The Somerville High School band program is extremely popular and band director Mr. Sean Ferguson is one of the main reasons why. Having been here for four years now, he has expanded the band program, helping many students find their place in one or multiple of his many ensembles.
Mr. Ferguson has shown an interest in music since a young age, starting piano lessons at just four years old and building his passion from there. He explained that having ADHD made it difficult for him to succeed in some aspects of his school career. The music classroom, however, was a place for him to be himself. When he got to high school, his band director started pushing him to audition for higher ensembles like region band, growing his love for music.
When Mr. Ferguson got into region band in his junior year, he found himself surrounded by kids who were significantly better than him. It was then that he started understanding the virtue of hard work. He started to think about what education and achievement could really be, and how fulfilling it could be to help other students reach their full potential.
With these experiences, he decided that he wanted to do the same thing his high school band director did for him: help students find their talent in the music space. From his junior year in high school onwards, he vowed to carry out his high school band director’s legacy. Being a music teacher was his calling.
He explained, “By the beginning of my junior year I really just landed on being a music educator to pursue this and kind of walk in the shoes of my past teachers who brought me to that point.”
When talking about his typical day, Mr. Ferguson stated, “I’m super busy.”
Considering he has two performance classes, two AP music theory classes, a CP music theory class, and a music technology class, his schedule is always filled and active. When Mr. Ferguson is not teaching his six classes, he is either preparing for them or prepping for the rest of his day. In his busiest seasons, he directs three jazz bands, Ville Indoor Percussion (VIPer), and marching band, with him getting to the high school at 7:30 AM and leaving somewhere between 9:30-10:00 PM.
This schedule may seem overwhelming, but to Mr. Ferguson, it’s “just part of the job.”
Through his clear dedication to both his school-day classrooms and his after school programs Mr. Ferguson demonstrates how much he cares about his students.
Since Mr. Ferguson first arrived at SHS, the band program has changed a lot. Originally, there were around 29 students in Wind Ensemble, and nine in Symphonic Band. Now, there are around 55 students in Wind Ensemble, and 40 seven in Symphonic Band. Collectively, the program has gotten to over 110 students. The marching band, jazz band, VIPer, and winter guard have also grown in participation and enthusiasm, so much that hiring staff is now an option.
In jazz band especially, there has been large growth in interest, resulting in the creation of three programs. In his first year, Mr. Ferguson had to cut students as there was not enough room in the single band to accommodate each interested performer.
But after cutting four students, Mr. Ferguson decided that he needed to make a change. He believed that there should be another jazz band where students could work and get better. He introduced the JV jazz band in 2024, then the Ville Harmonic the next school year, so students interested in music could always be a part of something.
Now, Mr. Ferguson has the ability to work with students at the level they are now, instead of making them reach a specific standard just to get into the one jazz band the school previously only offered.
Additionally, through hiring new staff, Mr. Ferguson is able to give students the resources they need to succeed. During marching band, after every run, staff are able to come over and talk to students individually, instead of him having to call people out from the box himself.
Mr. Ferguson knows he cannot do everything at once, which is why it is really important to have staff that reflect his philosophy when teaching. Instead of having to pick every student out of the crowd, he is able to create an environment where the success of the program is built on the community.
In Mr. Ferguson’s eyes, the most important thing is the student. To him, it is very important to look at what the students need, who they are, and be responsive to their past experiences, looking what they value in their lives. He finds it important to build this all together to make the band room an accessible place for as many students as possible, just like what was done for him in high school.
“I want a community where kids feel like they belong somewhere, where they feel like they’re achieving something and where they’re learning skills. They’re not necessarily for music, but for the rest of their life,” Mr. Ferguson says.
Building skills not just for the classroom is very important to him, and many students feel like they have found a place in band, whatever ensemble they are participating in.
