Who built your organization, and how will you preserve their stories?
If you love school bands, you’ll especially relate to this project.

I bring you this week’s content for two reasons. First, my background is in school bands. I was a junior high and middle school band director for 12 years and have remained active in school bands ever since. If you have an interest in school bands, especially in the history of this activity, I think you’ll enjoy what I have for you.

Secondly, even if you’re not involved in school bands, you’re likely part of an organization that values preserving its history. If so, I hope you’ll gain ideas from this project to use in your own organization.

An Unexpected Phone Call

On January 20, 2024, I received a phone call from Dr. Rusty Courson, then President of our state’s Phi Beta Mu chapter. Phi Beta Mu is an honorary fraternity for band directors, with highly selective membership. Candidates must have been band directors for a minimum of 10 years, among other criteria.

By the time I’d reached 10 years as a band director, I was already transitioning into school administration, so Phi Beta Mu membership wasn’t in my plans.

Imagine my total surprise when Dr. Courson called to inform me I had been named an honorary member of Phi Beta Mu. At the time, I was one of only three people in our state to receive this honor.

Planning the Website

One of our chapter’s goals was establishing a website, and joining the committee was a natural fit for me.

I’ve always been fascinated by the history of the band movement, both in our state and nationally. Back in junior high, I decided I wanted to be a band director. Growing up in a college town that hosted many of the state’s school band events, I was often around directors who are now legends in Alabama band lore.

The Hall of Fame Display

The state’s Phi Beta Mu chapter established a Hall of Fame in 1975 to honor the best of the best. At the time, I was just a junior high kid. The Hall of Fame featured a display with pictures and short bios of the inductees, which was showcased at state music conventions each year.

Over time, the display grew in size, and I got to know many of the inductees personally. However, there was a problem: to view the display, one had to attend a music convention. For the rest of the year, the display sat in someone’s garage.

We knew we could do better, and the new website was the perfect solution.

Gathering the Photos and Bios

We started by photographing the bios from the physical display. I used Google Lens to transcribe the bios into editable, digital text.

Gathering photos involved reaching out to living members and their families. In cases where members had passed away, relatives provided photos. Sometimes, our only option was to photograph the pictures from the physical board.

The First Webpage

With photos and bios in hand, I uploaded them to the new website and built a page that replicated the information from the physical display. (Thanks to David Raney for setting up the website and for his help along the way.)

Today, anyone can access this piece of Alabama band history anytime, anywhere.

Improving the Experience

The physical display had limitations. Updating a member’s bio was challenging, but the website allows for easy updates.

Even better, for many Hall of Fame members, recordings of their bands exist online. I included links to these recordings in their bios. Visitors can now view photos, read about Hall of Fame members, and listen to their bands.

The “Legacy Project”

My friend Jim Knight, a retired band director with a successful career in Alabama and Florida, introduced us to Florida’s “Legacy Project,” a series of interviews with the state’s most successful band directors. Retired Alabama band director Chester Bean began interviewing Phi Beta Mu members.

Building on this idea, I wanted to spotlight Hall of Fame members. My next step was identifying which members hadn’t been interviewed. Over the following months, I scheduled, recorded, and edited interviews with living Hall of Fame members.

We posted the interviews to YouTube, releasing a couple each week. I shared them on Facebook, where former students and colleagues left heartfelt comments.

A page on the Phi Beta Mu website now houses all the interviews. Individual bios include links to the corresponding interviews.

QR Codes and a Permanent Display at Troy University

In addition to the semiannual display at music conventions, Troy University dedicated a space to framed photographs of Hall of Fame members. However, these lacked accompanying bios.

To solve this, I created QR codes for each member. The idea was to include a QR with each photo. The QR code provided a link to the member’s bio, and hence band recording, and interview. I reach out to Dr. Kerry Palmer, Troy University Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Dr. Palmer was enthusiastic about the idea. Dr. Michael Thrasher, Troy University Dean of the College of Communication & Fine Arts assumed the leadership role for seeing the project through.

Pictured are (left to right) Dr. Michael Thrasher, Troy University Dean of the College of Communication & Fine Arts; Dr. Kerry Palmer, Troy University Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs; Dr. Frank Buck, Phi Beta Mu Honorary Member; Kim Bain, President of Phi Beta Mu Rho Chapter; Dr. Courson, Past President of Phi Beta Mu Rho Chapter.

Using What You Have

When the Rho (Alabama) Chapter of Phi Beta Mu established its Hall of Fame, they did the best they could with the tools available at the time. Today, we have far more resources to preserve and share history.

What About You?

Think about the places where you work, worship, or gather. Are there pictures on the wall, and do you wonder about the stories behind them?

If so, you may have found your own passion project. Use the tools at your disposal to bring those stories to life.

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