Music Teachers Honored

DuWayne Dale, director of bands at Daviess County High School, was named Kentucky Music Educators Association District 2 High School Teacher of the Year. Gail Waller, music teacher at West Louisville Elementary School, was named Kentucky Music Educators Association District 2 Elementary Teacher of the Year. Mike Clark, assistant band director at Daviess County High School and sixth-grade orchestra director at College View Middle School, was awarded the Kentucky Music Educators Association District 2 Citation of Service.

Dale was also nominated and elected to serve as president-elect for District 2, which includes all Kentucky Music Educators Association music educators in this region of Kentucky. He will serve as president-elect until the summer of 2014, when he will begin his two-year term as district president.

Waller said the honor was especially meaningful as it was based on nominations and vote of her colleagues. “My fellow music educators know the ‘ins and outs’ of good music teaching, training, activities in the classroom and resources,” she said. “I am honored that they thought enough of my music program and my teaching to nominate me.”

Dale said he takes great pride in being a part of the Band of Pride and getting to work with outstanding and dedicated students. “Kids like these make me want to work harder every day to find ways to challenge them and to expand on the success and tradition of this program,” Dale said. “For my colleagues in District 2 to recognize me is an honor, but no more of an honor than it is for me to be able walk into the band room at Daviess County High School every day!”

These individuals were recognized Feb. 8 at the state Kentucky Music Educators Association conference in Louisville and are featured in a recent issue of the “Bluegrass Music News” publication for Kentucky Music Educators Association members.

The Citation for Service is an award given to honor years of dedicated service to music education. Clark spent 29 years teaching music in public schools before retiring, 10 of which were at Daviess County High School. Following that, he spent a year at Kentucky Wesleyan College and has since worked part time for Daviess County High School as an assistant band director for Daviess County High School and as an orchestra teacher for CVMS. Clark says, “Teaching music students has been the most rewarding experience any educator could hope for.”

The Daviess County High School district values music education as an important element in educating the “whole child.” In addition to supporting development of skills in areas such as mathematics, an understanding and appreciation of music adds positive value to children as well as a joy that lasts a lifetime. As research in the area of music education expands, it is becoming more clear than ever to document the benefits, both music and non-musical, that music students enjoy with regard to their academic and social lives and toward their overall development as active, productive citizens. Music education is thriving in Daviess County!