Returning from DMA, my heart is heavy yet smiling :)

Evren Gunduz — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:50:46 +0000

This past week, I visited the George N Parks Drum Major Academy. For those that would like a refresher, I am a very humble product of George N. Parks, the UMass Marching Band, Heidi Sarver, and especially, Drum Major Academy. It was George who first inspired my passion for leadership, attitude, and teaching during my tenure in the UMass Marching Band. At the end of my first year teaching, I remember calling my best friend, Jon Korhonen, and telling him all about what had happened a few hours before! I gave him a synopsis of how the the students created the ELC and about the first ELC orange bracelet presentation (gosh I love that first class of 8th graders)! After he and I got off the phone, he immediately called George, told him the whole story and when I arrived at Bands of America Summer music camp to work with Drum Major Academy, George said, “Well, I heard you had a very exciting experience recently. Why don’t you tell that story to our students at some point this week.” And so, my first telling of the ELC Story was in front of a 500 high school student audience. Later that summer, George and Heidi gave me my first shot at being on staff at Drum Major Academy and that summer, George spent time with me organizing the ELC story into an inspirational talk.

Getting to go back and visit DMA at UMass this past week was simply incredible. For the past two years, I had been a bit blinded to the fact that the DMA staff members were not only some of my best friends but some of my most valuable family. Seeing Heidi in charge brought tears to my eyes because she was SO strong and absolutely amazing at being THE leader. I just love her to death! I was given the opportunity to work with the students on Tuesday afternoon and they proved that their bands and this planet are in good hands so long as they are the leaders of now and the future! They were one of the best group of students I have worked with in a long time. Seriously, I was just in awe of how wonderful they are and I hope that they know that myself and the ELC will be huge fans of theirs during their band season and Beyond!

Of the countless moments that George inspired me, one really stood out this week at DMA: When George and Heidi asked me to be on DMA staff that summer of 2005, I remember saying to them that although it would be a huge honor, I don’t know how I would be able to teach drum majors seeing as how I had never actually BEEN a drum major (I played trumpet all four years at UMass). George said that being a drum major had very little to do with conducting, whistle commands, posture, the uniform, etc. Instead, “Being a drum major is ALL about simply being a positive leader and inspiring others to love what they do and become the best versions of themselves. Therefore, Evren, you ARE a drum major. I can teach you all the other stuff in no time!” ~GNP

Well George, thank you once again. You continue to inspire me and I realize that I am a drum major everyday of my life. My band is every person I come in contact with and it truly is all about being a positive leader with a great attitude. I am passionate about leadership education and it is really because it was your passion. At my core, I am a bando more than anything else. The ELC was, is now, and will forever be, dedicated to you.

With Pride,

-Evren

Enjoy Life Club » Life

Returning from DMA, my heart is heavy yet smiling :)