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Northview Names New Tribal Beat Band Director

Northview High School has named Scott Slay as the school’s new band director and Tadd Corder as an assistant band director.

After graduating from Northview in 2000, Slay attended the University of West Florida where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Teacher Education with a specialization in Jazz. Slay has four years of teaching experience. Last year, he sponsored Northview’s guitar ensemble, theatre productions, chorus and the jazz band. He will remain Northview’s Performing Arts instructor.

Corder is transferring from the closed Carver/Century K-8 School to a teaching position at Ernest Ward Middle School, but he will volunteer his time as an assistant band director at Northview. Corder has a music minor, and he was a member of the UWF symphonic band.

“We are both Northview drum line alumni under Mr. Buck,” Slay said. “We are both looking forward to leading the band where we used to march.”

Slay plans to make a few changes with the Tribal Beat band — new music, a local focus and new instruments. He also plans to use technology more in the band program, tossing out the cassette tape players that were a mainstay in the program.

While he would not say exactly what new music he is looking to add to the selections played by the band on Friday nights, during football season, he did mention Earth, Wind & Fire, the Temptations, and the addition of about a half dozen new cadences at games. But traditionalists need not worry; he plans to keep some of the traditional cadences for Friday nights. There will also be new music added to the halftime show.

“Students will be able to identify with music and enjoy it, but it probably won’t be music that they would have bought for themselves,” he said.

Slay plans to add a “pit crew” to the band, with a electric guitar, axillary percussion instruments, xylophone and bells to support the woodwind instruments.

The Tribal Beat will take on more of a local focus, the new band director said, marching and participating in local events and parades. For now, distant competitions and events are out while Slay works to improve and build the program. “It will be more of a focus of serving our communities,” he said.

If all goes as planned, a second assistant band director is in the works for the program, a person with years of experience working with marching bands in the area. Corder and the second assistant band director will be volunteers, “working out of the goodness of their heart”, Slay said.

“We will have a quality program,” Slay said. “I want our band members to feel like they are part of a good group, part of something special and that we play good music.”

Slay said he is also looking forward to working with the Northview Band Boosters, and Northview Band Booster President Norma Halteman said the feeling is mutual.

“We are looking forward to this year and providing continued support for the band,” Halteman said. “We hope it grows, and we are looking forward to a lot of exciting things.”

Corder said he is looking forward to working with Slay and the Tribal Beat.

“This was an opportunity to become involved and do something,” Corder said. “There is a lot of renewed excitement in the program right now. So far, at least 10 new kids are coming back to the band. It’s exciting. The fans will see some fruits in this year, but there will be a lot more in the future as we work with the program. We are going to keep the quality and make it better.”

“I’m excited about the new band year,” new Tribal Beat Drum Major Melissa Moretz (pictured left) said. “It will be a great opportunity to bring all of these musicians together as a team and set goals.”

Students must also pay band dues to the booster club or attend every band boosters fundraiser until band dues are paid. The next band fundraiser is this Saturday morning, with a car wash at Advance Auto Parts in Atmore beginning at 8:00.

Band camp begins the last week of July with different days for different sections of the band. Full band camp will be the first two weeks of August, from 8 until 4:30 daily.

Former NHS Band Director Charles Tucker will remain at Ernest Ward Middle School as their band director, according to Nancy Gindl-Perry. Slay said the middle and high school bands would not be marching together or holding joint concerts this year.

Slay said it is not too late for students to join the Tribal Beat Band at Northview. Basic requirements for Northview students include a previous involvement in a high school or middle school band program and band camp attendance. For more information, call Lisa Chancery in the Northview office at 327-6681 ext. 238 or Slay at 261-5954.

Pictured top: New Northview Tribal Beat Band Director Scott Slay (left) works with Drum Captain Colton Sims. Pictured middle: Drum Major Melissa Moretz files music. Pictured bottom: Majorette Captain Kolbi Cobb organizes old Tribal Beat music. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.