Justin Ormsby is Director of Bands in the Mansfield School District

Justin Ormsby inspires his band students through motivational encouragement and feedback. He was nominated for this series by a former student who is now majoring in music at Missouri State University.
For KSMU, I’m Mike Smith. Our featured teacher on this edition of the KSMU Sense of Community Series is Justin Ormsby, Director of Bands in the Mansfield school district. On the day of my visit to his band room, Ormsby was preparing his 35 member band to march in two upcoming parades on the same day; the Seymour Apple Fest parade in Seymour, and the Wilder Days event in Mansfield. “We’ll do the Seymour parade at 10 AM and then come back to Mansfield to march at 1 o’clock. It should be interesting”.
Justin Ormsby was brought to our attention for this series by Chelsea Jones, a flute player who graduated from Mansfield High School in May. Jones is now a member of the Missouri State University Pride Marching Band, and is majoring in music. Jones says “He was all about dedication and said hard work would beat out talent any day. Hard work is a big thing with me and hearing that my hard work would pay off some day, and having someone sit down an LISTEN to what I had to say was a big motivator for me”.
Ormsby says he always reminds his students that they have the opportunity to “Do something special, that they do some really great things, but they have to put through some effort to do those things. I remind them of what’s possible through hard work. I have high expectations for them and tell them to never be satisfied with where they’re at. I have found that these students will rise to your expectations”.
Amber Phillips is the Choir Director at Mansfield. She says Ormsby’s goal is to “Create persons that realize they can be musicians, even if they aren’t going to continue in the field after high school”.
One of Ormsby’s students who is going to major in music after graduation is Haley Miller. Miller plays trumpet in the Mansfield High School Band and hopes to attend the Berkley School of Music and be a band director one day. She says Ormsby has inspired her, and she is helping her fellow band members by giving lessons.
Justin Ormsby was himself inspired by a teacher or two. He of course gives credit to his music teachers at Missouri State University, but says “The teacher that had the greatest impact on my life was my sixth grade English teacher in Republic Missouri, Mrs. Cummins. I ended up from being the editor of the sixth grade paper to doing really bad in English in seventh grade. Mrs. Cummins took me aside and asked what was going on. She didn’t have to do that since I wasn’t her student anymore, but she took the time to listen to what I had to say and helped get me on the right track. That was the first time that I understood that teachers really do care, that it’s not just a job. They have personal involvements with their students and when the students hurt, they hurt too”.
For KSMU, I’m Mike Smith.