair of upcoming fundraisers geared to satisfy local music and dessert tastes.
Starting Tuesday, orders will be accepted for homemade pies and cinnamon rolls.
The pies will sell for $10 apiece; the cinnamon rolls, $15 a dozen.
Orders will be accepted through Nov. 14. Items can be picked up the evening of Nov. 21 – just in time for Thanksgiving, McGuire noted.
To order, contact Marla Wilson at 365-9109 or via e-mail at marla.wilson@usd257.org; or Nancy Cokely, 228-2491 or nancy.cokely@usd257.org.
The IHS Jazz Band will offer “An Evening of Jazz” at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at the high school commons area.
The smooth-sounding jazz will serve as the centerpiece for an evening of mingling, dining on assorted desserts and of course dancing, McGuire said.
“It’s a good opportunity for our jazz band to perform, and it’s a great opportunity for the public to hear how our band sounds,” McGuire said.
Tickets for the event go on sale Nov. 7. Advance tickets will sell for $8. Tickets at the door will sell for $10 apiece.
A silent auction for a number of gift baskets and other donated items also is planned.
Those seeking to donate financially, or by offering silent auctions, can contact McGuire at the high school.
The auction will include more baked goods, McGuire said, and again would be ideal for somebody looking for an extra dessert or two for Thanksgiving.
