INTERVIEW
A CONVERSATION WITH ALFRED L. WATKINS, PART II BY MATT TEMPLE
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art 1 of this interview appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of the NBA Journal. Part 2 begins with further conversation about Mr. Watkin’s tenure as a high school band director and then shifts to address issues of inequity and racism in the larger band profession. HOW DID YOU FIND THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO STAND UP TO RACIST SITUATIONS? “To whom much is given, much is expected.” As I look back at those situations, I am appreciative of the gifts of perseverance and tenacity that I was given. I am a child of the church, and a child of the rural south. I was raised by my large community, which included my nuclear family, extended family, teachers, and preachers, as well as my immediate neighborhood of Black family and friends. I was often sheltered by my “village” from the horrors of overt racism as long as we stayed in our place. This basically meant we could not expect the same treatment as the white citizens. My parents encouraged a Christian upbringing and would not allow us to become angry or to have malice in our hearts. I was taught that God would make a way out of no way. As a teenager in the turbulent
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and transformative 1960s, I was impacted greatly by the writings and speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Classes in history and government became more impactful as I became older and exposed to a more intense academic curriculum. As we read one version of America on paper, you could vividly see yet another cruel, offensive, and hate-filled America just outside our windows. Recognition of ancestral suffering and oppression only hastened the drive within me to correct some of the ills of society. The inequality of America motivated me to be the best person I could be. I chose not to adopt the personalities of my oppressors. I was determined not to be deterred by anyone and only had to answer to my family, my community elders, and God. There was so much work to be done to help repair our republic that I had no time for yet another detour. My parents emphasized to me that education was continuous, and that what you put in your mind, no one could erase or take away from you. I took their advice to heart and became a sponge for learning. This gave me tremendous ownership of my own knowledge and growth. My rudder was set, and I never deviated from my plan. I took pride in my work and pride in my growth. I’m proud of who I am and what I’ve been able to accomplish.
Matt Temple is Director of Bands at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. In 2014, the New Trier band program was recognized by the National Band Association as an inaugural national winner of the Blue Ribbon Award for “Programs of Excellence.” Temple currently serves NBA as the Second Vice-President and is humbled to be a member of the IDEA committee. He has authored many articles over the past decade for multiple publications. Temple has presented sessions on music selection, score analysis, student-centered instruction, and innovative band curriculum at multiple universities, state music conferences, and twice at the Midwest Clinic.
HOW DID ATTITUDES TOWARD YOU AS A BAND DIRECTOR CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? “It was rather remarkable how attitudes varied during my career as a band director. My first teaching position was at Murphy High School in the Atlanta Public Schools. The school was an allblack, low-achieving, inner city school with limited leadership and resources. Very few students Continued on next page
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