After 34 years at St. Mary School, band teacher Oscar-Jose Garcia will officially retire at the end of this school year.
With a third of a century at the conductor’s stand to reflect upon, retirement, he said, will be a welcome break, though he’s far from packing away his sheet music.
An accomplished musician in his own right — Garcia regularly performs flamenco music with his wife Judith — he said that he intends to spend much of his time mentoring aspiring musicians in Westlock and beyond.
“I’m very passionate about starting a community jazz band. Give me time to rest and put this all away,” Garcia said.
“[My wife and I] are going to Spain for October and November and we’ll continue to study flamenco.”
Garcia’s family originally emigrated to Halifax from Spain in the 1950s, and he was born at the Edmonton General Hospital Nov. 6, 1960.
His father’s career as a doctor kept his family in one place, something that would pay off as he became part of the city’s musical community.
“When I graduated high school, my intention was to do something in music,” Garcia added.
He and his wife had two children already when he found out he would be teaching in Westlock and it didn’t take long before he decided the commute would be too much and moved to town.
“I didn’t like having my wife at home with two little babies. Living here, I was two minutes away if something happened,” he said.
“We had our third child the very last day of school my first year. It’s been a wonderful community to raise kids.”
Looking back, Garcia said the school has given him many fond memories. As a band teacher, he’s been able to travel the world and bring his passion for music with him to work daily.
“I’ve always told the kids I would never have survived if I was just a classroom teacher. I would have been burnt out years ago, but music, the passion behind the music, taking these kids on trips, travel, just the love of listening to them progress musically is why I’ve stayed so long,” Garcia said.
“You get to know these kids from the very beginning stages of learning how to play and where to put their fingers on the keys, then watch them develop over the years.
“You look at them and say, ‘You didn’t know you could do it. You didn’t think you could get this good, but now you are.’ It just goes to show, if you’re willing to put in the time, it can be done.”
Grade 9 student Camille Williams said that while Garcia’s classes are challenging, his strict work ethic has always translated to steady improvements for her and her classmates.
“He’s a great teacher. He’s really hard on us, but it really helps us to be better. Music is fun. There’s lots of emotions and it makes you feel something,” Williams said.
Classmate Alex Liber agreed with Williams’ statements and acknowledged Garcia’s contribution, both to their own education and St. Mary’s band program.
“I find that his classes help us to expand our horizons and find more with what we’re doing,” Liber said.
While Garcia’s contribution to his students is intangible, improvements he’s made to the band program have been measured, over the years, with numerous awards.
In fact, Garcia and his students have won a provincial award for each of his 34 years at the school.
Of his band’s trips, Garcia fondly recalls his ensemble’s first international gold medal performance at a 2004 competition in Vancouver.
From there, he regularly guided the group to award-winning performances.
“When you figure out what the judges want, that’s what you work with,” he said.
Most recently, the school’s junior high concert band and wind ensemble received the superior award and top marks in their category at the Alberta Band Association’s provincial festival in May.
Though he said he’s pleased to have received so many awards, Garcia still maintains that one of the best gifts he could have had throughout his career was being able to help students learn how to play, not just as individuals, but as a group, giving them skills that will help them develop as musicians and people.
“They don’t just learn the instrument. They learn how to play with a group,” Garcia said.
“Their timing, their sound — they have to play together and discipline their ear training. All of those dynamics are what creates the beautiful sound of a concert band.”
Garcia will leave on a high note after the band’s year-end concert at CATS Theatre June 2, marking his final performance.
