By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer
After a three-decade career in music education, Helena High School band director Jeff Burnside has announced his decision to retire. Burnside will leave big shoes to fill, as he has been the school’s band director since it opened its doors back in 2014.
Having the opportunity to start a program from scratch was a new challenge for Burnside when he accepted the position, but some of his favorite accomplishments came as a result. These included making decisions that will not only affect the band, but the school as a whole, long after he officially steps away from his role as band director.
“It was very special, but it was very unique to get a chance to start a program and build it from the bottom up,” Burnside said. “Things like getting to write the fight song, getting to write the alma mater, just getting to set things up that would end up being tradition within the program.”
Writing the school’s alma mater led to a moment Burnside will never forget: the first time the band performed it together. He can remember the weight of the moment and the pride Helena’s first band students took in getting to be a part of it.
“The first time the band played the alma mater together was really special,” Burnside said. “The students were excited about starting the new band, yet very humble to the significance of what they were actually doing. Once they finished playing it, several seconds of silence came over the group as they let the moment soak in, and then they cheered. This response to the alma mater still permeates our program today.”
While Burnside has been a part of other high school band programs, he noted that there is something special about Helena in the way the community wraps its arms around the students. This is not something that can be easily found at every school, making him particularly appreciative of everything done to help the band out.
“I’ve enjoyed all the jobs that I’ve had; they’ve all been different, but they’ve all been special,” Burnside said. “Helena enjoys an immense amount of community support for the schools in general, but for the band program since we first started talking about having to open the school and start the program.”
Getting any type of school program off the ground is never a light task, but a lot more goes into band than initially meets the eye. Helena’s administration played an important role in supporting Burnside through the early stages while still allowing him the freedom to implement his ideas and set the program up for success.
Burnside did not want the hard work of this group to go unnoticed, as he feels it made all the difference in getting the program off to a strong start. The band program at Helena might look different today if the support from the administration had not been the same.
“Even from the beginning, things like trying to design the uniforms and all of that stuff, the administrators that we’ve had have been incredibly supportive,” Burnside said. “They have worked beyond belief to provide, especially when the school first opened, because we had nothing.”
Burnside went on to discuss how the administration backed the funding of necessary assets for the band to run, which helped him out in a major way.
“They had to completely find a way to fund equipment and uniforms and all that,” Burnside said. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from the administrators and the band parents. Not to mention the kids, the kids have been amazing.”
Being in band is something many students take pride in. Their enthusiasm behind the music they get to play is one of Burnside’s favorite parts of the job. From every pep rally to halftime show and concert, seeing his students’ passion for donning their blue and black uniforms and putting on a memorable performance has kept him coming back for more than 30 years.
“There is nothing that is more rewarding than getting to stand in front of the kids when they perform, knowing where they started and where they ended up,” Burnside said. “The sense of pride and the look of achievement they have on their face when they get to perform.
“That’s the thing that makes me want to go to work every day, and it always has, is the look on the kids’ faces and their excitement over ‘look what we’ve been able to accomplish.’ You don’t get that in every classroom, even with coaches, it’s different.”
Burnside and his students have a lot of accomplishments to look back on. Helena’s band has performed well at many local competitions and has been invited to participate in parades in places such as New York City and Disney World.
Burnside has made an impact on countless students, including Caleb Thompson, who played trombone.
“Mr. B always brought out the best in us, not just as musicians, but as students and people too,” Thompson said. “During my time at Helena under Mr. Burnside’s direction, I became the kind of musician I never thought I could be.”
Thompson has an immense appreciation for how Burnside pushed him in his development, as well as for the lessons he taught the band as a whole, knowing that the performances did not just reflect the program, but the city as a whole.
“His guidance and support pushed me to grow far beyond what I thought I could achieve,” Thompson said. “He also helped me understand that everything we achieved as a group reflected not just our school, but our entire community and city.”
Despite his time at the helm of the program coming to an end, Burnside is confident that Helena’s band will be able to keep accomplishing everything it has been able to since the beginning, if not more. The reason behind his confidence in the program’s longevity stems from what helped it get going in the first place: the support it receives from the community.
“Keep doing it,” Burnside said. “The community support that the schools in Helena and the programs have is second to none anywhere. My encouragement would be that it continues, because being able to support the kids in all areas, not just band, the school’s athletic teams, every program that’s going on, is the best thing the community can do. Help the kids in the community develop and be all they actually can be.”
After benefiting from his leadership for more than a decade, Helena will be entering a new chapter in the band room, with Brent Traylor stepping to the helm.
Burnside’s expertise helped pave the way and set many future students up for success. As a longtime educator, this is an honor that carries a lot of weight for him.
The Helena High School band will be entering a new era, but Burnside is confident the standard will not be going anywhere. As the excellence continues under the leadership of Traylor, the impact Burnside has made on the program will still be visible.
