The Sound of Dedication: Richard Eckstein’s Lifelong Rhythm of Influence
by: Michelle Horton
In the heart of Texarkana, where community ties run deep and Friday nights echo with school pride, one educator is quietly building something lasting—not just music, but character, discipline, and confidence. As the Middle School Band Director for Red Lick Independent School District, Richard Eckstein brings decades of experience, a lifetime of performance, and an unmistakable passion for music into the classroom each day.
However, Eckstein’s story does not begin in a band hall—it begins right here at home. “I grew up in Texarkana, Texas, the fifth child of six siblings: three older brothers who picked on me a lot, an older sister, and a little brother,” Eckstein says. “My parents were terrific role models and completely supportive parents.”
Music entered his life early and never left. “I started playing piano in fifth grade and trombone in sixth grade and have been involved in music ever since,” Eckstein shared. From Pine Street Junior High to Texas High School, his musical path was clear. That path eventually led him to college on scholarship. “After graduation, I accepted a music scholarship to attend East Texas State University, now East Texas A&M University,” he says. “After my bachelor’s degree in music, I got married and became a band director in East Texas.”
What followed was a 33-year career shaping students across multiple communities—Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs, Linden-Kildare, Winnsboro, and Mount Vernon—while raising a family of his own. “I taught the majority of my career and raised my three wonderful daughters in Mt Pleasant, with a few other band directing stops along the way,” he says. After decades in the classroom, Eckstein thought he was ready to step away. “I decided to retire and move to Texarkana,” he says.
Retirement did not last long. “Since moving to Texarkana, I have ‘unretired’ by directing bands in the Texarkana, Arkansas School District for five years and am now teaching band part-time at Red Lick Middle School.”
For Eckstein, music has never been just a profession—it has been a passport to the world. “Musical performances have literally taken me around the world, and I have had the opportunity to perform with many famous performers and entertainers, including Wayne Newton, Natalie Cole, Don Rickles, and The Temptations, to name a few,” he says. Even now, his involvement in music extends far beyond the classroom. “I currently perform regularly in Williams Memorial Methodist Church as a member of the choir, the Williams Orchestra, the Williams Brass, and the Williams Bell Ringers,” Eckstein says. “I also perform with Colt and the Old 45’s, Paul Holder and the Hot Snakes, and The Texarkana Jazz Collective.” He added, “Over the past 30 years, it has also been my honor and privilege to direct and perform with the Texarkana Jazz Orchestra. Lastly, it is my privilege to conduct the Texarkana Winds for the past two years.”
Despite all the stages he has played on, Eckstein’s greatest influence came from teachers who once stood where he now stands. “My first big musical influence was my Junior High Band Director, Mr. Ron Brigmon,” he says. “His dedication and musicianship were inspiring. He once gave me a compliment telling me that, ‘I could play that as well as anyone in the High School Band.’” That encouragement mattered—and it stuck.
“Mr. Ingram, my high school band director, showed me a path that I could be successful as a college musician,” Eckstein says. “While in college, my biggest influence was my outstanding trombone instructor and mentor, Dr. Neil Humfeld. I use teaching methods, techniques, and inspirational tidbits that he used every day in my teaching.”
The moment that sealed Eckstein’s calling came during a powerful musical experience. “While in high school, I was selected to play in the Four States Honor Band in 1980,” he says. “Arnold Gabriel, a famous conductor of the United States Air Force Band, conducted our clinic and convention. He brought along with him a guest trumpet soloist named Don Sheffield.” That experience changed everything for Eckstein. “The thrilling experience performing with the outstanding conductor and the amazing soloist prompted me to continue studying music after high school,” Eckstein says.
Today, his journey has come full circle at Red Lick. “I had experience with the Red Lick Band for several years before I started as their director,” he says. “My wife was the director for seven years before I became the director. I volunteered to help her on several occasions each year, so I was very familiar with the Red Lick Band Program.”
Step inside his classroom, and you will find structure, energy, and opportunity. “I arrive at school at 7:25am and meet students in the band hall before school,” Eckstein says. “We have 25 minutes or so before school starts, where students get extra help, practice on their own, or pass off musical assignments.” From there, the day unfolds across multiple levels of learning. “I direct the Mustang seventh and eighth grade band, where we prepare for the next performances and learn new techniques,” he says. “In the second period, fifth-grade music exploration takes place. We learn about reading music, introduce musical instruments, and play bucket drums with recorded music. Beginning band students arrive in the third period, where we learn how to play musical instruments and prepare music for upcoming concerts and assessments.”
Teaching middle school students comes with its own complexities. “I have found that each group of students, no matter the school level, has a unique set of group dynamics,” Eckstein says. “Finding the unifying and motivational factors that will work with a specific group is key to success.” The job itself requires more than many realize. “People may not realize all of the different sets of knowledge that are necessary to teach all of the different instruments well,” he says.
Yet beyond the technical, Eckstein sees something deeper happening through music. “Music may have intangible characteristics that could shape a person’s self beyond what is possible to comprehend,” he says. “Emotions and or attitudes can have positive improvements through musical experiences.” He continued, “Beyond that, the activity of learning an instrument and performing in a group, music can influence a person with better self-discipline, better time management, more intense concentration abilities, and better group cooperation skills.”
Sometimes, the impact is not immediately visible. “Occasionally, I have had experiences where an ex-student has contacted me through social media and explained to me that their experience in band transformed their life from the negative to the positive,” Eckstein says. Those moments stay with him. “Sometimes, these contacts are from people whom I barely remember or an experience long ago forgotten about. One never knows the influence that you may have on the future.”
In the day-to-day, his approach is simple but effective. “Being encouraging by awarding compliments is a key to building confidence,” he says. The benefits for students are far-reaching. “Learning how to play an instrument is a skill students can use throughout their entire lifetime,” Eckstein says. “Studies have proven that playing a musical instrument is the most engaging intellectual activity a person can do.”
He added, “The activity stimulates the brain by activating tactile skills, emotional feelings, coordination skills, language, and comprehension skills simultaneously. Students also learn concentration skills, group dynamics, long-term goal accomplishment, self-discipline, and teamwork through participation in band.”
Under his leadership, the Red Lick band program is seeing measurable growth. “The thing that I am most proud of in the band program at Red Lick is the ability of the students to consistently improve to meet the challenges that I have placed in front of them,” Eckstein says as he points to recent milestones. “The first time we competed at the All-Region competition, we had one student make the all-region band with one alternate. This year, 10 students made the all-region band. Also, the past two years our band has received 1st division superior ratings at concert and sightreading assessment, and has received many 1st division individual medals at the Redwater Solo and Ensemble Contest.”
Balancing excellence with enjoyment is part of the craft. “One of the most important things a teacher can do for their students is to select music that is enjoyable and challenging at the same time,” Eckstein says. “Selecting the right music for the right players keeps everyone engaged and moving forward.”
And the payoff is worth it.
“Making music is naturally a fun activity to do,” he says. “Additionally, when you do it well in a performance situation, the rewards and recognition that you receive from the audience in a performance and/or judges at a competition make any hard work involved totally worth it.”
Looking ahead, Eckstein’s vision is steady growth. “I would like to see the program continue to progress in the fashion that we have begun, while at the same time, progress in the number of students involved,” he says. A strong community supports that growth. The Redlick ISD community shows great support for the band program by enthusiastically attending their performances. Parents purchase instruments for the students and have been very complimentary of the program’s accomplishments. For Eckstein, that support makes all the difference.
Still, like many school programs, there are needs. “If I were to ask for something, it would probably be financial support,” he says. “We have some needs that need addressing to give our band program some things that we do not have and that we traditionally borrow from other schools.”
When asked about the most rewarding part of his career, Eckstein finds it hard to choose just one moment. “I have been so fortunate to have so many rewarding moments,” he says. “Being a musician/educator each day is an opportunity to have inspiring moments making music.”
For students standing on the edge of joining the band, unsure of what lies ahead, his message is clear. “Making music is the most enjoyable activity that I think a person can be involved in,” Eckstein says. “If you are doing it well, the actual activity is exciting, fun, and rewarding.” He added, “When you have the opportunity to perform, it is almost always a happy, rewarding experience with audiences appreciating your effort. And if you are an accomplished teacher or performer, you can actually get paid for it.”
In a town where roots run deep and stories matter, Richard Eckstein is adding his own—one student, one rehearsal, one performance at a time.