FRENCH ROAD ELEMENTARY RED AND BLUE BANDS, DEBORAH PARKER AND JAMES ORGAR, CONDUCTORS

The Brighton Central School District is a suburban district on the southeastern border of the City of Rochester. The French Road Elementary School houses all of the third, fourth, and fifth grade students in the District and has a total school population of approximately 780 students. Because of a unique scheduling pattern, all of the students have the opportunity to begin an instrument in the fourth grade and it is typical for approximately 98% of the students to do so. Fifth grade wind and percussion students are members of either the Red or Blue Bands. Both bands are of equal size, instrumentation, and ability. The French Road School also has an active choral and orchestral program.

Deborah Parker has taught at French Road Elementary School for eleven years where she conducts the Red Band and teaches woodwinds. Mrs. Parker received a Bachelor or Science degree from SUNY Fredonia in Music Education and Music Therapy. She has a Master of Music in flute performance from Boston University where she studied with Leone Buyse, former acting principal flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Other teachers include Philip Kaplan, Joan Schwartzman and Robert Bush. An active performer in the New England area, Mrs. Parker has performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra (ME), Great Woods Festival Orchestra, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Boston Civic Symphony Orchestras. Mrs. Parker has taught at the Grand Island School District, the New England Conservatory Extension Division, University of Massachusetts - Boston, and the Joy of Music Program, Inc. in Worcester, Massachusetts. Deborah resides in Fairport with her husband Todd and son Jonathan.

Jim Orgar has taught in the Brighton District for 33 years and currently teaches brass and percussion instruments and conducts the Blue Band in the French Road building. He has held a number of positions in the Monroe County School Music Association including Elementary Coordinator, Band Chair, Solo Festival Chair, and President Elect, President, and Past President. He has been active in NYSSMA and has served as Director of Adjudicators, Manual Committee member (Trombone Solos), member of the Sectional Festival Committee, Finance Committee, All-State Selection Committee, and Executive Council, and as a certified All-State brass adjudicator. He has held the positions of NYSSMA 2nd Vice President and President Elect and is the current President of NYSSMA. Jim is a graduate of Houghton College (BM Mus. ED) and the Eastman School of Music (MM Mus. Ed.)