Breathe in and out. In, out. Mr. Andrew Nance stands in front of the band hall leading students through a rhythmic breathing exercise. In, out. In, out, done. He drops his arms and glances around the room before beginning the next part of warmups for the afternoon rehearsal.
“As far as playing a musical instrument goes, it was a bit of a struggle [for me],” Mr. Nance said. “Fundamentally, there were a lot of things I had to do a better job with, and so that’s one of the things we’ll take time on in class.”
Mr. Nance began teaching at Legacy High School at the beginning of the school year after moving to Mansfield from Stephenville. When moving, several factors influenced his decision to apply for jobs in Mansfield ISD. First, he enjoyed the performances he has seen from Mansfield bands in the past. Secondly, he could tell the fine arts programs in MISD receive solid district support.
“I knew that there was a lot of good stuff going on here,” Mr. Nance said. “I could tell that there were a lot of resources being provided to the band program and to the fine arts organizations. Any school district that is willing to put that as a priority, I am more than willing to go for.”
Finally, Mr. Nance knew it was time for him to move closer to his family, most of which lives within the DFW area. As his parents grew older, Mr. Nance recognized the need to live closer to them as a priority in his life. Continually, his fiancée, Emily Weir, lives in the area. With their wedding fast-approaching, set for June of 2018, he felt the need to live closer to her.
“She’s a close, personal friend that I have. We can share anything with each other,” Mr. Nance said. “We don’t have any judgement with each other, [and] everything’s out in the open.”
Before becoming a band director, Mr. Nance attended TCU to earn his degree in music education with a focus on instrumental music. While in college, Mr. Nance participated in both band and choir, classically trained in opera and performed with people who went on to become Disneyland College Band members and Grammy winners.
“I knew that there was a lot of talent over there,” Mr. Nance said. “I played and sang with the top organizations that were there, so to be among those who made it professionally [was] just a very humbling experience.”
Over his six years of experience, Mr. Nance has found one thing that truly keeps him motivated. Along with his love of music, which has helped him through the good and bad times throughout his life, Mr. Nance loves to see his students grow and excel.
“Being a servant and helping see others grow helping students grow and learn their potential is probably one of the most selfless and selfish things that I’ve ever done,” Mr. Nance said. “Selfish in that I know I’ve made and impact in somebody’s life and selfless in that they know that they can achieve more because of it.”
Tanner • Oct 30, 2018 at 1:42 pm
I remember when I was in 5th grade when Mr. Nance asked me if he wanted to see the French horns play and it inspired me to actually join band, and the best things throughout the years of band was being reached by Mr. Nance