Letter of Reference
from Kenneth D. Turner
January 21, 2004
To Whom It May Concern:
It gives me great pleasure to describe what Peter Ferrito has meant to The Bands of Irmo since he began working with us last May. I am fortunate to teach an amazing group of very talented musicians at Irmo High School. However, many of these musicians lacked the skills necessary to be true leaders. I first learned of Peter Ferrito through David Woodard, our middle school Director, who met him at the Midwest Clinic in 2002. Peter and I put together a workshop with all of our student leaders in conjunction with our Spring Band Camp.
What happened at this workshop can only be described as magic. Students that were uneasy about leading began expressing themselves and what they wanted from the band program during the clinic. Through this process, we gained a much better understanding of how to lead, and more importantly, how to communicate better with each other. Peter was the consummate guide throughout this process, as he led the discussions while allowing each person to feel important and to contribute at the level at which they were comfortable. We entered this season feeling much better equipped to lead the rest of the band, and to ultimately reach our goals through improving the process. Our program has grown and matured by going through this experience together.
We brought him in for a follow-up session this past September. During this time, he worked with our extended leader team as well as our current student leaders. He continually challenged us to reach higher and expect more of ourselves, and ultimately to believe in ourselves. Our band members created a new mission statement for the band program, which was unanimously adopted by all of the band members at the conclusion of the workshop. This mission statement is proudly displayed in our band room for all to read. In addition, Peter has constantly made himself available to both my students and to me for additional guidance throughout the year.
The impact that Peter Ferrito has had on our program this year is real. I recommend him to any band director that has students that need to learn how to lead.
Sincerely,
Kenneth D. Turner
Director of Bands
River Bluff High School
Lexington, South Carolina
Former Director of Bands
Whiteknoll High School
Lexington, South Carolina
Former Band Director
The Bands of Irmo
Columbia, South Carolina
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