Antioch school bids goodbye to longtime bandmaster

Looking back over his career as the band director at Antioch Upper Grade School, Earl Bush says retrospection is enlightening. The letters of thanks have been pouring in from former students.

"I'm realizing now the powerful impact teachers can have on the lives of their students," he said. "Teaching is a powerful profession."

Bush is retiring after 29 years as band director at AUGS.

A bugler in the U.S. Army Band in the early 1970s, Bush, 61, went on to earn a degree in music education at Western Illinois University before coming to AUGS in 1981.

"I learned to play every band instrument from A to Z when I attended Western," Bush said. I practiced like crazy and loved it."

In the early 1980s, the band program at AUGS needed a makeover, Bush said.

"The superintendent told me to do whatever it takes to make a quality program. I took him up on that."

Remembered for his high standards and expectations, Bush routinely worked with individual students during off times, spending countless hours in practice.

"When students get better, the band gets better," he said.

Joan Zeien is a computer aide at AUGS. Two of her children have been taught by Bush. She says Bush settles for nothing less than the best from his musicians.

"He expected excellence and he got it," Zeien said. "His one-on-one attention with each of his students made a huge difference. The talent of the AUGS band has been compared to the high school band."

Bush said it's hard to narrow down the most impressive highlights from his career, but a trip out East stands out.

"We were asked to play in New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2006," he said. "One of the most amazing things is that the students were able to raise $35,000 in just five months to pay for the trip."

What's it like to teach with middle school kids who have a reputation for being a little rambunctious?

"I love that age," Bush said. "I love to mold them, and to challenge them in their work and goals."

He currently works a part-time job at a hotel near his home in Salem, Wis. and he's looking at a job in the hotel industry for a second career.

Bush estimates he's taught at least 4,000 students during his tenure at AUGS. He's tried to treat each with respect.

"I love students, I love people," he said. "I'm blessed with a passion for teaching."