Tennessee Fires Band Director Gary Sousa

Fired.

 

Woo!

 

From reading the account of events, it appears that his antics extended well beyond mere insubordination, and crossed into open and intentional rebellion.

 

I met Gary Sousa in 1998 when he was recruiting my daughter for a band scholly. After we talked to him, I asked my daughter what was her thoughts about him and going to UT (I hoped she would, but I was trying not to influence her decision. She was leaning toward either UGA or Tenn. Tech.) She said I've never seen such a arrogant jerk before. I had to agree with her. She had been recruited heavily by Jay Romines, the interim director after J. Julian. I never have understood why Jay wasn't made the director.

 

which was crushed with one swift stroke

 

Nice.

 

So evidently he was fired, but still retains some sort of University position. So harsh.

 

Instead of making $155k as band director, he will now make $105k as a plain ol' faculty member.

Now, I will play a sad song for him on the world's smallest violin.

 

It's the UT way. No matter if you get fired or not, you'll receive a hefty paycheck.

 

we pay a farging band director $155k? for what? what in the hell drives that pricing?

Our educational system pricing is utterly senseless.

 

I don't think that's insanely high when you consider regular PhD professors make in the 80-120k range do they not? Department heads probably make close to that.

 

Must be due to all those private sector bands where he'd make a fortune I assume

 

I don't give a crap what professors make. The pricing for a band director should be damn near free. He ends up working with a lot of scholarship folks who have to be recruited. He isn't like a guy who might bring prestige to the academic side of the university. Premium paid to a legit academic department is about attracting students and bolstering our academic reputation. Those guys might be overpaid, but some of that spend has purpose. The band director spend has almost no purpose.

 

Agreed. The band pretty much has the hang of Rocky Top at this point. A volunteer band director should suffice.

 

Can we stop playing Stars and Stripes Forever. It does not fit in.

 

Shameless plug saying, "Hey look! My last name is the same as the famous guy that wrote this song." IMHO, of course.

 

I've always suspected that to be the reason.

 

I'm not following - so because the director works with people on scholarship they should be working for free? I'm sure he has a phD as well and does he not also teach some classes? And he worked with the concert band as well. So should other "coaches" who have kids on scholarships work for free as well - the non-money makers that is?

 

A band director shouldn't be a professor. Why in the hell is there a music department or a PhD in small stick swinging to an beat?

What is the purpose of a music dept? Why does a band director head a music department? Why the need to be a professor. I could get guests to do it annually for a few thousand dollars.

 

I agree.