Following the death of a beloved music teacher and the disruptions of the COVID pandemic, Morse High School’s new Band Director Andrew Chipman hopes to restore the music program by embracing tradition and collaborating with staff and students.

“COVID-19 sort of beat back music programs everywhere because of the masking and distancing,” Chipman said. “COVID presented us with so many difficulties, we are sort of in a build-back stage.”

Morse High School Band Director Andrew Chipman. Photo contributed by Susan Ellis

High School Principal Eric Varney feels confident in Chipman because of his history and familiarity with the school.

“Andy Chipman knows firsthand about Morse tradition. His children attended and graduated from Morse,” Varney said. “As the Bath Middle School band director, a position he held for eight years, he also spent time working with his predecessor, Anthony Marro.”

Marro taught at the school for 20 years before his untimely death last December.

“He was sick for a long time and then his passing was shocking,” Chipman said.

Being a familiar face and someone to trust, Chipman hopes to be a comfort to students who took his classes in middle school, making the transition easier in Marro’s absence.

Chipman acknowledged the variety of music classes offered to students thanks to Marro and his co-worker Sandra Foreman. Because of them, he said the school teaches not only traditional music classes, but also basic piano and guitar as well. He said the most unique offering of all might be the rock ensemble created by Marro.

While school arts programs are historically vulnerable to budget cuts, Chipman said programs like music and theater are “absolutely critical” in a well-rounded education.

“Those are the kinds of programs that reach a lot of kids that maybe aren’t academically inclined,” he said. “And they get kids excited to come to school. Not only that; music, visual arts, drama and physical education are all different ways of learning, giving students different outlets to learn about the world and themselves. Humans have been making music and creating art since the beginning of civilizations. To cut back on those things is doing a big disservice to children.”

As far as making any changes to the current music program, Chipman said he would “definitely tread lightly” because he believes the program already has “so many good things in place.”

For now, he said his main focus is teaching basics to students, preparing them for various concerts, football games, pep rallies and parades.

“Mr. Chipman was a known entity to us for a while,” Varney said. “He is known to the students, too. We are all excited that he has decided to come to be the band director for the high school.”

Morse High School Band Director Andrew Chipman conducts the high school jazz band from his piano. Photo contributed by Andrew Chipman