Amaral takes over as Burton Middle School band director
Jack Amaral is the new band director at Burton Middle School. He has been teaching middle school band for almost 10 years, and previously taught at Pioneer Middle School. He will start up the Bulldog marching band during the new school year.
He grew up in the Porterville area, and said he has always respected how the city supports its band programs. He said his students will develop as musicians and young adults, learning responsibility, teamwork and leadership skills with his teaching technique.
“I am very excited to work with Adriana Franco, the principal of Burton Middle School. We have worked on a plan to keep band students active and performing around the community, at events like Veterans Day, the Christmas parade, as well as the Visalia, Fowler and Fresno Fair Band reviews.
“Burton Middle School principal Adriana Franco has been so supportive, and the band has a new jazz program. Ed Chenette wrote ‘Promotion March’ the bulldog band’s new street march.”
There will be about 65 members in the band, including the color guard and drumline. Amaral said they will play the traditional instruments of the flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, and percussion.
Amaral has composed some new music, cadences and roll offs for the drummers to play for the 201920 marching band season, and has put together a mix of pep songs for school spirit rallies. The Burton Jazz Band will play a mix of jazz, pop, rock, classic rock and jazz standards like “In the Mood and “String of Pearls.”
For the CMEA music festival Amaral said he will select music that challenges the students but also is fun for the students to perform.
He will also work with fourth, fifth and sixth grade band students at William R. Buckley elementary, and said he’s excited to begin building a band foundation starting at the elementary level where students will soon become Burton Middle School students. Amaral said Tim Bonner sent solid musicians to Burton Middle School from his years working in the district, and, “I am excited to be able to challenge those musicians at the next level.”
“We are excited to have Mr. Amaral as BMS new band director, we look forward to seeing great things come from our band students,” said Burton School District.