Dear Editor:

I would like to thank Meredith Duke for her dedication to the elementary school and high school students in her capacity as band teacher. Her enthusiasm for music and teaching has been infectious and, as a result, she has earned the respect and admiration of her students as well as residents of the whole Boothbay region. It is with great sadness that I learn of her impending resignation. I wish her well in her new endeavors and I anxiously wait to see who will pick up where Meredith leaves off.

Meredith has created a strong school band program that includes a marching band, a concert band and a community band. Our students play at the Memorial Day parade, at basketball games, as well as at two concerts per year. It is because of Meredith’s success in building such a wonderful program that I am concerned about who will step in to fill her shoes. Meredith brought to the program a unique set of skills, talent, enthusiasm, passion, creativity and dedication that is not easy to find. I hope members our our school board and our administration give careful consideration to the important role this program plays in the lives of our children. The ability to play an instrument will be a lifelong skill. Band is essential in providing a well-rounded curriculum in the schools. We need to make sure we utilize all of the available resources to search for a candidate who is trained in instrumental music, has a love of and enthusiasm for teaching, is creative and dedicated, and has the ability to inspire and energize our students.

We were told at a recent school board meeting that the administration will “be looking at the numbers” to determine what the future of the program will be. That provides little comfort for those people out there with a vested interest in band. I know that there are many students, parents and community members who feel the same way. I hope that you will voice your concerns and attend school board meetings so that you can be involved in this very important process.

Deanne Tibbetts
Boothbay Harbor