ROD WILLIAMS

Inspiring Students Through the Love of Music

story by MICAH PEPPERS                  photos by PAUL NURNBERG

 

Veteran teacher Rod Williams, has spent almost three decades in the classroom, with the majority of those years spent in his home of Beaufort County. He has received multiple accolades for his work; however, his true passion for teaching and belief in his students’ successes make him so beloved by his students.

With the guidance of multiple mentors, Williams fell in love with music as a child. His uncle, James Stroman, was a band director and took Williams under his wing. It gave Williams an introduction to music and how to be a positive example for others. “He gave me a good bit to look up to at an early age.”
He joined the band when he entered 5th grade and was introduced to Mr. Drake. “My elementary band director opened up a love of music for me. He was a role model, and I knew at a young age that I wanted to be like him and give back to my community.”

Mr. Drake went on to also become Williams’ high school band director at Battery Creek High School. He would continue checking on his former student long past his graduation and continued to support Williams’ goals.

Williams went on to attend South Carolina State University and joined the band. There, he was under the band direction of Ronald J. Sargeant. Sargeant became the third mentor for Williams. Williams explains, “He didn’t have much to say, but he always taught through his actions.” Williams decided he would take those learned attributes with him when he became a teacher himself.

Upon graduating with a degree in music, Williams took a job as the choir director at Lady’s Island Middle School. He moved on to St. Helena Elementary School, where he was the director of the 100 Voices and The Choraliers. He then transitioned over to Shell Point Elementary, where he won the school’s Teacher of the Year award in 2010.

Although he enjoyed being a part of any aspect of music, the band was his first love. He waited it out, and then an opportunity opened up for him to become the band director at Riverview Charter School in 2011. He stayed at Riverview for the next four years before being offered a chance to begin the band program at Battery Creek High School. “That was my alma mater, so it was a no-brainer.” Williams joined the Dolphins in 2015 and hasn’t looked back.

However, Williams doesn’t just teach his students how to play a particular instrument or perform in the stands. He has achieved his goal of being a role model for his students. “I push my students to their full potential. If they ask for help, we work on it together. They may get it, but I respond with, ‘That was luck. Let’s try again.’ I tell them that the more they do it, the better they become. They begin to teach each other and learn from their peers. I just give them a hard push.”

Williams doesn’t just teach behind the walls of his band room. He wants his students to learn life skills that will benefit them outside the classroom as well. “I tell them to always watch me. I’m big on punctuality. If we have to be somewhere at 4:00, then let’s be there five minutes early. Being early is on time.” Williams even emphasizes to his students that they may end up with a boss that’s not kind, but they still have to do their job. “I teach them never to give up. They need to keep going. Keep trying.”
Battery Creek High School’s band has been exceptionally successful in the short time they have been active. Williams tries to give his students as many opportunities and experiences that come his way. He has taken them to see college bands and showed them the next level that they can achieve. “I always try to teach higher for them to reach higher. I push them. When I taught at the elementary level, I pushed my students to middle school. In high school, I push them to the college level. I want them to be ahead of where they think they should be.”

In 2019, Battery Creek’s band was invited to the Chicago Day parade. No band in Beaufort had ever been invited out of state. This invitation has been one of Williams’ career highlights. “I wanted us to not only represent our school but Beaufort as a whole. It was exciting. Some kids have never been out of Beaufort. They may have visited Charleston or Savannah, but definitely not Chicago. I wanted them to see that they were able to have this chance just by playing an instrument and showing them anything was possible as long as they were willing to put in the work. “This year, Battery Creek’s band has been invited to participate in the summer 2022 Washington, DC parade. “We will be there,” Williams smiles.

Williams went on to win Battery Creek High School’s 2020 Teacher of the Year award, as well as becoming a Top 5 Finalist for District Teacher of the Year award. When asked why he loves teaching, he pensively responded, “I like to see the outcome of what my students have gained. A performance is like a big exam. It’s not so much graded, just seeing the smiles of whom they are performing for and how they feel afterward. My love is to see them loving what they are doing. It’s a lot of work. But I love to see them shine and smile as they do it.”