A Band for the Community

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when schools became remote, Alabama music teacher, Dr. Gene Butler, faced the challenge of teaching what is a very hands-on, in-person subject virtually. When students were able to return to school, many chose to learn remotely, and those students were not allowed on campus during school hours.

Wanting to connect students to make in-person music, Butler thought up a solution: How about launching an after-hours extracurricular concert band? And, why not expand this band beyond Smiths Station High School and open it up to the community, with musicians of all ages welcome to join?

Butler called his old band teacher at Smiths Station and mentor — Dr. Rusty Courson, who retired in 2016 — and ran the idea by him.

“Before you say no, I want you to consider starting a community band,” Butler told his longtime mentor.

“Before even thinking about it, I said yes,” says Courson, who is currently a representative for the Lee County Board of Education. “Neither of us had time before, but I was retired now.”

They both were excited about the idea, and the educators launched the Smiths Station Community Band — a lively group that averages 60 to 80 players. Courson does most of the teaching, while Butler handles the bulk of the administrative work. Most of the students in the community band play a secondary instrument — something many of them have wanted to try — while continuing to play their primary instrument at school.

Now approaching the end of their fourth season, the Smiths Station Community Band meet weekly from mid-October to May and perform in three concerts: in December, March and May. The players — who come from school districts around the county and beyond, including from nearby Columbus, Georgia — range from young teens to college students, middle-aged adults and even octogenarians! The band members come from all walks of life.

Fun and Camaraderie

This community band has provided the perfect way to get musicians together in a sparsely populated area, Butler says. Smiths Station is so rural that it has only two traffic lights.

“It is a great opportunity for everyone to collaborate and communicate together,” says Butler. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Troy University, where he served as drum major for the “Sound of the South” Marching Band.

“It is a neat experience for people in high school to see that there are people in their 50s or 60s who are still playing their instruments,” Butler says. “Older students get excited about the next generation coming up and to work together in a collaborative environment.”

The idea is to have fun and make music without the pressure, says Butler, who got his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Leadership from Columbus State University. “That really is what we try and do in the community band: just making it where it’s an enjoyable experience, and it’s open to all ages, and it creates a welcoming environment for everybody.”

You don’t need to audition to become a member of Smiths Station Community Band, Courson says. It’s a laid-back, noncompetitive atmosphere of people having fun making music together. “If you enjoy making music, we want you to come and play,” he says.

Learning Opportunities and Making Music

The band has weekly rehearsals during the season on Tuesday nights, and the kids often sit next to experienced adult players who act as hands-on mentors, Courson explains. His goal is for every student to play a solo this season.

Students and adult members of the Smiths Station Community Band, which performs in venues like schools and churches, get different things from their involvement, Courson says.

“For the adults, it’s an opportunity to relax and make music and get away from the stress of life for a couple of hours every week,” he says. “As for the kids, they just love to play, and they’ll take every opportunity that they can to do so.”

The live, hands-on music experience, taken for granted before the pandemic, is unbeatable, Courson says. “I want people to come in on Tuesday nights and have fun,” he says. “What I want is to turn that into a learning opportunity for students. You get much more out of actually participating in a performing art as opposed to just scrolling on your phone or watching TV.”

High Achiever

This past year has been an exciting one for Butler, who was elected president of the Alabama Bandmasters Association, an organization that promotes the exchange of ideas and educational achievement among school band directors in the state. Smiths Station High School named Butler the Teacher of the Year, and the Lee County School District named him Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Humbly, Butler gives a lot of credit for his success to the larger team. “It’s definitely not just me — it’s a community that is around me that has generated this success,” he says. “I have a lot of mentors, and I have a large circle around me.”

His father-in-law — composer and author Dr. Larry Blocher — has had a big influence on Butler, as have colleagues who are supportive of the mission of teaching music. And, of course, Butler credits his hard-working students as making all the difference.

“Rusty Courson especially made a large impact on me, and that’s what I hope to make on my students,” Butler says about his mentor and co-director of the community band.

Collaborative Mindset

Now, Butler, who was recognized as a 2025 Yamaha “40 Under 40” educator, is working on promoting music education as a career path for college students. “The world needs more good music teachers,” he says. “I’m really trying to generate more interest in the field of music education. Our practicing educators are the ones who will influence the next generation of music educators.”

Butler’s love for music started when he was a child, and in high school as a member of the marching band, he knew that he wanted to be a music teacher and direct the band someday. As it turns out, he is only the third Director of Bands at Smiths Station High School — and he is the first alumnus to come back to his high school and take the job! Today, about 185 students participate in marching band, concert band, symphonic band and wind band.

“Gene is the real deal,” Courson says. “It’s a point of pride for me because he was my former student. … Gene has not only maintained but taken the band to next level.”

Before Butler came to Smiths Station about nine years ago, he worked at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery, Alabama, where the band grew from 39 students to more than 80 during his tenure. Butler’s bands have consistently received superior ratings in contests throughout the southeastern states.

He describes his classroom teaching philosophy like this: “I want to create a welcoming environment for all students to focus on bettering themselves through musicianship and life skills, as we work collaboratively together.”