As students settle into their new routine and teachers lay out lesson plans and draft tests, Tim MacDonald is getting comfortable in his new position as Buena’s resident music director.
With an audio producer for a father, MacDonald grew up around music.
“We had pianos, we had keyboards, guitars, whatever. So even when I was really little, I would go into the studio and play around on all the instruments,” MacDonald said.
Growing up in Ventura, MacDonald attended Lincoln Elementary, Cabrillo Middle and eventually Ventura High, before moving on to Ventura and Westmont Colleges. Although he initially dreamed of becoming a performer, which he did do for a short amount of time, MacDonald switched to teaching private drum lessons to kids.
One thing led to another, and MacDonald soon found himself as the marching band tech at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard. After getting his teaching credential, MacDonald landed at Buena where he currently stands.
Even in the first couple of months, MacDonald has already made an impact on many students’ lives.
“He has really made sure that each student is able to grow even if it’s hard to do. He’s really given them time no matter how much time they actually need,” drum major and senior Stevie Fischetti said.
Even whilst teaching students how to read music and play the various instruments, MacDonald himself is continuing to grow his music expertise. On top of all his responsibilities, MacDonald is taking violin lessons, as well as growing his talents at the trumpet, guitar and the keyboard.
MacDonald is a talented musician, with experience in percussion and the saxophone. MacDonald also dabbled in orchestral and world percussion before committing to his main ones.
“I got into saxophone in middle school and played that all the way up through high school,” MacDonald said. “[I] then decided to switch to drumset, and that was what I built my career on in college.”
MacDonald also hopes to give equal treatment to all the musical sections and classes, specifically the strings program, which has unfortunately taken a backseat to the various bands in recent years.
“I think that there’s a certain level of harmony that we can achieve between marching band and the other ensembles that will boost the other ensembles, ” MacDonald said. “I think the strings should feel like a valued part of the music department.”
MacDonald has several long-term goals that he wants to achieve in the next few years, beyond just the simple short-term ones. One of such goals is to build a stronger community between the different music communities of Ventura Unified School District (VUSD).
“That gets kids excited to then join the high school program which means that we get more enrollment,” MacDonald said. “We get higher enrollment in music classes. Specifically, we get kids that are excited to join the music program. That’s how we grow. We push into the elementary schools and the middle schools and just show kids that music is a lot of fun.”
Since first touching base at Buena, MaDonald has felt an overwhelming amount of support from Buena’s administration, whether that be in making sure he feels welcomed, or giving him the resources he needs to build a strong program.
“The Ventura culture has a strong arts focus,” assistant principal Tiffany Dyer said. “I do think that’s reflected in our schools because that’s something that’s important to our community. It’s important to our families, and then as the trickle down effect, we end up providing that for our students.”
As the marching band continues practicing for competitions and strings and band rehearse for their upcoming concerts, MacDonald has hope that Buena’s music program will grow to be the strong department it always had the potential to become.
“For music kids, the music department is everything. That’s where they hang out for lunch, that’s where they make their friendships and build their relationships that last a long time,” MacDonald said. “Music is home for these kids and I want to do right by that. I want the kids to have a program that they’re proud of. I want them to put out music that they’re proud of. I want to build an environment where they’re happy to be here.”
