After the loss of both band and choir directors at the end of last year, many students wondered if the job would be filled for more than a year or two again. However, new department head Michael Ogdon aims to rejuvenate the program, driving it to excellence and a new sense of stability.
Ogdon comes from Parlier High School to join the faculty as the band and choir director. He also taught at California State University, Fresno for five years, as well as directing church music.
Ogdon says his faith has always driven his career in music.
“Early on, I was more driven to do church music together with my wife than school music without her,” Ogdon said. “I actually taught one year at a private school prior to pursuing my master’s degree in choral conducting. I thought that I was preparing for a life of classical music in a Presbyterian setting. I was driven to teach at FC because it is a Christian school and I can openly share my faith.”
While Ogdon has always participated in music, he has had a less artistic career.
“I did a stint as a private investigator in Arizona.” Ogdon said. “My neighbor had his own investigation company and I was between jobs. He hired me to help him investigate workers comp claims against the worker’s companies for injuries sustained on the job.
“A typical situation — I would get up at 4 a.m. to stake out a house. I would have a video camera and just sit waiting to follow the person being investigated through their day’s activities. Depending on their injury, I would tape things they did that would either support or invalidate their claim for insurance payments. Nothing I did would have made a good movie.”
Ogdon’s musical background helps him teach students to improve on any instrument. He plays piano and the cornet, and can play bits of things on most instruments that one would find in a concert band.
“I began playing piano in second grade,” Ogdon said. “I did not have to actually learn to read music because I heard it played every day [by my sister]. In sixth grade, I joined the beginning band on cornet. Now as a band director, I am supposed to be able to play every instrument. And I do. I can play ‘Oscar Meyer Wiener’ on almost every instrument.”
Despite dealing with the stress of directing the entire music department, Ogdon says a long commute outweighs the negatives of his new job.
“Directing both band and choir programs will certainly stretch the clock and calendar.” Ogdon said. “Being director of musical arts for Fresno Christian Schools is a terrific honor, but honestly? After two years of driving an hour each way to school, I’m two miles from campus. Take that, evil petroleum corporations!”
Although Ogdon is new, he has already determined goals of excellence for his students.
“I want to instill in the music students of FC a passion for communicating with musical and personal integrity,” Ogdon said. “I wholeheartedly pursue ‘just a little more’ from each voice and instrument so that our combined effort and experience brings greater vision and higher achievement. I love the stated goal and I completely support it.”
Although enrollment is down, Odgon says he is optimistic about the size of the music program in the future.
“If ten can have a terrific experience together, imagine what 20 can do — and 50, or more!” Ogdon said. “I’m not sure what is realistic with the school’s overall attendance figures, but I try to get roughly 15-20% in the main groups — 200 students should field 30 to 40 in the band and the same in choir.”
While Odgon has instituted several changes, junior Jessica Massie, a participant in both choir and marching band, says the adjustments will benefit in the groups in the long run.
“I know some choir students are not very excited about marching with the band,” Massie said. “I however think that it will be an awesome opportunity to make the music groups much closer and help them to work hard together.”
Teacher Profile: Mr. Ogdon from Tyler Duerr on Vimeo.
For more information, e-mail Ogdon.
