Music in the air at Clovis schools

What makes the music programs in the Clovis Municipal Schools so successful? Many factors could be identified as contributing to our remarkable successes over the years. One that stands out dramatically, however, is strong leadership with uncompromising standards of excellence.

Brandon Boerio is the current director of music education, and we were fortunate to recently get a peek behind the scenes. One of Boerio's first comments: “We don't just want music programs; we want programs that function at an extremely high level of quality, with consistently high standards.”

A native New Mexican, Boerio attended Eastern New Mexico University, followed by Wayland Baptist University for graduate studies. He spent his early professional years teaching in Portales, coming to Clovis as band director and percussion instructor for the entire district. Moving into administration, Boerio worked as assistant principal at Yucca Middle School before accepting his current position at the helm of music in our schools.

The diversity in Boerio's professional career has lent dimension to his perspectives on education. “What I've discovered in education is that all kids need attention, and that need manifests itself in different ways, from problem behaviors to the other end of the spectrum. All students, however, are drawn to feeling successful. When they feel successful, that's when they have real buy-in, and this applies to all kids everywhere, regardless of demographics. They know when they're successful.”

Continuing on the district's long-standing tradition of success, “We're so fortunate to have such support from the district and the community. Our traditions of excellence were built on those who've gone before, masters like Norvil Howell in the band program and Wayne Anderson, with his expertise in choral music, and more recently, Alan Dropps. We work hard to hire good, dedicated people, and right now we have a very strong staff in place, with high standards. We are one of the few districts in New Mexico who still have certified teachers from kindergarten through twelfth in the music programs.”

Boerio is also grateful for the strong partnership with Clovis Community College and their Cultural Arts Series outreach to our schools. This might look a little different in the future, however, as Boerio wants all students to experience a wide range of professional performances. “We want to expand students' exposure to professional performances, not only to hear professional musicians, but also to learn concert etiquette.”

Sounds like more magical music to come.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools and can be reached at: [email protected]