When Dowagiac Union Schools Band Director CJ Brooks first came to the district in 2008, among his first responsibilities was molding a group of incoming sixth-grade students with little to no musical experience into a band capable of producing beautiful, harmonious music.

As seniors ready to embark on their lives after high school, many of those same students continue to learn the art of brass, woodwind and percussions instruments under Brooks’ tutelage as part of the high school band. Spending nearly every day with each other over the years, the educator and his veteran students have developed a deep trust in one another, he said.

“There’s a really strong sense of family within the band,” Brooks said. “I can count on them to help out whenever I need it. We’re always doing things for each other.”

The day when he broke the news to his fledging musicians that he was leaving the district at the end of the year was naturally one of the hardest of his life, he said.

The band director will step down from his position at the end of the semester in June in order to take a new position overseas in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He will take over as the director of student bands at the Lincoln School of Buenos Aires, where he will be responsible for the musical education of sixth through 12th grade students from all over the globe, he said.

Brooks was introduced to the job opening by a friend last year, he said. After a series of interviews with school administrators and a visit to the campus itself, the Michigan-native got the position, which he will start in early August.

A frequent traveler, Brooks said he is excited for the chance to combine his love of music with his love of exploring new places.

“It’s a good fit for the school, and a good fit for me,” he said.

The opportunity is the largest that has presented itself to Brooks over the course of his career in music and education.

Growing up in the Port Huron area on the east side of the state, Brooks was a member of his middle school and high school band, picking up the trombone. After graduation, he attended Western Michigan University, joining the college band.

“Going from a band of 40 people to one of 300, it was incredible difference in sound,” Brooks said.

In addition to playing trombone, Brooks also picked up percussion instruments while in college, later becoming a drum major within the marching band. The experience had a profound affect on him, sparking his desire to teach music after graduation.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in music education in 2006, Brooks took a job teaching band in New Buffalo, where he was responsible for leading a 21-member group. Teaching a small body like that was an eye-opening experience, he said.

“Everyone has to take responsibility [in a group like that],” Brooks said. “Sometimes it was just one person to a part, so the kids have be on top of things.”

Brooks carried over that focus on expecting the best out of each and every member when he came to Dowagiac two years later, despite having over three-times as many members to lead, he said.

“I demand a lot from my students, and they always rise to the occasion,” Brooks said.

Over the past seven years, Brooks has overseen as rise in participation from students, going from around 75 kids in 2008 to around 95 today, he said. More importantly, though, he has spent his time in Dowagiac building up the student leadership within the band itself.

“We all work together as we a team, and that builds the students’ leadership skills that will help them be successful in the world after high school,” Brooks said.

While he will miss working with the city’s next batch of musicians, he will also miss the parents, band boosters and others who have supported him and his students over the last several years, he said.

“My time in Dowagiac has been such a good experience for me,” he said. “The community welcomed me with open arms, and they have so supportive of the band. Having their support has been so great, to know that they’ve had my back.”