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Former teacher extends outreach

9/30/2015

13 Comments

 
PictureScott Bradford
By Al Stilley
Senior staff writer

Former Beech Grove High School music teacher Scott Bradford misses teaching and inspiring students.
​
Bradford left the school where he served as choral director for 26 years to become choral education director for the Indiana State School Music Association, whose headquarters are at 100 E. Thompson Road. He succeeds former Center Grove High School teacher Rusty Biel, who retired after 15 years with the association.

“I miss the students 3,000 percent,” said Bradford while seated in Beech Grove’s Mike McMorrow Auditorium, where he was assisting with the upcoming fall production. “I’m definitely going through a transition because these students have been my job, my life and my passion.”

While at Beech Grove his impact extended from the classroom to behind the stage in the auditorium, state choral finals, choral jazz and performances in China. Bradford was part of the group that planned renovations and improvements to the auditorium and expanded music classrooms at Beech Grove.

He split his duties in August between the association and the school, where he voluntarily helped successor Michael Dean in the transition.

Bradford was choir director and assistant band director at Forest Parke in Dubois County for three years before his tenure at BGHS. He and BGHS drama director Andrew Busch were among the co-founders of the Beech Grove Theatre Guild.  

He knows his influence at the ISSMA expands from the classroom to all music students in secondary schools throughout Indiana.

“This is a great position because I can assist more kids than I ever could at just one high school building,” Bradford said. “I just won’t have that direct contact.”

Bradford’s duties include choral and band responsibilities. He has been assisting with organizing marching band contests, which are underway, as well as planning for choral contests in the spring.

Whether a festival or competitive performance with musicians or choral, the association secures venues, hires judges, coordinates facility usage and, most significantly, provides assessments for the performers and trains judges.

“A large part of what we do is outreach to teachers,” Bradford said. “We help the teachers who help the students with what is expected.”

Beech Grove athletic director Matt English compares Bradford’s duties as being an athletic director for music on a statewide level.

The ISSMA primarily educates band and music teachers in making assessments with the emphasis upon performance. The organization develops adjudication sheets for judges, who also serve as guidelines for students in band, choir and vocal jazz. The agency is guided by an executive board.

The inaugural statewide vocal jazz competition next spring is an outgrowth of Bradford’s introduction of vocal jazz at Beech Grove several years ago and ongoing corroboration with Butler University that led to student performances in China in 2011.

Choral competitions through the ISSMA are for all schools in one class, unlike the marching band contests.
“There’s no class system so it is really a big deal for a small school to make it to the state finals in choral,” Bradford said. 

“I’ve learned so much in a short time,” Bradford said after being with ISSMA for one month. “This is the place where I want to be able to continue the professional development of music in the state.”

The agency collaborates with a variety of institutions, including the National Association of Music Educators, Indiana Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association and band organizations.
Bradford is married and has two grown children. 

13 Comments
Brenda Davis
10/2/2015 01:04:23 pm

Congrats on your continued success. You are loved, remembered and missed more than you can imagine.

Reply
Amy Ayers
10/2/2015 01:35:25 pm

Congratulations Mr. BRADFORD. I have gotten the privilege to watch him take his students and turn them into a show-stopping performance that rivals almost any school. The students love him the teachers love him and the parents love him.

Reply
Allyssia Foye
10/2/2015 01:49:09 pm

We love and miss you Mr.B!! You mean so much to us and were a strong role model and wonderful impact to our lives.

Anyone who undergoes Bradfords teachings comes out a better person with a higher appreciation for the music society and gains a loving teacher and friend.

Reply
Bethanie Weber
10/2/2015 05:51:35 pm

Mr. Bradford is the best!!! Not only is he a great teacher he's a great role model. He has helped me grow so much as a performer and a person! I was so sad and seeing him go made me cry so much but this is a great opportunity that he revived!! So while it does make me sad that he is no longer at BG I am so happy for him!! WE ALL LOVE YOU MR B!!!!!!!

Reply
Dawn Perry
10/2/2015 11:38:43 pm

My 3 oldest kids had Scott Bradford as their Show Choir Director at Beech Grove. He is a grt teacher and a wonderful human being!

Reply
Kaylin Wells
10/3/2015 03:47:00 am

You will be missed by many but you are on to this wonderful chapter to encourage so many more students. I am so proud of you. Love this man like a father !!!

Reply
Maddie Markland
10/5/2015 02:47:06 pm

Always smiling for you out on the field Mr.B! Love and miss you!!!❤️❤️

Reply
Michelle Marmande Farris
10/7/2015 03:01:38 pm

Mr. Bradford was one of the best teachers I ever had. He was a very influential man and BG will sure miss him. I'm said my sons won't have him but happy he has such big opportunities!

Reply
Steve neeley class 95
11/1/2015 04:00:00 pm

Mr B. Is absolutely the best teacher and motivator. He wants you to push yourself and be your best. I was a shy kid and he helped me succeed more than I thought possible. He is truly cherissed in the bg community. And I graduated over 20 years ago and he still don't look a day over 30. Congratulations Mr B you deserve it.

Reply
Nekiea Gaines
10/5/2016 05:08:27 pm

Mr Bradford
Is a awesome friend great teacher fantastic director I'm so pleased that my daughter got to experience his greatness for three years

Reply
Beth Lunn
10/5/2016 06:45:28 pm

Mr. Bradford has been such a positive influence in all three of my daughters high school lives as well as mine. It was a true pleasure to know him, work for him and with him for so many years. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough to say for all you have done for all of us. We love and miss you.

Reply
Lora Snyder-Blanton (Class of 92)
10/5/2016 10:13:40 pm

Congrats Mr. Bradford on your achievements! So proud to have gotten the chance to be a part of the choir and band program you taught at Beech Grove High School!

Reply
Steve Lantz
10/31/2016 11:20:49 am

Hi Scott. I am so sorry I wasn't able to continue with the choir. They seem like a great bunch of folks. I would love for you to go with me sometime to see Becky sing when she's appearing at one of the venues in town. She is at The Slippery Noodle a lot. If you could email me, I would love to give you my phone number and communicate as to when it might be possible for you to go. I want to surprise her when you can go. My email address is lantz9852@yahoo.com. Look forward to hearing from you. God bless.

Reply



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