Midwest City HS Band Teacher Passing The Baton After 42 Years

For 42 years, John Davis has conducted the soundtrack for thousands of Midwest City students.

"When you think of high school, he is the memory, the Bomber band," said Karren Brown of the class of '86.

Tuesday night's concert was Mr. Davis's swan song as the band director at Midwest City High School.

But it was not a time for lamentation, but rather celebration.

Hundreds of current and former students were there in-person and virtually for the passing of the baton, including Mr. Davis' two sons.

"I knew two things. I knew Midwest City football, and I knew the Bomber band, and that's all I wanted to do. I just followed my dad everywhere," said John's son Joel, who graduated from Midwest City in 2013.

"To see how many kids came back that are adults now, they're not kids. I think that puts it more in perspective than probably while I was actually teaching them," said Davis.

The walls showcase the success of the Bomber bands over the year, but they don't tell the whole story.

The band room was never filled with just music, there was also plenty of laughter. It was a spot where students would eat lunch, hang out, and feel like one big band family.

"He was like another dad, because he raised us, you were raised in the band," said Melissa Barnes of the class of '95.

"It was all about the kids and allowing as many people and as many kids into the band so they could be a part of something bigger than themselves," said Joel.

Mr. Davis, never one to toot his own horn, doesn't know what his legacy is at Midwest City.

But seeing the faces of four decades-worth of shaping lives, it's clear that Mr. Davis always hit the right note.

"I'm not sure I really realized those kids felt the way they did. I knew some of them did, I didn't know that many did," said Davis.