Kimberly Hass – Director of Bands
Click here for a pdf version of Ms. Hass' biography.
Kimberly Hass is excited to be the new Director of Bands at Etowah High
School! Kimberly holds a bachelors degree in Music Education from the University of
North Alabama, a Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Jacksonville
State University, and is currently working on her Ed.S. Degree from
Jacksonville State University. Teaching sixteen years, Ms Hass has been
the Band Director at Kirby High School – Memphis, Tennessee 1993 – 1997, Cordova
High School – Cordova, Tennessee 1997 – 2005, Scottsboro High School –
Scottsboro, Alabama 2005 – 2006, Dalewood Middle School (Administration/Music)
– Chattanooga, Tennessee 2006 – 2007, and Moody High School – Moody, Alabama
2007 – 2009. Her accomplishments include many awards including
teacher of the year 1994, 1995, 1996, & 2001, The “Annie Weaks” Teacher of
the Year Award – 2002, Disney Teacher of Year Nominee 2003. Band
Accomplishments include: Many Superior ratings in Marching, Concert, and
Jazz.
Under the Director of Ms. Hass, the Cordova High School Band began
its existence in 1997 with 37 members and grew to 180 members in four
years. The Cordova High School Band performed at the 2000 Nokia Sugar
Bowl, 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Competition Finalist at the Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Arizona Marching Band Competition, Epcot Center Performance – Disney
World – 2003, Participant in Concert Clinics at Loyola University – New
Orleans, MO., and Bronson, MO., the Marching band was a “Bands of America”
Finalist - 2005 at the St. Louis, MO. “Bands of America”
Regional. Kimberly was the featured article in the nationally
circulated “SBO” Magazine – June 2000, which highlights her career in Music
Education. She has been a guest speaker at the New York Band Directors
National Conference in Rochester, New York – 2003 and Guest Speaker at the
University of Memphis – Marching Techniques Seminar – 2004.
Ms. Hass has
been the honor band clinician at both the University of Memphis and the
University of Tennessee at Martin and is a sought out adjudicator in both
Marching and Concert in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Ms. Hass is
a member of many professional organizations which include: Alabama Music
Educators Association, Alabama Educators Association, Tennessee Music Educators
Association, Tennessee Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Alabama Band
Association. Kimberly Hass is from Scottsboro, Alabama where her family
still resides.
Words
from the Director :
As we
continue to grow, we continue to learn - not only skills, but also about the
dynamics of being a competitive force and the responsibility that accompanies
success. We will strive to achieve excellence both on and off the field, and
will endeavor to become role
models for the people of our community and those musically
inclined students who will follow in our footsteps. I am truly excited to be a
part of the Etowah Band Family! Go
Big Blue!!!
Pictured below, are some of Etowah's past Band Directors.
Mrs. Helen Childers
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Mrs. Helen Childers was Etowah's second female Band Director. Although she taught at Etowah
throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s, she led the band
through the 1950s and then became Choral Director and an
Art Instructor in the 1960s and 70s. Her emphasis on
musical perfection was unparalleled at the time.
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Mr. Vince Bria came to Etowah as Band
Director in the 1960s when Mrs. Childers decided to
concentrate more on Choral activities. It would be the
first time Etowah had separate Band and Choral Directors.
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Mr. Vince Bria
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Mr. Gene Barnes
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Mr. Gene Barnes is the man
responsible for bringing a level of showmanship to our
band program as had never been seen before. It was under
his leadership in the late 1960s that the Blue Devil Band
became a viable force at local marching contests. Mr.
Barnes also wrote the original version of The Blue
Devil Special fight song.
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Mr. Tommy Cole was our next Band Director leading
the Blue Devil Band through most of the 1970s after
having directed the band at Alma Hinson Junior High for
several years. Mr. Cole returned the focus of the band to
musicianship and sent many students to All-State,
All-County and other prestigious bands around the
country. Under Mr. Cole's leadership, the Blue Devil Band
represented Attalla at such events as Mardi Gras in New
Orleans; Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Parades;
concerts on the Capitol steps in Washington DC; and many
other places around the USA. Mr. Cole resigned from the
Band Program in 1978 to devote full attention to the
Choral Program and now teaches music at Westbrook
Christian School.
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Mr. Tommy Cole
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Mr. David Bolich
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Mr. David Bolich directed the Blue Devil Band
from 1978 to 1981. During his tenure at Etowah, Mr.
Bolich managed to achieve a remarkable balance of
superior musicianship and stunning visual field shows.
Through exercises of controled volume and field
placement, he showed us that an instrument line of only
28 could compete against (and sometimes even beat) bands
with 100+ musicians marching in them. The Band
represented Attalla at Walt Disney World; and braved
record freezing temperatures to perform for Governor Fob
James' Inauguration in Montgomery in 1979. Mr. Bolich
left Etowah at the end of the 1981 school year and
returned to his home of Ozark, Alabama, where he is
Director of Bands for Carroll High School. He still
returns to Etowah County every year to serve as a band
judge at Mid-South.
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