An initiative of Jasper County Schools
Speak Softly
and Carry a
Big Tuba!
By Lisa Cannon
Brian Ridlen has always loved band. From the time he started playing music in the fifth grade until now, entering his twenty-first year as a teacher and nineteenth as a band teacher and director, the band room is where he feels light, easy and joyful, perhaps most himself. That is a feeling that he wants every student who enters through those band room doors to also know. Brian talks about the sense of community, acceptance and common purpose that he cultivates in his band room. All kids are welcome, and all play, regardless of skill level. Unlike sports, you don’t have to try out or make a team, you can just come and jam!
Growing up in Oblong, Mr. Ridlen was himself once a shy, awkward kid. He didn’t always feel comfortable talking but he always felt that he could express himself through music. He may have been quiet, but he chose a big, loud instrument: the tuba! The Sousaphone as it is also known is the largest instrument in the marching band. Playing one while marching and doing routines is quite the workout. Brian cites studies that have shown that completing a seven-minute marching band routine can be the equivalent physical exertion of playing a full game of football.
The young Mr. Ridlen didn’t know about the many benefits of music, he just knew that he liked it and felt happy and comfortable doing it. His dad was big into gospel music but that was not really to Brian’s taste. He credits his band teacher and director, David Larkin with inspiring him to become a band teacher—something he has known he wanted to do since high school. Nineteen years, and many marching band performances later he has never doubted or regretted that choice!
The band program is a big deal in Jasper. They have played at the Rose Bowl, and this year will be playing in parades in Chicago and at Walt Disney World. The former is being filmed as part of a Christmas special. Through much of the Fall, the band travels to competitions around the state. The big one is the competition at the University of Illinois, where the band gets to play in that huge football stadium. Brian tells us that Miss D (aka Carolyn Dominick) first put Jasper’s band on the map and invested resources in building the program. The special trips do cost money, but between group, school and individual fundraising no one ever stays home for lack of money.
As the new school year begins, Mr. Ridlen and Mr. Finley (the Junior High band director and Assistant High School band director) who co-teach fifth-grade band are helping students choose what instrument they would like to play. For those considering the tuba, he notes that they are switching to a new type that is lighter and doesn’t wrap around the body, making it easier to play.
It sounds like the teachers encourage students to try different options and think carefully about their choice. This probably counts as one of the first big decisions that these kids get to make for themselves. It seems like one of the many ways in which being in band teaches students social-emotional and executive function skills that go beyond music. These are the kind of skills that are valuable in all aspects of school and life. It may be why studies show that young people who are in school band have higher rates of success in school and beyond than their non-musical peers.
But it’s not all hard work and seriousness. In the band room, all kinds of students can just have fun, relax, and cherish some soft moments in their day. He notes that the band room is often the one place where students are not in social cliques, but all interacting together towards a common purpose. This connection and belonging is something students hunger for without even knowing it. For some, it is the one thing that motivates them to come to school. We talk about the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and school. Having so much unstructured time, where they were isolated, and few demands were made has, in Brian’s opinion, gotten students out of the habits of participation, engagement, and hard work. But he sounds confident that over time these things will get back into balance.
Mr. Ridlen mentions that the upcoming annual community show’s theme will be ‘Grace.’ He chose that because he wanted his students to create something beautiful and kind to offer their community. He knows that the world is not always kind, but that music can give students a safe place where they all belong. And everyone belongs in Jasper County Band.
The world is not always kind, but that music can give students a safe place where they all belong.
