St. Bernard Prep hires Band Director

An old adage at St. Bernard is "Old teachers don't retire, they just become Saints."  This is true for Lester Harris.  Harris retired from the Jefferson County public system in 2003 where he served 25 years as a Band Director in various schools.  His career has included years spent at Jasper Middle School where he also served as assistant at Walker County High School to Edgewater High school.  He spent eight years at Minor High School and his last eight years at Tarrant City. 

Harris said, "When I retired, (I was too young to retire), but I was not ready to be through working with children.  I have worked with bands, several music dealers in instrument sales and repairs, and then I decided to become a private teacher and travel around to different schools to teach private lessons."

In returning to a school setting, Harris is joining Rodney Basenburg, another "Saint" in the fine arts program at St. Bernard Middle School.  "I'm very happy to work with Mr. Basenburg.  I can tell he has done a fine job, and that the kids love and respect him.  A lot of effort has gone into his play productions, and choral music program.  I will be able to help take a load off him."

Fr. Joel Martin, High School Headmaster, said he and Mr. John Tekulve, Assistant Headmaster at the Middle School, were pleased with the addition of instrumental music to the Middle School program.  The newly created band room is housed in the lower level of Founders Hall.  It contains chairs, music stands, an oak teacher's desk, and a large whiteboard.  The spacious room has at least five huge windows adjacent to the athletic facilities. 

According to Harris, "Students are responsible for providing their own instrument.   The school has some needs such as school equipment to assist with our classroom, but I'm reluctant to purchase anything until we have a chance to look around campus to see what we have available to us."

Harris says the instrumental music program hopes to capitalize on students who already have prior training in musical instruments, and incorporate a beginner program.    Nine students have training and a couple students have had training in guitar and strings.   "The first day I met with students to introduce the beginners program, we had 15 students.  I will start auditioning them to see what they are capable of doing.  Since we don't have a huge number of students to field a full-blown concert band, I'm not going there.  We are going to stick with a good jazz instrumentation.  We will be able to play any kind of music; we just may not have all the traditional instruments."

 "Band helps create self esteem in students.  Most doctors, lawyers, and business professionals were in the band.  Music students can work well within a system, and are committed to hard work.  Fr. Joel and Mr. Tekulve are to be commended.  Music only increases the value of the school," Harris added.

Eventually, Harris plans to encourage students to try out for state competitions. "I have judged the Hartselle Band Festival and the Hoover Band Festival," said Harris.   "I am a state judge at competitions and will be taking a few days off to judge a band festival at Troy in February.  The All-State Music Festival is in April.  One of the biggest things you can do as a band musician is to make All-State.  That is quite a hurdle.  It is very difficult to do that because you have to be an accomplished player.  That will be one of our goals to eventually have some kids who will be able to do compete at that level."

Smiling, Harris said, "It's funny because right before I retired in 2002 from public schools, I called Fr. Joel to inquire about a position.  He told me at that time, they were not ready to pursue that direction.  I figured I would never hear from him again.  Now, here it is 2008 and Fr. Joel has called and said I'm ready."

In his spare time, Harris is a noted Trumpeter and band leader who has performed in a variety of musical groups throughout the Eastern U.S. for the past 25 years!   Although he has a strong background in classical music, his greatest interests lie in Jazz, Rock and Rhythm & Blues.  He plays the trumpet, valve trombone and sings backup vocals for De'Ja Blue Band as well as writes the horn arrangements for the band.

Harris resides with his family at Smith Lake, near Cullman, Alabama.  He has four children and three grandchildren.