Eugene, Oregon

Shasta Middle School Band Director Joe Ingram III didn’t set out to be a music teacher. But after several early years as a touring musician, he wasn’t happy. He took a temporary gig at a Salvation Army summer music camp, and that’s where he found his calling.

“Working with those kids was really rewarding,” he says. “I came out of that summer knowing what I needed to do.”

Now, after 25 years at SMS, Ingram still enjoys helping students find their musical identities.

“Each band has its own personality, and I love the challenge of finding the right music to fit that personality, figuring out what I can do to make each band grow,” he says.

Thanks to such dedicated leadership, the SMS bands have won more than 80 trophies over the years. The school’s jazz band is one of the best in the Northwest, and the Ingram-organized Shasta Band Festival brings about 1000 visitors to SMS every year.

Ingram’s work has earned him the 2005 Oregon Middle Level Teacher of the Year award, the 1993 Oregon Teacher of the Year award and countless scrapbooks from appreciative students and parents.

But the best part of his job is still the experience of performing with his students.

“The privilege is to stand in front of a jazz band that’s really swinging. Even in rehearsal, when we all really get it, there’s nothing like it,” he says.

That experience wouldn’t be possible, he says, without his colleagues and community. He points to the unwavering support of teachers and parents and to the school board’s determination to make music education a priority.

“When other programs have been cut, they’ve chosen time and again to hang onto music, and I appreciate that very much,” he says.

Learn more about the Shasta Middle School Band program at www.shastabands.com.