School officially starts in two days for area youngsters.
Katherine Horne (left) and band director Dean Hill play the trombone during jazz band practice for the coming season at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.
But Ray Marfil and the rest of the musicians at Oak Cliff's Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center have been getting a head start on their studies for the past two weeks.
The nearly 400 members of the school's Big "D" Marching Band, the Jazz I and Jazz II Band Ensembles have all been back on campus recently preparing for the 2007-08 school year.
Ray, a 17-year-old senior, has been a part of the band since his freshman year. He's a drum major for the marching band and plays trumpet in one of the jazz bands. He says it is great to be in an environment with his peers where they all have the opportunity to learn lessons for a lifetime.
"I'm having fun, being able to spend time with friends who have the same passion as I do for music," said Ray, who plans to study psychology at Southern Methodist University or Texas Southern University. "I've learned leadership qualities and being able to put others before me."
Longtime Townview band director Dean Hill said the summer training camps for the various bands are important. Whether it is percussion, woodwinds, brass, improvisation, concert band, jazz band or marching band, the students are learning the importance of mastering the fundamentals of being a quality musician, he said.
Mr. Hill said his commitment to developing and enhancing the music education among young people has kept him coming back to school.
"I've been having so much fun, I've lost count of how long I've been a band director," he said. "Let's just say, it's safe to say 30-plus years," Mr. Hill said.
One of Mr. Hill's former students, Matt Houston, was around this week to help out at his high school alma mater. Mr. Houston graduated from Townview in 2002 and is a recent graduate of SMU.
He played trumpet at Townview and was on campus this week as an instructor at the jazz band camp.
"I am on campus once or twice a month throughout the school year, because Mr. Hill does a really good job of teaching leadership," said Mr. Houston, executive director for an after-school program that operates in several North Texas schools.
Mr. Hill said the summer program is important for the students. Although there is no football team at Townview, the marching band participates in various parades, battle of the bands and special engagements throughout the year. The jazz bands also participate in several functions throughout the year.
"Since we can't participate in UIL due to the school being divided, we receive gratification for what we can do," Mr. Hill said.
The veteran band director says he has no plans to retire anytime soon, and added that when the students return to campus each year, he gets reinvigorated.
"Each year is exciting, I feel as if I am coming back to school for the first time, because I never know what I will learn," Mr. Hill said.
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DISD's Townview Center 
DISD's Townview Center
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