ANDERSON, Ind. — Highland High School band director Douglas Fletcher — and the many musicians he directs — have been on a roller coaster ride this year.
There was the high of the Marching Scots winning the Indiana State Fair Band Day competition this summer. Later in the year, there was the low of learning that Highland’s rich band tradition would never be the same when Highland and Anderson High School are consolidated next school year.
“When the decision was made, I told my kids let’s not waste a single day,” Fletcher said. “Let’s not waste the time we’ve had together and we’ve had great rehearsals, great performances and we’re trying to finish this thing up the way I know Highland and that’s a class act.”
Like many in Anderson Community Schools, Fletcher doesn’t know what his future holds in the coming consolidation. But whatever happens, his peers last weekend gave him a rare honor.
Fletcher was awarded the Outstanding Bandmaster Award at the All-State High School Band concert at Purdue University. The award is presented by a select, fraternal group of band leaders, Phi Beta Mu.
Fletcher, a 1978 Madison Heights High School graduate who has been at Highland for 12 of his 25 years as an educator, was one of two recipients of the award. The other was William Stultz, band director at Columbus North High School. Stultz was raised in Anderson, however, and graduated from Anderson High School in 1977.
“It’s truly an honor and been a very humbling experience,” Fletcher said.
The accolade comes as the future of band program in ACS is in the air due to consolidation and program cuts being forced by a financial crisis.
“None of us know where we’re going to be,” he said of band leaders and music teachers at Anderson and Highland. “For 25 years I’ve been doing this with some degree of success, and it’s not a situation I thought I would find myself in.
“I feel like the band programs in this city have been one of the shining stars of ACS,” he said. “I feel like it’s a program they should be trying to support and build upon.
“At this point I don’t know if there’s going to be a summer marching band program, and I think it’s a shame. It could be one of the things to bring the schools together almost immediately,” Fletcher said.
ACS Superintendent Felix Chow said Tuesday that he was not yet prepared to discuss the school band programs, and that no firm decisions have been made.
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
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Catch Highland’s bands
Here are some upcoming free performances of Highland High School bands. All are free and open to the public:
- Thursday: Symphonic and wind ensemble bands, 7 p.m. at Anderson University’s Reardon Auditorium.
- Tuesday, March 23: Concert with the school’s three jazz bands, 7 p.m. at the Highland auditorium.
- May 7-9: Plaid and White Review with all Highland bands in the school gym.
