Why I Teach: Dr. Joe Moore
Why I Teach: Dr. Joe Moore
In this episode, Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle talks with Dr. Joe Moore, Director of Athletics Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Associate Professor of Music, about the incredible ETSU Marching Bucs. In 2014, Dr. Moore was tasked with revitalizing the Marching Bucs, which had been dissolved a decade earlier. Under his leadership, the band has grown in both size and prestige. In 2024, the marching band became the first collegiate marching band from Tennessee in over 60 years invited to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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Transcript
Dr. Joe Moore
So, I actually began applying in 2019. 2020, they did not have the parade. It was virtual because of COVID, and then continued applying and, then got the word that we were selected.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University.
From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students.
This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU.
Hear their stories as they tell us “Why I Teach.”
In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Joe Moore, Director of Athletic Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Associate Professor of Music.
Dr. Moore joined the ETSU faculty in 2014 and was tasked with revitalizing the Marching Bucs, which had been dissolved a decade earlier.
Under Dr. Moore's leadership, the group has enjoyed explosive, exponential growth year-to-year, from a membership of 165 students in its 2015 debut season to well over 300 active members at present, continually and consecutively breaking the record for the largest band in ETSU history.
Along with a surge in membership, the Marching Bucs have quickly established themselves as a premier marching arts organization with national recognition.
The group was chosen to represent the state of Tennessee in the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the first time a collegiate band from Tennessee has been featured in over 60 years.
Enjoy the show.
Dr. Moore, welcome to the show.
I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice you would have given yourself?
Dr. Joe Moore
Thank you for having me. Yeah.
I remember at first feeling a little overwhelmed with the idea of totally starting a program from scratch, basically because it had been dormant for so long.
But what I would go back and tell myself now is enjoy the process, document the process. I think I was so fixated on the goal that I didn't always appreciate and enjoy the stepping stones along the way.
You know, talking with students for the first time who were excited about the program starting back, and they were sharing their stories with me and things like that.
So, I think just if I could go back and just soak all of that in rather than being fixated on creating a product.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Well, I have been looking forward to having you here. What a year.
The ETSU Marching Bucs just had what I would call a historic season. I had the privilege of cheering on the band at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I know from an observer's perspective, it was exhilarating.
So, I can only imagine what it must have been like to be leading your students along this journey.
Will you share the story of how the band was selected to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? What was the process like for you and the students?
Dr. Joe Moore
Sure.
I've watched the Macy's Parade as long as I can remember. Growing up, my family knew we couldn't have Thanksgiving dinner until after the parade was over.
When I joined band, I thought, oh, that would be really nice to be in it someday. And then I became a band director, and I thought, oh, I would love to have a group in it someday. And so, it kind of progressed. And then I guess I had sort of put that idea on hold for a long time.
And, then when I came to ETSU and I started enjoying the work ethic of the band and seeing the progress they were making and I just realized it was almost like a duh moment.
It's like you should apply for Macy's.
And so, I began applying for it. It's a very stringent process. There are, there are worldwide performance opportunities for bands. But usually if you've got the money then you can go. In fact, we were actually invited to come and march in the Lord Mayor's New Year's Day Parade in London. But I had knew I had applied for Macy's and so I was like, oh, I'm going to wait and see if Macy's works out.
So I actually began applying in 2019. 2020, they did not have the parade. It was virtual because of COVID. And then continued applying and, then got the word that we were selected and, you know, we had to provide videos. We had to provide photographs with the band of, of each uniform, of each different section, letters of recommendation from people in the marching arts, a band resume.
It was a pretty extensive process. And then in 2023, usually they had said they would let people know, you know, by February. And, you know, February came and went. And then it was March, and I just resigned myself. Okay, we haven't been chosen.
And I got a message from the coordinator of the parade asking if I could do a Teams meeting with them. And I thought, I've messed something up on the application, or I left something out or something.
And so we had the Teams meeting, and this was in early March, and, you know, it was a very pleasant meeting. And he just, he was asking things about the band and, and there were things I'd already answered on the application. So I was a little confused why he was asking those.
And then he started talking about the band and, asked me about some things I included things like, you know, during, during the COVID shutdown, we actually had band members, we formed a whole ensemble to go play for the shift change at the hospital for the health care workers.
You know, I talked about, you know, our engagement with our audiences, like, in the Christmas parade. You know, that we don't just, I mean, we're disciplined and we're regimented, but we let our kids interact with the audience because I think that's important.
And, and he started talking about things like that, and, you know, how much that mattered. You know, the things beyond just the musical things.
And then he started talking about, the videos that we had submitted, of our halftime shows. And he liked that our shows told a story, that they engaged the crowd so that the crowd wasn't always just spectators, but actually participants, you know, they were drawn in and, and he explained that, you know, a lot of people look at Herald Square as what Macy's Parade, the Macy's Parade is, but that's actually at the end of a two and a half mile parade route where millions of people are lining the streets.
And he said it's very important to us that those people are entertained. And, you know, and he said, we like what you all do. And he offered the invitation for us to be in the 2024 parade.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Wow. So as the director, how did you prepare the band for such a high-profile performance?
Dr. Joe Moore
It was pretty intense. They, they knew the significance of it.
We, and, of course, we don't practice during the summers or anything. So really, we could not start practicing until this past August when we came in at the end of the, end of the month for band camp.
I knew that endurance would be something we would have to work on because you know, other than the Christmas parade, we don't really do parades. And, the Johnson City Parade
And so, I knew endurance and, you know, and of course, you never know what the weather's going to be. I looked through literally decades of YouTube videos, and the weather was everything from sunny to almost blizzard conditions.
So we knew we, we couldn't anticipate that. And I knew it would be a long time of playing along the parade route. They actually have a rule that, you know, you can only do percussion cadence in between songs for so long because they don't want the audience, you know, a little further down to not hear music.
And so, I wrote our fall show a little more difficult music, a little more demand on their playing. We had more demand in the, in the marching to try to build that endurance up for the parade and also, thematically, I knew I wanted to do something that would make people happy, would make them smile.
And so, I chose the theme of "Happy Together." And our show was all about happiness.
And, actually, I wrote it so that the first minute and 15 seconds, which is what we're allotted of our show, is what we would do in Herald Square.
Some of the kids initially had said, you know, oh, they didn't want to get burned out on it, but, but then I talked to, you know, other people and they say, they said, you know, towards Thanksgiving, you know, they're getting ready for finals and they're tired and to have to learn something brand new.
It's not necessarily, you know, maybe the best idea. And, you know, I talked about it and as I mentioned, with my own self, wanted to make sure that when I started here that I was sort of in the moment.
I wanted the kids to not be stressed about a performance, not be stressed about learning something new this year.
I wanted them to be able to enjoy being on that street, looking up at the skyscrapers and seeing people cheering for them. I wanted them to be relaxed and confident enough that they could soak all that in.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
So this was the performance that you gave during the football games throughout the fall semester leading up?
Dr. Joe Moore
Yes.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Yes. That's great. Dr. Moore, do you want to tell us about some of your favorite memories from the parade?
Dr. Joe Moore
Sure. There are so many, a couple that stand out.
I, along with Timothy Loman, who's our Associate Director and our head drum major, Matthew Jones, were invited to a luncheon with the Macy's committee on Tuesday, the week of the parade.
And during the course of that, and I didn't know this existed or happened, we were actually presented with an award, called the Rollie Award.
And it, the purpose of it is to recognize people or organizations that exemplify the spirit of the parade. And I thought that was a great testament to our kids, that they're not just, you know, musicians or good marchers, but that it's an overall spirit and how they contribute to the audience and just lifting people up.
Of course, the performance itself. It was horrible weather and we, we were moving along at breakneck speed and, I was worried by the time I got to Herald Square that, you know, that we might be tired or distracted, and I didn't actually get to see the performance because they funneled us behind the cameras, but when I was able to get beyond that and they turned the corner off of Herald Square, I could tell from their faces how well they had done.
How well they, you know, they knew they had given their very best and that, that was amazing to me and, and just the opportunity to then share Thanksgiving dinner with them that night and as many as there were, it still was like having dinner with my family. It's really special.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Yes. And, and I'll say, objectively, we all knew that they were the best band. I mean, it was fantastic. Someone asked about the decision that that you made, sort of for them not to wear protective, you know, kind of from the rain protection from the rain that really stood out, that they were just marching in this in the rain. And they did so well, did not seem to be impacted by it.
Dr. Joe Moore
Yeah. Macy's actually, I'm sorry, NBC actually does not allow you to wear raincoats on camera. And you know, there was if we had ponchos there would be nowhere to, to dump 360 ponchos on the side of the road before we turned into Herald Square. And so, I knew the weather forecast going into. All along, I've been looking for a couple of weeks and it, you know, it always changes. But it had been consistent that Thursday it was going to rain. And so, I was talking to the kids about it. And so, I just looked at them and I said “What rain?” And I think we adopted that attitude “What rain?” We, you know we want to perform. We have a job to do. We're going to do it. And yeah. Yeah. They just, they were soaked. That’s the wettest I’ve ever been in my life. So yes, they, they were so resilient.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Yes. It's fantastic. So marching bands often have a reputation for fostering a strong sense of camaraderie. How do you build and maintain that sense of community within the band, especially in a university environment?
Dr. Joe Moore
I was actually asked that question when I interviewed for the position here.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Really?
Dr. Joe Moore
And I taught high school for 16 years, taught high school band and the thing that I recognized is, for instance, a high school student may have an English teacher their ninth-grade year, and they never have that teacher again. With band, they have the same teacher all four years. And they spent a lot of time before school and after school and on weekends practicing and going to competitions. And so, there's a sense of family and whether it's a band or a choir, an orchestra, you know, when you have that common goal of performance and you're spending time working together, it naturally develops into a family atmosphere.
And I wanted to establish that here right away. I wanted the students to feel like they had something to be a part of, that they could belong to. And that they were proud of.
And even with the growth of the organization, we still really foster that sense of family. And so, I think that's what draws students. And I think that's what keeps students here. If it was only a recruitment, we would only have freshmen in the band. They would drop out their sophomore year. But we have students who have been in band their entire college career.
And we actually had a few students who delayed their graduation this year so they could go to Macy's.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
I heard about that. Yes. In your experience, how does participation in the marching band contribute to students' personal and academic growth beyond music?
Dr. Joe Moore
It's absolutely an organization that teaches teamwork as well as independence, self-discipline, and being part of a team, working towards a goal, the give and take, dynamics of working with other people, people of different ability levels. You know, sometimes you have to mentor other students and your peers, and one thing that I love is seeing leadership qualities develop within a student who may not have exhibited those otherwise.
The thing is, you know, with some organizations, there are like starters who are the elite, and that's who performs or plays, and the others are kind of on the sideline. But in band, everybody's a starter. There's nobody on the sideline. And so, they get that opportunity. They get the opportunity to perform. Maybe they would be too shy to do it on their own, but when they're part of a group, they get that chance to experience a standing ovation or, and so I think it just prepares them for many things, you know, not only academically, like organizing their time and things like that, but just in life, and I really hope we help make better citizens.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Yes, it's always fascinating when you look at over 300 students in band, and they represent all of the disciplines across campus. How does that sort of come together when you're working with that many students who are from a variety of disciplines?
Dr. Joe Moore
It's always the challenge at the start of a year, because not only are they from a variety of disciplines, but they all come from different high schools and each high school has their own style and way they do things. And so, we have, you know, usually we come out of a week of band camp and then have a football game. So, we have to transform all these different thoughts and ideas and styles into a cohesive unit. But, they just have such a great work ethic and attitude, and they want the group. They want to be a part of something successful. They want to be a part of something good. And they realize it depends on them.
You know, if a student in a class doesn't do well on a test, it only affects that student. It doesn't affect the class. But someone in a performing ensemble, if they don't do well, yeah, it affects everybody else. And they can feel that.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Yes. What is the most fulfilling part of your work as a professor and a director of bands?
Dr. Joe Moore
Seeing them develop, as musicians, obviously, seeing them develop as leaders, seeing them develop as people. Every year, our first meeting in band camp, I talk to the students about that college is a chance for them to reinvent themselves. You know, I'll say, okay, if you're shy, we don't know that. Reinvent yourself. And, and I've seen students do that and they will come back and they'll bring that back to my memory. Remember when you said, you know, when I talked to them about how, how far they've come and.
And so that, that's really satisfying. And then just people appreciating the group, you know, the audiences and spectators and alumni, and, and people just giving praise to the kids. I love that.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
That's nice. Yeah. Well, it brings up another question to the thing that people talk about a lot is the dedication of band parents. Talk about the dedication of the parents to the band, especially the Marching Bucs.
Dr. Joe Moore
You know, in high school they have band booster organizations where the, you know, the parents help with fitting uniforms and work concession stands and fundraising and, and you know we don't have that here. You know, a lot of the students are far away from their families, but, we have found, it's really difficult, for parents just to turn that off and understandably so. I mean, my parents couldn't. I mean, my parents even, in my adult career would drive. I was teaching high school in Georgia. They would drive 4.5 hours to come to a concert because they just missed it.
And so, we find that especially when we start in band camp, of posting pictures on social media, they are so happy to see pictures of their, their child, of their student, you know, and then, I think a significant amount of football ticket holders are actually band parents who, who come and support. They want to see their students. You know, they will, sometimes I'll get an email that says, you know, we're driving in from, you know, six hours away. We want to make sure we catch the pregame show. What time will it start? And so, their support is absolutely still there.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Yes. That's great. Finally, what impact do you hope you've had on your students?
Dr. Joe Moore
Sometimes I, I tell them I'm giving them homework and they look at me at the end of a practice. I'll say, if somebody has crossed your mind lately, I want you to go call them. Or if you haven't talked to your grandparents lately, I want you to go do that. Put down your phone and smile at somebody walking across campus. Or hold a door for somebody. Basically just be good people. Even. And I hope that that resonates and sticks with them.
Because they're great people. But, you know, sometimes we're so isolated, you know, staring at our phone or, you know, we, we don't have to interact with human beings. We can order everything online. We can have food delivered, groceries delivered, go through a drive-through or just watch Netflix. And I'm really, I really try to push them to, to engage more, just engage with people out.
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle
Thank you, Joe. I will never forget seeing our ETSU Marching Bucs in the parade. I appreciate the vision, the dedication, the hard work that it took to get to this national stage and to receive this national recognition. And I look forward to continuing to watching the band grow.
Thank you for listening to “Why I Teach.” For more information about Dr. Moore, the College of Arts and Sciences, or this podcast series, visit the ETSU provost's website at ETSU dot edu slash provost.
You can follow me on social media at ETSU Provost. And if you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to like and subscribe to “Why I Teach” wherever You Listen to podcasts.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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