... And the band plays on

There will be some big shoes to fill next year at Granite Bay High School. They belong to Paul Everts, who after eight years is resigning as the school's instrumental music teacher and marching, jazz and concert band director.Everts recently announced his departure from Granite Bay, stating he hopes to stay within the teaching profession but wants to be closer to extended family members in Northern California.Everts started the band program at Granite Bay High in 1997. His first group consisted of 39 students, 30 of whom were freshman. The group became known as the Emerald Brigade Marching Band and Color Guard and began competing in marching competitions a few months after school began. Everts said he will never forget the first competition at Del Oro High School."The bus was late. We had eight minutes to get ready and we came in third place. We were thrilled," he recalled.Everts attributes the success of the band/color guard program to several factors, including the collaboration between the local schools and the involvement and support from the parents of the students in band."We have 42 freshmen coming in this fall. That's the largest number ever," he said.At the high school, Everts said the administration has been a major contributor to the program's success because of the priority band always received when it came to the master school schedule."Ron (Severson) has been wonderful," he said. "If I ever had a chance to work with him again, anywhere, I would do it."The feeling appears to be mutual. Severson, Granite Bay's principal, said he is sad to lose someone of Everts' caliber."Paul has constructed a high power, powerful music program that has more than met the needs of our high school and community," Severson said. "Often people take it all for granted. They don't understand all the energy that goes into something like this. Paul is an entrepreneur leader. For him, his gift is in the start-up or turn around type of program."Several current members of the Emerald Brigade also believe replacing Everts will be difficult, but feel a strong teacher is necessary in order for the band to keep up its reputation."I've learned a lot of good skills being in band for four years," said Kevin Martinez, 18. "I've enjoyed playing music, making friends and the general environment."Stephen Pajari, 18, and Elizabeth Dixon, 16, have similar memories. "The program needs someone who will continue to discipline. That's what kept us at our best and on track," Pajari said.The band's progress arrived quickly. Word spread about the early success this small band achieved in one season and the second year membership shot up to 71 students. The group tried their hand at field show routines and took first place honors at one of the first competitions in 1998.Since those first few years the Emerald Brigade Marching Band and Color Guard has received countless awards, including Grand Sweepstakes and Superior ratings in numerous state competitions and festivals they have attended.As well as his many musical accomplishments, Everts and the band organization are known for their commitment to Granite Bay as well as other school communities throughout Northern California.The group recently completed their annual Music for Hope concert, which benefits the American Cancer Society and the ALS Association and has contributed $26,000 in six years. In addition, earlier this year band parents from Granite Bay High School and Olympus and Cavitt junior high schools contributed more than $6,000 to the North Sacramento School District program that was in danger of losing its music program due to budget cuts."The Granite Bay Band /Color Guard has done its very best to be a model of character, competence and chemistry," Everts said.With Everts' resignation not only does the high school lose an award-winning music teacher, but the Granite Bay community will lose a major volunteer. Everts' wife, Diana, established the Color and Winter Guard groups at the high school and instructed several sectional and percussion units. She also helped get the music docent program up and running at the Eureka School District's elementary schools."It's a music appreciation program run by the parents that teaches children about famous composers, defines the family of instruments and introduces students to scales," she said. She helped train all the parents and later became one the docents at Greenhills School where daughter, Katy, 8, attends.Everts' wife is also the vice president of the PTC at Eureka School where son, P.J., is in fifth grade.For Paul Everts, he's ready to move on but hopes parents and students will always let their teachers know how much they are loved and never take them for granted."I'm humbly proud of what we've done. I believe in leaving when things are good," he concluded.Susan Belknap can be reached at sbelknap@surewest.net.