Ronald Sutherland Ronald Sutherland Ronald Sutherland retired from the Clarence, NY Central School District in 1996 after twenty-five years of teaching instrumental music and conducting the Clarence Wind Ensemble. Ron also taught at Williamsville North High School for two years and started his teaching career at Silver Creek Central School in September of 1961. The Clarence High School Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band featured many artists including Vaclav Nelhybel, Karel Husa, Sigurd Rascher, Carl St. Clair, William Willet, Donald Schleicher, Frank Erickson, Alan Vizzuti, and Rhythm and Brass.
Under Mr. Sutherland’s direction, the Clarence Bands toured throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. In 1976, a combined Clarence High School Band participated in an International Youth Festival in Aberdeen, Scotland and London, England. In the summer of 1990, the band toured and performed in Austria and Italy. In addition to many guest conducting, clinics, consulting, and adjudication appearances, Ron has led many student leadership workshops throughout New York State. Each summer Ron travels to Europe with a select Band and Chorus under the auspices of American Music Abroad. Ron was active in the New York State School Music Association having served as president in 1984 and 1985. He and his wife Cathy are currently the co-head chaperones for NYSSMA’S 900 All-State students at the Winter Conference.
The leadership workshop deals with getting young adults out of their “comfort zones.” It deals with giving to others in terms of conversation, actions, and concern. It deals with total communication, from verbal to non-verbal to tactile. The leadership workshop deals in honesty, integrity, dignity, and sensitivity. It also deals with the three most common”fears” of 99% of us: fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of public speaking.