Presenting the McMiddle Band!

In August 2023, during pre-school staff development, the four middle school band directors from the Metro Nashville Public Schools McGavock cluster created the concept of an 8th grade mass band opportunity. The initiative aimed to highlight the 8th grade students and encourage them to continue their music studies in high school. The event provided students with a musically enriching and socially rewarding experience, helping students forge new friendships with future classmates. As a result of the combined concert event, many students chose to participate in high school band that were not initially planning to continue their music education.

Middle school students are truly unique—one moment they’re ready to conquer the world, and the next, they’re filled with doubt. Our goal was to reassure our students that the musical skills they developed in middle school would seamlessly transition into high school, even if they were worried about feeling out of place or not having friends to navigate these new experiences with. We wanted to demonstrate that joining high school band could be one of the best ways to start high school.

To achieve this, each of our individual programs worked on the same five pieces of music, despite the varying levels of development among the students. Some were playing at a very high level, while others were beginners. We wanted to emphasize that every student had value and could be a contributing member of the high school band. By bringing them together as 8th graders, they felt a sense of unity and recognized that, as a whole, they were valuable.

Students: Our primary focus is on our students, many of whom come from modest backgrounds, with over half living in single-parent households or being raised by someone other than their parents. We aim to provide them with a supportive environment where they feel valued and worthy. Daily band class is a gift that helps them grow, even if they don’t always realize it. Bringing them together as a fifty-five-member ensemble allowed them to feel part of something special, and we want them to know this sense of belonging can continue into high school.

Parents: While our community values music as enjoyable, not all parents recognize the broader benefits, such as teamwork, determination, and resilience, that their children gain through band. By showcasing how students light up during performances and through our advocacy efforts, we aim to help families understand how these skills extend beyond the band room and contribute to their children’s overall development.

Administrators: We also target school administrators to emphasize the importance of protecting music education and class time. Band provides a unique space where many students thrive, especially those who may struggle in other academic areas. With the increasing focus on standardized test scores, we advocate for the value of Social Emotional Learning and the role of music education in fostering student well-being and a sense of community. The skills learned in our classrooms—such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience—are essential in shaping the next generation of leaders. By investing in music education, we’re not just nurturing musicians; we’re building future leaders who will carry these skills outside of our classrooms.

August 2023 – Planning began for the “McMiddle” Band.

September-October 2023 – Paperwork was processed for the event. Each school director had to get permission to participate in the event. The site had to be secured and put on the master calendar of the school hosting the event.

November 2024 – Details were discussed among the four directors and a schedule for the day of the event was put in place.

January 2024 – Transportation arranged. This was quite the hurdle.

February 2024 – Music selected for the band. Each MS director picked a specific song to conduct on the concert.

March 2024 – Invitations sent to administrators and central office personnel. Invitations also sent to retired band directors from the former schools participating.

April 2024 – Music is rehearsed at each school.

May 2024 – The McMiddle Band Concert

Kacee Sanders, DuPont Hadley Middle School Band Director – Project Manager and Content Creator
Responsibilities: Leveraging her experience from organizing other honor festivals, including her role as Executive Director of the Southeastern Women in Music Symposium, Sanders established the event timeline and project tasks. She developed the concert program, designed the event poster, created email templates, and ensured team organization. Sanders also coordinated the design and purchase of student participant t-shirts.

Amy Saleeb, Two Rivers Middle School Band Director – Day-Of Coordinator
Responsibilities: Managed day-of rehearsals and organized student meals, ensuring the event ran smoothly from start to finish.

Scott Miller, DuPont Tyler Middle School Band Director – Event Logistics Coordinator and Composer
Responsibilities: Served as the site coordinator, overseeing day-of logistics and handling all rehearsal and performance needs. Additionally, Miller composed a piece dedicated to the 8th-grade class of 2024.

Laura Shepherd, Donelson Middle School Band Director – District Liaison
Responsibilities: Authored the initial project description and secured district approval. Managed transportation logistics, coordinated with the field trip office, and handled extensive paperwork. Shepherd also advertised the event to key stakeholders, including principals, district personnel, and Visual and Performing Arts administrators. She was instrumental in securing food and drink for the students during the event.

For our advocacy initiative, the most valuable resources were our own team and the guidance of our district Secondary Music Coach, Susan Waters. Our team, composed of band directors at different stages of their careers, brought diverse ideas and perspectives that were crucial to the success of the event. Though our administrations fully supported the combined middle school concert, we were tasked with operating on a minimal budget, fully supported by our own resources.

To manage costs, we were responsible for providing the pieces, which were either purchased personally by the directors or, in Scott Miller’s case, composed specifically for the ensemble. We also secured an activity bus for transportation at a minimal cost of $75.

Our team’s collaboration was key, with each director contributing their unique strengths: Laura Shepherd’s experience as a nutritional lead coordinator for the Music City Drum Corps and over thirty years as a middle school band director, Scott Miller’s skills as a composer, Kacee Sanders’ leadership as the Executive Director of the Southeastern Women in Music Symposium, and Amy Saleeb’s fresh perspectives and strong collaborative spirit. Together, these tools and resources allowed us to execute the event successfully while staying within budget.

To market and promote the advocacy initiative, we employed a range of strategic methods. We launched school community call outs to enhance awareness and sent tailored invitations to band families, school staff, community members, school board members, and Visual and Performing Arts administrators. Additionally, we sought support from key district figures, including Director of Schools Dr. Adrienne Battle, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jill Petty, and Executive Director of Schools Dr. Celia Conley. These strategies led to increased visibility and involvement, with administrative representatives from all schools attending the event, including the principal of McGavock High School. This widespread participation highlighted the initiative’s importance and bolstered our advocacy efforts.

• $45 – Concert Literature “Gentle Winds” by Timothy Loest from JW Pepper (Purchased by Laura Shepherd out-of-pocket)
• $50 – Concert Literature “Ready to Fly” by Cait Nishimura from CaitNishimuraMusic (Purchased by Kacee Sanders out-of-pocket)
• $60 – Concert Literature “Oompa Loompa” arr. Chris Bernotas from JW Pepper (Purchased by Amy Saleeb out-of-pocket)
• $75 – Bus Transportation
• $420 – Student Participation t-shirts
• $600 – Food and Beverage (this was donated)

The band director from DuPont Hadley Middle School, Kacee Sanders, was a 2023 Country Music Association Music Teacher of Excellence recipient. The award includes a financial award to support community music education initiatives. Each musician was provided a t-shirt utilizing a portion of these funds, totaling $420 for all shirts.

The challenge encountered throughout our advocacy initiative was finding a way to fund the necessary materials, given that all our schools have Title 1 status and did not have the budget to support the event. The event needed to be provided at no cost to the students, requiring us to cover all expenses. Two middle school programs volunteered to assume financial responsible for logistical cost, and a supportive band parent donated pizza and drinks for the meal.

Another challenge was securing sufficient rehearsal time for the students to rehearse together. Transportation was limited to one school bus shared among all schools, dictating our schedule and leaving us with only half a day for rehearsals. Knowing that rehearsal time would be limited, the directors collaborated on the rehearsal schedule and implemented team teaching during sessions to maximize the effectiveness of the time available.

Effectiveness is measured by comparing the total number of middle school band students across the McGavock cluster with the number who continued into high school band. Data from the 2022-2023 school year reflects 32% of middle school students continued into the high school band program, with a total of 8 of 25 8th grade middle school students among all four middle school programs. Data from the 2023-2024 school year reflects an increase to 70% of middle school students continued into the high school band program, with a total of 37 of 52 8th grade middle school students.

The 2024-2025 8th grade middle school students is an increased 78 members. With the data reflecting positive trends of increased high school participation, the McMiddle 8th Grade Combined Concert has established its effectiveness in increasing retention.

Our advocacy initiative has significantly revitalized the McGavock cluster’s music programs, boosting enthusiasm, engagement, and recruitment across all levels. Students are excited to perform with peers from other schools and are motivated by the support from school administrators and district personnel. The event has become a highly anticipated annual highlight for our eighth graders.

The success of this initiative has also led other middle schools in Metro Nashville Public Schools to seek our advice on hosting similar events, broadening our impact.

We have observed a substantial increase in eighth grade participation: from 25 students in the 2022-2023 school year to 52 in 2023-2024, and now to 78 students in the current year—representing a 212% increase over two years.

Furthermore, the McGavock High School band program, which saw a significant decline in participation due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, has benefited from the renewed interest generated by this concert. The strong support from McGavock High School alumni highlights the concert’s role in revitalizing our music programs and strengthening the recruitment pipeline for the high school band.

Focus on fostering connections between students from different schools. Encourage friendships to motivate them to continue their musical journey into high school band. Building a sense of community will make them more comfortable and excited about transitioning together.

As we begin planning for the 2025 McMiddle Combined Concert event, we will be incorporating more opportunities for the students from the four middle schools to interact outside of rehearsals. In our initial planning, we focused primarily on the logistics of rehearsal time, meals, and the concert itself, but we missed the chance to facilitate social connections beyond music-making. The addition of community-building activities could help foster more socializing and friendships, which would strengthen the sense of belonging and camaraderie among the students.