For the love of music … and the students: Spain Park welcomes Craig Cagle as new band director

There’s a new leader who has taken over the Spain Park High School band.

Craig Cagle, who for the past 15 years has been the band director at Mortimer Jordan High School in north Jefferson County, has taken over the reins of the band program from Chris Neugent, who moved to the position of band director at Briarwood Christian School.

The 44-year-old joined the Spain Park faculty in mid-July right at the beginning of marching season.

“Fortunately, a lot of the preparation was already done” for this year’s marching band show, Cagle said.

The music had already been selected and arranged, and the plan for movement of band members during the show — or drills as it is known in marching band circles — was written, he said. “All those elements were already in place.”

If he and his assistants had had to start from scratch and create all that starting in mid-July, it would have been incredibly challenging, he said.

“It’s a great halftime show,” he said.

This year’s show, titled “Neverland,” has a Peter Pan theme and includes “Lost Boy” by Ruth B, along with music from the movie “Hook,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and a ballad by Randy Crawford called “One Day I’ll Fly Away.”

In addition to hosting the Sparks in the Park band competition at Spain Park on Sept. 28, Cagle said he looks forward to leading the band in competitions at Muscle Shoals and Jacksonville State University in October, putting together a holiday showcase with Spain Park’s choir program in December and working with the concert band, jazz band and small ensembles that perform chamber music.

“Music’s my life. I love it,” Cagle said. “Performing, conducting, listening and sharing that with young people.”

He wants to give his students the same understanding of music that he has and to experience the joy that can come from it. It’s about the music, but it’s also about the life lessons that come with being part of a band: self-discipline, self-motivation and how to be part of a team, Cagle said.

“It’s not just a class you take. There’s a lot you learn from being in it,” he said.

I want them to know what our goals are. I like a class and a rehearsal that’s organized. Part of that is knowing expectations. Open and clear communication is paramount to being successful.

CRAIG CAGLE

ARMY BRAT

Cagle, whose father was a lieutenant colonel in the Army, moved around a lot as a child, living in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and even Germany for about three years. When his father retired from the military, they moved back to Alabama, and Cagle finished up his last three years of high school at Buckhorn High School in Madison County.

He went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, earning a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1999 and master’s degree in trumpet music performance in 2001.

His first job was as an assistant band director at Alice High School in Alice, Texas — about 1.5 hours from the Mexican border. The school was a little smaller than Spain Park but had a big band with about 350 students, he said. He stayed there five years before moving back to be closer to family in Alabama and taking the job at Mortimer Jordan.

Cagle said he wasn’t looking to leave Mortimer Jordan, but Brian Wilson, the band director at Berry Middle School with whom he had worked when Wilson was at North Jefferson Middle School, made him aware of the opportunity, and he decided to apply.

So far, it has been great, he said.

“I’ve been well-received by the kids. They’ve been open to new ideas,” he said.

Cagle said he took time to learn some of the traditions that his students wanted to keep, such as the “Land of 1,000 Dances” song played in the stands and the “SPHS” and “Jags” chants the students do at the end of every rehearsal, but he also wanted them to know his expectations for them.

“I want them to know what our goals are,” he said. “I like a class and a rehearsal that’s organized. Part of that is knowing expectations. Open and clear communication is paramount to being successful.”

Experiencing success

Cagle said he wants his students to feel successful when they perform, whether they win the top trophy at competition or not. “If they feel like they’ve done their best and given 100%, that’s a win.”

He wants them to get a well-rounded music education and grow, whether they end up making a career in music or simply enjoy it as a lifelong hobby, he said.

He appreciates the talent and expertise of the other directors working with him, including Assistant Director Richard Adams, associate directors Brian Wilson and A.B. Baggett and a host of others leading various groups within the band, he said.

Spain Park High School Principal Larry Giangrosso said Neugent’s departure was a big loss for Spain Park. The Spain Park band is one of the most joyous groups in the school, so he had to find someone who could continue that, yet challenge the band to reach new heights.

Cagle did a wonderful job at Mortimer Jordan for many years, and “he brings a wealth of knowledge and he fits right in,” Giangrosso said. “We’re so thankful to have him on our campus and working with our students.”

Cagle’s wife, Emily, teaches music at Bryan Elementary and is the majorette sponsor for the Mortimer Jordan band.

They live in Gardendale and have three daughters: one who is a senior at Mortimer Jordan, one who is at Spain Park and one who is at Berry Middle.