Interview: Bruce Hering on Essentially Ellington
in anticipation of competing in the Essentially Ellington program. Three years later,
Hering is taking North High School to the same competition.
Last week, North High School band students got some amazing news – their jazz program has qualified for one of the nation’s most prestigious high school band competitions, Essentially Ellington. Every year, only 15 jazz bands from around the country are selected to compete, traveling to New York City in May to perform the music of Duke Ellington at the infamous Lincoln Center. The top three bands perform with Wynton Marsalis.
This is would be a huge score for any group of high school kids, but it’s an even bigger deal considering that North’s entire band program (concert, jazz, marching, etc.) got brand new director only two years ago. You might remember the controversial reshuffling of music teachers throughout the Eau Claire School District, moving teachers from long-established programs into different schools and forcing others completely out. Within that shakeup, local teacher Bruce Hering left his 20-year post in Memorial High School’s program to head things up at North. Given his long success record at the former school (including numerous Essentially Ellington qualifications), many students (and parents) where left unhappy. But for his part, Hering appears to be doing all right.
Recently, Hering took time to answer a few questions about the achievement ...
What were the challenges with taking over North's band program and getting it to the point you're now at?
First off, I do want to say NHS has had some truly exceptional traditions in the band program over the years, including strong concert and jazz bands, major concerts and trips and so on. But, yes, there were challenges as well: many of the instruments in the NHS inventory were of very poor quality; the NHS music library is in poor condition, the number of students in the NHS band program is about half that at Memorial. But also, many good things were going on: Gene Power had begun to re-invigorate the program in his 3 years at NHS before being reduced to a less than half-time instructor, forcing him to leave; there are many talented, dedicated, and wonderful students in the NHS band program; the NHS administration and NHS Band Parents are strongly supportive of the band program. So, all-in-all, we have the pieces necessary to continue positive growth in the NHS band program.
After the shakeup of local band teachers and programs a while back, this seems like a victory for you. How does it feel?
“I had no intention of doing anything other than my best effort, because that is what a teacher does. I know this Essentially Ellington thing is going to get a lot of attention ... but I am working hard in all parts of the NHS band program, as are all my NHS band students.”
This is a loaded question, but I will answer it. The move putting me at North after 20 years at Memorial was quite honestly a challenge for me, yes. But, as I told the NHS Band students on Day One, "You know me as the 'Memorial Jazz Guy'. But I am NOW the 'NHS Band Director'. I am yours and you are mine, so let's get to work." I had no intention of doing anything other than my best effort, because that is what a teacher does. I know this Essentially Ellington thing is going to get a lot of attention, and again, it's a "jazz" thing. But, I am working hard in ALL parts of the NHS band program, as are ALL my NHS band students: the NHS Concert bands travelled to New Orleans last year to not just perform, but to do community service while we were there; the NHS Marching Bands have gotten rave reviews for our "Thriller" and "American Band" halftime shows; the NHS Pep Bands have packed the stands and rocked the Dog House; the NHS Wind Ensemble just performed "Rhapsody in Blue" to an extended standing ovation; the NHS Varsity and Frosh Bands, along with the other groups raised money to buy drums for an entire village in Ghana; we've won jazz festivals, yes, but we've also won grant money for instruments at NHS. So, the "victory" for me is this: seeing students put in strong efforts to succeed in and through music.
Given your history with Essentially Ellington, what do you feel the program does for students? What do you hope they take away from the experience?
Essentially Ellington is the BEST THING that has happened to jazz education in the United States in the last 20 years. Why? Because it provides students with a huge number of opportunities which would not exist if EE did not exist: previously untranscribed/unavailable Ellington works (which are a national treasure – in fact, they are going into the Smithsonian!); the process of learning/recording/being adjudicated by some of the most knowledgable jazz educators/performers in the world; the possibility of performing in "The House of Swing" at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, truly a chance-of-a-lifetime. Most importantly, though: the idea that continued, persistent, focused collaborative effort CAN lead to the realization of a dream – more simply put, "hard work pays off". THAT is a life-changing realization, whether a young person chooses music as a career or follows virtually any other path in life.
What does the band need to do to prepare?
To prepare musically, we just need to keep swingin'. We can fine-tune things, make solos more exciting, tighten up ensemble passages, find bluesier ways to say things. We have to learn a trumpet feature, in case we land in the top 3 in New York – then, Wynton Marsalis will perform with us at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center! In terms of things BESIDES music, we have to ask the community for support to GET to NYC. The ECASD does not fund national competition travel, so we will be sending out a letter asking for businesses and individuals to help us out (make checks out to NHS BPO-EE and send to North High School 1801 Piedmont Road, EC, 54703--attn NHS Band). We'll be performing a concert on April 2nd and hopefully folks will come out to that and support us in person as well!
The NHS "jazzers" are VERY excited, and so am I. We are getting ready to take a big ole bite out of the Big Apple!
