“I always tell them that I do not care about the rating, only that they try their hardest and get the most out of the experience.” ~Bill Thomas
Funny, I've been saying this exact same thing about competitions to my own students for years, but I never realized that I should have been crediting Bill Thomas, my grade-school, junior high, and high school band director. Until today.
I started playing flute in 5th grade and was Mr. Thomas' student for eight of the twelve years he was the band director at Minster Local Schools. He was, by far, my favorite teacher. OK, I confess I had a crush on him in grade school - all the flute players did - but my naive admiration eventually grew into a truly collegial relationship, if not by the time I graduated from high school, then certainly during college when I came home to assist with some of his classes and a few summer band camps. Shortly after I finished my music education degree, Mr. Thomas even called to offer me a job - this was just after he had moved from Minster to take a position with a larger band program in the Cincinnati area. I was just about to start my graduate degree, though, with very different plans for my life. Honored though I was, I graciously declined. I'm sad to say we lost touch after that... Can it possibly be over fifteen years since we last spoke?
Today, reviewing applications for the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance, I saw the name "Bill Thomas" on the resume of a music applicant from Ohio. I wondered if it could possibly be the Bill Thomas who had sparked my own musical development so long ago... I looked up the girl's high school online, and when I found a biography that mentioned his tenure in Minster, I knew that it was indeed the same Mr. Thomas! His name showed up in quite a few posts about the school's band program, but when I went to look for his contact information, I couldn't figure out why he wasn't included on the school's directory.
That's when I found the article about Mr. Thomas' retirement earlier this year and the quote I posted above. I tearfully read about his thirty years of teaching and the incredible legacy he created for his students and colleagues. It's humbling to consider that I, too, am part of Mr. Thomas' legacy and that I have the privilege of passing along some of the wisdom he once bestowed on me.
Well, Mr. Thomas, I always try my hardest and continue to get the most out of every experience, with heartfelt thanks to you!
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