‘Ms. D’ helps band students excel

By Carol Rolf

LITTLE ROCK — Take one step into the band room at North

Pulaski High School and it’s evident that Fal

con Pride runs high in that department. The

walls are filled with trophies won by band stu

dents in a number of competitions.

“The band is the pride and joy of the

school,” said Principal Tracy Allen, who is in

his first year as head of this Pulaski County

Special School District school. “It’s not only

the band, but all of the fine arts department

- art, choir and drama, too - that shines.” “We have an excellent faculty across the

board,” said Jo Wilcox, coordinator of the

fine arts department. “The fine arts teachers

work together and support each other. The

students - the kids - here have the best of

all worlds to choose from. We’re not a fine

arts ‘magnet’ school, but students here know

that fine arts are acceptable and something

that we are proud of.” Karen Dismuke is one of those fine arts

teachers. She is in her 20th year as band di

rector at North Pulaski. She also team teaches

with Northwood Middle School, teaching a

percussion class there as well as serving as as

sistant band director for the middle school.

Jo Ann Koehler and Sarah Abbott are band

directors at Northwood and serve as assistant

band directors at North Pulaski.

A native of Sheridan, Dismuke attended

Henderson State University following gradu

ation from Sheridan High School. She re

ceived her bachelor’s degree in music educa

tion from Henderson and has hours toward

a master’s degree in secondary school leader

ship at the University of Central Arkansas.

Dismuke, or “Ms. D” as the students call

her, has been in the field of education for

27 years. She began her career at Norphlet

High School, then moved to J.A. Fair High

School in Little Rock and finally North Little

Rock High School before coming to North

Pulaski.

Since she has been at North Pulaski, her

students have won 18 out of 19 sweepstakes

in the state competition sponsored by the

Arkansas Band and Orchestra Association.

“The first year we got a 2 (with 1 being the

highest) in sight reading,” she said.

The band has consistently received supe

rior ratings in marching, concert and sight

reading in Region VI competitions, which

includes most of the schools in central Ar

kansas.

“It’s not about the winning,” she said. “It’s

about them (her students) accomplishing

things they never dreamed they could. It’s

about learning what music is, feeling it in your

heart, not about trophies. That’s just the icing

on the cake.” Dismuke’s love of music goes back to herchildhood days.

“My grandma liked to sing,” she said. “I really wanted to be a very good singer.” But that didn’t work out, she said.

“My parents had old records of Al Hirt on trumpet and Boots Randolph on saxophone,” she said. “So then I really wanted to play trumpet like Al Hirt.

“In school, I scored a perfect score in music on an aptitude test, and my teacher convinced my parents to let me play French horn. That was a school-owned instrument so my parents didn’t have to buy it.

“So that’s how it all started,” she said with a smile, adding that she played French horn in the band in high school as well as college. “My parents have always been supportive of me in my career,” she said.

Her parents, Charles and Marie Dismuke, still live in Sheridan.

“I guess I got into teaching because I enjoy working with kids and I enjoy music, and I wanted to put the two together,” Dismuke said.

She said she tries to teach her students six key words to live by and to perform with: Confidence, consistency, energy, entertain, focus, (have) fun.

Dismuke has several success stories about former students - Mark Bailey is now band director at Sylvan Hills High School, Shandee Gordon is band director at Morrilton HighSchool, Anthony Williams plays music professionally in the Memphis area and another former student (whom she did not name) may soon release a country album.

“Through the years, I’ve seen many of my students receive scholarships to attend college because of their musical performance,” Dismuke said. “They don’t all go into music after college, but they still love to play and perform as an artist. Even if they don’t go into music, I believe the things they learn in this program will help them in their careers.” Dismuke said she keeps in touch with many former students through Facebook.

When she’s not working, Dismuke said she enjoys playing golf.

“I’m awful at it,” she said, laughing. “And I never will be any good at it, but it gets me outside and in touch with my family and friends.” Dismuke has received many honors in her career as band director. Among those are the 1992 North Pulaski Teacher of the Year award and the 1994 Pulaski County Special School District Fine Arts Excellence in Education award.

The public may see the North Pulaski High School Marching Band at the Jacksonville Christmas Parade, set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec.

6, or at a concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, at the school. There is no admission for either performance.

- crolf@arkansasonline.com

Three Rivers, Pages 51 on 11/20/2008