Miami County music educators took center stage at the annual convention of the Kansas Bandmasters Association. Retired Paola High School Music Educator Jim Fuchs of Paola received the Outstanding Contributor Award at the convention. Each year, the Kansas Bandmasters Association recognizes the outstanding bandmaster, outstanding young bandmaster and outstanding contributor to honor musical accomplishments, service to bands, and excellence in teaching.
Jim Fuchs started in Mound City in 1963 and taught at Paola from 1968 to 1984, leading the entire instrumental program from fifth grade through high school, often leading more than 350 students per year, spread across four different buildings. Fuchs was honored with the USD 368 Master Teacher Award during his tenure.
Also presenting at the convention was John Cisetti, who retired in 2019 after leading the band in Louisburg for more than 40 years. He presented “Service Through Music: Life Lessons For Our Students & Communities,” and it explored the many ways music is used to inspire and lift up the community, and how doing so can have meaning and purpose for students.
