By John Dobberstein, Editor
It’s been a whirlwind of emotional speeches for Darrin Davis since the announcement he would be stepping down as band director to become director of fine arts programs at the Broken Arrow Public Schools.
On Monday, State Rep. Ross Ford (R-Broken Arrow) presented an official Oklahoma Citation of Recognition to Davis at the Broken Arrow Board of Education meeting.
The citation honors Davis for 31 years of service as the Broken Arrow band director, noting he has been “instrumental in shaping the lives of countless students through his passion for music and dedication to excellence.”
“I’m having trouble grasping this, when you read the history and see the excellence of this program. It’s not just the brand program — it flows over into every aspect of this district. Everything is done first class,” Ford said.
With Davis at the helm, The Pride of Broken Arrow marching band won 4 Bands of America Grand National Championships, 21 BOM Regional Championships and 24 Oklahoma state marching championships. The Pride has also appeared in three Tournament of Roses parades and the 2005 Presidential Inauguration.
Concert ensembles under Davis’ direction have performed at prestigious events such as the American Bandmasters Association Convention, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, Carnegie Hall, Music for All Regional and National Festivals, and six times as a featured honor band at the Oklahoma Music Educators Convention.
This past spring, the band program received the Sudler Flag of Honor from the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The flag honors high school band programs internationally that have demonstrated particularly significant high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years.
Davis told the board members he was grateful for the recognition, but reminded them he wasn’t going away entirely.
“I don’t think of this as the end of what I’ve accomplished and what I’ve done. It’s just a new start and a new beginning for another chapter,” he said. “I’ve had the great fortune of doing the one thing that I’ve wanted to do all my life, which is teach band in Broken Arrow. And now I can expand that and fully immerse myself into touching hopefully every aspect of our fine arts programs from pre-K through all of our performing arts at the high school.
“Thank you so much for your gracious opportunity to teach. And now I get to serve just in a new capacity.”
Board of Education President Steve Allen said when he was a young coach on the BAHS campus during the 1990s he was a bit jealous of the accolades and success of the band program. But he eventually took a different tact.
“You hear the band program gets this, the band gets that. And then I show up for a practice one day before my team, and you’re out there before anyone in the entire district practicing. And the sun’s barely coming up,” Allen said. “And I was like, ‘Maybe I could learn something from him and go see what they do for success.”
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