Getting the Band Back Together Mr Cameron Bradley

Interviewed by Rachel ’24 and Katie Jo Walter either the quantity or quality of music at Woodstock, and I'm happy to say the students have been stepping up in positive ways in order to create the future of the band programme here. The hope is to retain these students and split them up into more skill-appropriate ensembles over the next year. There has also been some interest in reviving the jazz band, which would give students the opportunity to practice and perform music within a different style and would be completely voluntary.

Accompanied by his wife Leandra, Cameron joins as a Woodwind specialist in the Music Department. He comes from Concord Community School in Elkhart, Indiana, U.S., where he was a Woodwind Teacher and Assistant Band Director. With over 10 years of experience teaching band/woodwinds to American and multicultural students of varied ages, he has regularly instructed, co-taught, led rehearsals, and conducted student musical performances for concert band, jazz band, marching band, and spring musicals. Cameron holds a B.S. in Music Education from Indiana Wesleyan University, U.S.

Music is making its comeback post pandemic. Music teacher Cameron Bradley shares about his work to make it happen.

“Can those of us who have been waiting now safely say that the band is back together?

Yes! The Fall Concert was the first concert for the band since Fall 2019. We started recruiting at the beginning of the 20222023 academic year. Starting with fewer than ten returning members who last played in their seventh and eighth grade years, we now have 41 members on the roster across seven instrument groups.

“How did the preparations go?

“Where are you from?

I grew up in Indiana, America, and that’s where I’ve been teaching for the last ten years. And now we’re here!

To express interest or learn more about this programme, please reach out to us at alumni@woodstock. ac.in or contact Palden Tshering at palden_t@yahoo.com or Lauri Coulter at lauricoulter@hotmail. com

Because the band is made up of mostly beginning students who range from sixth through twelfth grades as well as some returning members, it was a fun mix of students coming together over three months’ time with hopes of putting on something cohesive and enjoyable for the Woodstock community, not to mention promote ourselves in order to bring in new members. The environment was positive and productive, and I'm very proud of the students who took on something new. We also had the opportunity to push small groups of students with a bit more musical experience to take on features for the Fall Concert and Christmas Chapel, as well as recitals throughout the semester.

“What’s next?

I think we're in a space and time where Covid is no longer a real impediment to

“What instruments do you play?

I’m best at woodwind instruments. Saxophone is my thing. I grew up playing saxophone from sixth grade, and I now teach saxophone, clarinet, flute, etc. But now the other band teacher is not here yet, so I’m also teaching trumpet, the brass instruments, and percussion.

“What is different about Woodstock from the last school you were in?

Oh, a lot. Everything. Well, the campus for one, is totally different. I’m used to teaching only inside, um, with no monkeys and with a much less diverse student population. So the student population I had been working with for the last decade has been, I would say, 50% Caucasian American and about 40% from Latin America and 10% a mix of African American and Asian. So, here it’s been interesting to get to know people from around the world. It’s totally different and great, and I think that’s why we came, right? To do something different like this. It’s also different because everybody has their own rules. You know, you move here and you learn what you can and can’t do or say. And what your schedule is like, it’s all completely different. I was super busy back in the States. For 10 years I would work nights and weekends all the time with the marching band. And the schedule here has been nice because the band is just now starting out again, and so I feel like I get time to just pull back and figure things out, which is nice.

“You said you were from Indiana. How are you getting accustomed to the culture here?

It’s a lot of getting used to here. It’s a lot of getting used to boarding school, for instance. It’s very different. Walking to school every day for 20 minutes has been something to get used to physically – quite the challenge actually. Honestly everything, and the people have been awesome.

“What are your goals for this year?

I want to leave everything better than I found it. And the band is ripe for growth because we haven’t had one in two years. Leaving it larger and better than nothing I think is going to be attainable because of that very reason. So my goal this year is to let kids experience something fun again, to get involved with something they enjoy, and to let those numbers grow. I don’t want this to be something that struggles. My goal is for it to be enjoyable and productive, so people stick around, and we get more and more friends to join the band.

Personally my wife and I came here because we wanted renewal. And for the last few years I’ve been really dragging because at my last school I was working all the time. It got to a point where we needed renewal with our friends. We needed it in our jobs. We needed renewal in our geography, something different to look at. And so we came here to kind of just find a new life.

“What are some fun facts about yourself?

I write and record my own music, so it’s on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. Another thing is that I love to travel. And I think you would have to unless your parents made you come here. I feel like you have to have that open-mindedness as well, and, yeah, that’s a fun fact about me. I love to travel.

“What is one thing you like about Mussoorie?

I think it’s been really nice, stopping in at some of the cafes. Landour Bakehouse is a five-minute walk, maybe, from my place. It’s really nice. So that and Char Dukaan, Savoy Cafe up at Lal Tibba, Tavern, Lotte’s, etc. We’ve been trying all the places, so that’s been really fun finding cosy spots.

“What is one thing you have noticed about Woodstock students?

They are very – I would say the ones that I have encountered are very kind. They’re very respectful and also very diverse. I think those three have been the biggest things. And people know how to speak. People make eye contact when they speak with you and they know how to communicate well. That’s not what I’ve experienced in the States with students. I think having those communication skills is something that Woodstock students seem to do pretty well; they know how to speak to adults.

“What is your personal teaching philosophy?

When I was interviewing, I was asked what I hoped to get done with the band as it starts up again, and I said the first thing is to make people feel comfortable and to build a rapport with students. I want people to feel like they know me and that we know each other, and then it’s a comfortable environment, and they’re having fun. Fun means a lot of different things to different people I think. To some people it means having no rules, but I don’t mean that kind of fun. It’s like being good at something, enjoying what you’re doing, and trusting the process and the people around you. I think my philosophy is positive and efficient, and it’s a long game. We’re not just here to learn a song or to play the drums or whatever. We’re here to build relationships and to have an experience together.