This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
GEORGETOWN, Del. - At Sussex Central High School, something fun, something loud, and something truly animated is happening, and at the center of it all is music teacher Thomas Oxbrough.
Oxbrough wears a lot of different hats. He’s the school’s choir director, assistant marching band director, and also works with the drum line. But it’s not just what he does, it’s how he does it that’s capturing attention.
“It’s really the energy of the kids,” Oxbrough said. “When I’m working with them and the music sounds really good, it feeds into my energy for the day.”
With flailing arms, perfect tempo, and infectious enthusiasm, Oxbrough connects with his students through rhythm and movement.
“Making music is supposed to be fun,” he said. “This is a class where we’re learning all these different strategies and being academics, but we’re also socializing. We’re supposed to be having fun in the process.”
A graduate of Indian River High School, Oxbrough found his passion for both music and education right here on Delmarva.
“A lot of my past teachers — I really enjoyed a lot of the passion they put into it,” he said.
Now, he’s channeling that same energy into the next generation of musicians, believing that what happens on the field can translate into the classroom. Oxbrough believes that music does a great job "keeping them focused throughout their other academics and other daily lifestyles."
The second-year teacher is passionate about both education and the arts in general.
“Protect the arts. Please protect the arts. Cherish the arts. Fund the arts,” he said.
Whether he’s conducting the choir or leading the drum line, Oxbrough’s energy is undeniable. "When I'm working with my drumline and they're just really in the groove, they're locked in in the pocket, and I just find myself really groove with it because my groove feeds off the energy with them. So now we're just going back and forth and we're going to see where the energy takes us. Sky's the limit with it.”
It’s that kind of excitement and enthusiasm that fuels Oxbrough, and he hopes will fuel his students in the classroom, on the field, or in the drumline.