Palen Music Center Quick Note

Monday, May 14, 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

This is our final QuickNote issue for the 2017-18 school year.

Directors:

Congratulations on another great year of band & orchestra! The positive impact you're making on your students and community cannot be measured. You're creating memories and developing skills that will stay with your students their entire lives. The job is immense, the schedule is full, and sometimes the stress meter runs high, but it is worth it.

I'm so proud of the support I've witnessed across our eight-store footprint this year. More than ever, I believe we are truly a community of music educators doing everything in our power for our students. From Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Illinois we can hear the rally cry from the directors we serve in Oklahoma as you continue to fight hard for your students and programs with state legislation. There have been Quick Note articles submitted from multiple directors who took personal time to offer advice, share methods that have proven successful, and contribute documents for everyone to use. The camaraderie and discussions during our trips to BOA Grand Nationals and The Midwest Clinic were so much fun and incredibly valuable. The encouragement I saw schools giving each other at the Palen Percussion Clinic and Palen Concert Clinic made me stop and appreciate what is happening in our little community. You embody our motto ...it's about kids.

From all of us at Palen Music Center, thank you. It has been our pleasure to serve you.

AAron Bryan, Vice President

From the Bandroom - Mt. Vernon, MO

From the Bandroom - Altamont, KS

Meet the Team

Up Close With...

Kirby Swinney

Educational Representative, OKC

How long have you been with PMC, and what brought you to the company?
I started when the company opened the OKC store July 1, 2014.

Where did you grow up? Musical family? Professional background?
I grew up in Guthrie OK. None of my family members were in band or particularly musical. I'm the youngest of three children; I have two sisters. I went to the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1982. I I taught in Weleetka, Dewey, Choctaw and Shawnee.

Any interesting hobbies?
I began lifting weights at age 45 as a way to "make the fat look better" and 13 years later find myself spending a minimum of 2 hours per day in the gym. It was my way of getting out of my comfort zone and getting away from the band world and meeting different people.

Anything else you'd like to share?
I have a son who lives and works in Tokyo, Japan and my daughter just starting working in the nursing department at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. Both are OU grads.

Monday, May 14, 2018

How long have you been with PMC, and what brought you to the company? I started when the company opened the OKC store July 1, 2014.

Any interesting hobbies? I began lifting weights at age 45 as a way to "make the fat look better" and 13 years later find myself spending a minimum of 2 hours per day in the gym. It was my way of getting out of my comfort zone and getting away from the band world and meeting different people.

Anything else you'd like to share? I have a son who lives and works in Tokyo, Japan and my daughter just starting working in the nursing department at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. Both are OU grads.

How long have you been with PMC, and what brought you to the company?
I started when the company opened the OKC store July 1, 2014.

Any interesting hobbies?
I began lifting weights at age 45 as a way to "make the fat look better" and 13 years later find myself spending a minimum of 2 hours per day in the gym. It was my way of getting out of my comfort zone and getting away from the band world and meeting different people.

Anything else you'd like to share?
I have a son who lives and works in Tokyo, Japan and my daughter just starting working in the nursing department at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. Both are OU grads.