Mark Phillips, the music and cultural studies teacher at Southport this past year, will be teaching at Boothbay Region Elementary School next school year. He is taking the position vacated by Meredith Duke.

“Boothbay has invested a lot in their band program,” Phillips said. “And I really like the fact that the high schoolers come to the elementary school for practice; it shows a connection between the schools and it's a good use of resources not to have two practice rooms.”

Phillips hopes to work towards a collaborative approach to band with local schools, including Southport Central, Edgecomb, and Boothbay, where students can all practice together.

“I've enjoyed my time at Southport Central a great deal,” Phillips said. “I've worked hard to make sure the students entering seventh grade would do well in band, and now I get to continue working with them.”

Phillips plays the guitar and the tuba, and has always been interested in music from a young age, singing along with his siblings during car trips.

“My dad drove older cars,” Phillips said. “The radios often didn't work, so my siblings and I would sing instead for entertainment.”

Phillips attended Kutztown University in Pennsylvania where he studied both music and geography. He grew up in Pennsylvania, but chose to live in Maine because of the natural beauty, community and “sense of place” he felt here.

“It's a beautiful place,” Phillips said. “When you come to Maine, to a small town such as Southport, there is a pride you can sense from the people who live there. Pride in their community. That's what I mean by sense of place.”

“I'm a nice guy, I've got great sideburns, and I'm really looking forward to being part of this school community that cares so much about each other. I'm excited to be a part of it,” Phillips said.