Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
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| BILL LARGE |
Large was interviewed and hired by the Fairfield Independent School District board of trustees last week to replace Harold Raney, who announced plans to retire at the end of the school year.
“We are excited around our household,” Large, 60, declares.
The new band director was born in Overton and graduated John Tyler high school in Tyler in 1966, but was sidetracked for many years before pursing a career as a high school band director.
“I’ve always wanted to be a high school band director,” he says. “I had a whole career before I came into high school teaching.”
Large worked 23 years as a professional musician, interrupted by three years of service as a U.S. Navy corpsman and marine medic. During his music career he performed in more than 4,500 concert venues, playing jazz, rock-and-roll and country styles of music.
His biggest claim to musical fame is as a co-writer of music for the hit song “Judy in Disguise” by John Fred and the Playboy Band, on which he also played trombone during the recording session.
Large reports that the song holds a distinction of climbing to number one on pop charts in 47 countries at the same time, something no other song has done.
The band director plays trombone, guitar and bass and over the years worked in recording studios and concerts with many bands, including Lynard Skynard and Steppenwolf.
“In the music business, some years you starve to death and in others you are on top of the world,” he says.
Large reports that he, literally, woke up one morning and decided to pursue his dream of being a high school band director, and later that day he received a call offering him a job teaching lower brass at Tyler Junior College.
He accepted the position and, simultaneously, received a full music scholarship to the University of Texas at Tyler. Returning to college at the age of 38, he earned a teaching certificate in about 18 months, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in music in 1989.
The band director then earned a master of arts degree at UT Tyler in 1992.
“It’s really been a fun ride,” Large says. “Everything just fell into place, but I had to do the other stuff to get back to this.”
“People have to find their own niche, and this is mine,” he adds.
Large served as Mabank junior high school band director from 1990-92, a time during which the band grew from 76 members to 180 members, and was Eustace band director from 1992-98, helping the program grow from 82 students to 378 students.
He has served as Mexia head band director since 1998.
Large has been friends with former Fairfield band director John Gordon Small for a number of years and decided he would like a shot at the Grand Band post when he found that Raney was retiring.
With numbers in the Fairfield band down at present, the new band director says a top priority is to rebuild a program that formerly marched 100 members at football games.
Part of his approach is a willingness to share band members with other programs, such as athletics and cheerleading, and allow his students to actively pursue their other interests, along with playing music.
“In 3-A schools and below, you have to share kids,” he says.
The director also says his years as a professional musician provide good stories to keep the interest of young musicians.
Large plans to tap the talents of Small in his rebuilding efforts.
“John is going to help me a lot. I can’t see a man of that kind of talent not being used,” the new director says.
“Our teaching styles and the way we treat children are exactly the same,” he adds.
He sees the band as not merely a place to learn to play music, but as an overall organization to be used and enjoyed by various elements of the school and community.
“We are here to heighten everything. The important issue for us is to build people up, and to motivate,” he says.
Large and his wife, Sharon, are parents of four children: son B.J. 25; Kari, 24, who is a band director at Sugar Land; Elizabeth, 22; and Sarah, 19.
Mrs. Large is content mastery director for the special education program at Mexia and plans to transfer to the Fairfield district.
She also is a band color guard and twirler teacher, improving the Mexia color guard and twirling line to outstanding marks in competition over the years.