Warrior band program earns prestigious national award

A Grammy award is coming to Philomath High School.

Earlier this month, the Grammy Foundation announced that PHS was one of only 14 schools nationwide to win a grant from the group that presents trophies each year during a glitzy TV award show for best new artist, album and recording of the year.

“I was ecstatic,” said Dan Johnson, PHS director of performing arts.

Philomath snagged a $5,000 grant in the Enterprise Award category, which recognizes outstanding commitment to music education by underfunded music programs, defined based on the percentage of the school district budget that goes to music.

Other Enterprise Award recipients were Bridger High School in Bridger, Mont., and Nederland Senior High School in Nederland, Colo. Two other Oregon high schools, Salem’s Sprague and South Salem, also won $1,000 grants in a different category.

Philomath’s recognition is due in large part to the commitment of Johnson to create opportunities for his students.

In the midst of a rainy day during spring break, Johnson could be found helping about 30 students build sets for the school’s upcoming spring musical.

“I came to Philomath to work less,” laughs Johnson, who joined the PHS staff in September 2004 after directing bands for many years at Corvallis High School and Western View Middle School and taking a year off to get a doctor of education degree from George Fox University in Newberg.

On most school days, Johnson, who heads up drama, band and choir at the school as well as teaching students studying for the GED, arrives at 6:45 a.m. and often doesn’t leave until after 8 p.m.

“I love every minute of it,” Johnson said. “I’ve been blessed with the students that I’ve been lucky enough to teach.”

Those students have seen great successes in the last few years.

Johnson smiles as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket and plays back a recording he took of his band students after they were told that they’d won this year’s Val-Co District Championships for the third year in row. The recording is pure pandemonium with the gleeful shouts of students. Last year, the band not only qualified for the state competition, it placed fourth in the finals.

In addition, the PHS choirs have shown steady improvement, joining the band in claiming a Val-Co district title this year and earning their first trip to state for as long as most people around the school can remember.

“The program out here has grown in size and quality — by leaps and bounds,” Johnson said.

So, he decided to take a shot at applying for a Grammy grant. “This was the year to strike,” he said.

After the application was sent in, PHS made an initial cut from 350 schools to 20 schools in its category.

Then, Johnson had to submit CD recordings of performances, programs and even a repertoire list of everything the band had played in the last year. Twenty schools were whittled down to five and eventually the three $5,000 grant winners.

Johnson already has plans for the prize money.

“I’m replacing our drum set, buying a sousaphone, and then I think I’m going to replace an amp that got blown out for my classroom stereo system,” he said.

A newer fiberglass sousaphone will cost about $2,800. Johnson has found a drum set for about $1,200. Any leftover money will go into the music program’s miscellaneous fund.

In addition to the prize money, the school expects to be presented with a Grammy trophy later this spring and has already received permission to use the official Grammy seal on letterheads and e-mails for the school.

Johnson hopes that he’ll be able to work it out with the Grammy officials to present the award at this year’s state band competition, but if not, he’ll get the band students the accolades they deserve one way or another.

“I told them if they need a special day, I will make a concert or I will make an assembly, because this is a big deal,” he said.

Nancy Raskauskas can be reached at 758-9542 or nancy.raskauskas@lee.net.