Submitted photo
Danville Band Director Christie Cochran rehearses with the marching band. Cochran helped to rebuild the Danville band program when she came to the district in 1997.
Cochran teaches instrumental music for grades 5 through 12, including the fifth and sixth grade bands, middle school band, marching and concert band, jazz band and rotating piano and guitar classes. She’s also responsible for pep band and directs the pit orchestra for the high school musicals.
“I am fortunate enough to teach the kids from the time they’re in fifth grade, so I get to watch them grow up and mature. That’s the fun part,” said Cochran. “They feel like my kids by the time they graduate.”
Many of her students have kept in touch after high school, sending email updates and saying hello when they’re back in town.
“I keep all the letters kids send me,” she said. “I think as a teacher, you never know who you are impacting or influencing.”
It’s been an emotional year for Cochran, who said connecting with students is the most rewarding part of the job.
“I really enjoy being around the kids. After all these years, I find I’m more comfortable around kids than adults,” she said with a laugh.
Cochran said many of her favorite memories from her time at Danville are of the band’s spring semester trips. She has taken her students to perform out-of-state every other year. They’ve played at Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Navy Pier in Chicago, the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., the base of the Statue of Liberty and in New York City’s Central Park. They even appeared in the nationally-televised Chicago Thanksgiving parade in 2013.
“That was probably my biggest thrill,” she said.
Cochran came to Danville in the fall of 1997 after a decade as band director for Fredericktown Schools. Cochran was largely responsible for reviving the Danville program, which had hit a bit of a slump after the retirement of longtime director Elaine Ostrander a few years prior. The band roster had dropped to just 11 students, so an area mother gave Cochran a list of students who had quit the band during the last few years. She found them one by one and asked them to re-join.
A continuously thriving music program is evidence of her impact.
“Christie has been a great asset to this district,” said high school principal Ed Honabarger. “She’s a great coworker and a great team player. The kids really like her.”
“I know the kids are going to miss her,” said assistant band director Steve Butcher. “She puts so much time and effort into what she does. She cares about her students. When you care about your students it makes you a better teacher.”
“Band becomes a second family at Danville and it is because of Christie Cochran,” said Lauren Dile, who graduated from Danville High School in 2014. “She puts her heart and soul into helping kids learn music and I could always count on her for anything I needed.”
Cochran’s passion makes it hard to believe that becoming a band director was not her original goal. In college, she was a member of the Ohio University volleyball team and had planned to major in physical education.
“My high school band director sat me down at the end of my senior year and told me I was wasting my talent because there are lots of women physical education teachers and coaches but not many women band directors. And I worshipped my high school band director so I said okay,” Cochran admitted. “I started my music journey and have never regretted it.”
Her career as a high school director is coming to an end, but Cochran will continue leading the Cochocton Community Band, which offers free summer concerts. Cochran has recruited numerous students to join the band during her time as conductor.
“For my kids, teenagers, to be playing with 80 year olds who have been playing their whole life and still love music, that’s such a good experience for them,” she said. “Music is something you can do your whole life.”
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“I keep all the letters kids send me,” she said. “I think as a teacher, you never know who you are impacting or influencing.”
It’s been an emotional year for Cochran, who said connecting with students is the most rewarding part of the job.
“I really enjoy being around the kids. After all these years, I find I’m more comfortable around kids than adults,” she said with a laugh.
Cochran said many of her favorite memories from her time at Danville are of the band’s spring semester trips. She has taken her students to perform out-of-state every other year. They’ve played at Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Navy Pier in Chicago, the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., the base of the Statue of Liberty and in New York City’s Central Park. They even appeared in the nationally-televised Chicago Thanksgiving parade in 2013.
“That was probably my biggest thrill,” she said.
Cochran came to Danville in the fall of 1997 after a decade as band director for Fredericktown Schools. Cochran was largely responsible for reviving the Danville program, which had hit a bit of a slump after the retirement of longtime director Elaine Ostrander a few years prior. The band roster had dropped to just 11 students, so an area mother gave Cochran a list of students who had quit the band during the last few years. She found them one by one and asked them to re-join.
A continuously thriving music program is evidence of her impact.
“Christie has been a great asset to this district,” said high school principal Ed Honabarger. “She’s a great coworker and a great team player. The kids really like her.”
“I know the kids are going to miss her,” said assistant band director Steve Butcher. “She puts so much time and effort into what she does. She cares about her students. When you care about your students it makes you a better teacher.”
“Band becomes a second family at Danville and it is because of Christie Cochran,” said Lauren Dile, who graduated from Danville High School in 2014. “She puts her heart and soul into helping kids learn music and I could always count on her for anything I needed.”
Cochran’s passion makes it hard to believe that becoming a band director was not her original goal. In college, she was a member of the Ohio University volleyball team and had planned to major in physical education.
“My high school band director sat me down at the end of my senior year and told me I was wasting my talent because there are lots of women physical education teachers and coaches but not many women band directors. And I worshipped my high school band director so I said okay,” Cochran admitted. “I started my music journey and have never regretted it.”
Her career as a high school director is coming to an end, but Cochran will continue leading the Cochocton Community Band, which offers free summer concerts. Cochran has recruited numerous students to join the band during her time as conductor.
“For my kids, teenagers, to be playing with 80 year olds who have been playing their whole life and still love music, that’s such a good experience for them,” she said. “Music is something you can do your whole life.”
