Wilbert Rawlins Jr. is the band director at O Perry Walker High school in New Orleans. He runs one of the best marching bands in the state along with a concert band and a Jazz ensemble. Rawlins doesn’t just teach kids to play an instrument though, he provides discipline for a lot of kids who live in a chaotic environment. He teaches them about commitment and the benefits of hard work and education. He puts in a tremendous amount of work at O Perry Walker. When you ask him what the reward is for the countless hours he puts into teaching he says it’s a single moment that lasts for one maybe two seconds.
This is an excerpt form a story I did a few years ago which you can listen to here. Wilburt Rawlins Jr. is also featured in the book Nine Lives by Dan Baum.
Photo by: Susan Poag / The Times-Picayune