Mr. B hits the high note

“He’s going to push you. He always picked songs that we could do, but not without a lot of work,”  said Sam Kinzel, a senior at Polson High School, describing his former choir teacher, Mr. Bumgarner.

Chris Bumgarner has been teaching music for a total of 30 years. With news of his retirement as the Music Director of Polson High School,  and the announcement of his new position at the Mission Valley Christian Academy, it sounds like he has quite a bit on his plate.  But then again, for Mr. B it seems he is always busy spreading the gift of music.  Bumgarner begins his new job at Mission Valley this fall.  He will be the new director of the K-12 school.

Bumgarner  grew up on a farm near Belt, Mont. It was in high school, singing in his school’s chorus at both All-State and All-Northwest competitions that he knew he wanted to become a music teacher. “There was something about going to a high school with only 45 students then singing with that large of a group, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” he said.

Bumgarner continued his musical education at the University of Montana, where he received his Music Education Degree. He taught in Selby for eight years before earning his master’s degree in Choral Conducting form the University of Missouri at Kansas City. In 1989 he moved to Polson, where he has taught for the past 23 years.

As a former student of Bumgarner’s, Sam Kinzel was involved with several choir trips, including All-State and All- Northwest. He said, “ If Mr. B has taught me anything, it was to just keep singing. He has really inspired me.”  Kinzel plans to continue his involvement in choir this year at school and hopes to sing in college as well.

In the first two decades of his career, beyond his Polson  Schools duties, Bumgarner created a number of new chorus groups in the area including Selah Home School Choir, a choir group for homeschooled students and the Salish Kootenai College Choir.  

Jemimah Murphy, a former member of the Home School Choir said, “he often felt he was teaching more self-confidence than teaching us to sing. He taught me to feel secure in my own skin. “ 

With these additional contributions to the community and as well as the continued success with his students at both Polson Junior High and Polson High School,  it is easy to see why such a large group would be committed to celebrating his achievements.   On Aug. 4 at 4 p.m.  A retirement celebration is planned in the Polson High School auditorium, featuring an alumni choir of over 60 former students from Selby and Polson which will perform four songs directed by Mr. B.

With the new opportunity as Director of the Mission Valley Christian Academy, Bumgarner is looking to continue his dedication to both education and music. His immediate goals are primarily, “leadership, hiring and training building staff.” and secondly,  “acting as a liaison between the school and the community, “ he emphasizes the importance of creating a connection between local businesses and the school. He is still committed to including musical opportunities. When asked if he was going to start a choral program at Mission Valley he responded, “I’m going to have to, I am going to miss it so much. I am hoping to start off with choral but maybe start a band if there is more interest down the line.”

Bumgarner who also plays the keyboard and guitar is looking forward to including a musical instrument program in the future

Having devoted so much to both Polson Junior High School and Polson High School, it is clear that he will be missed.  As Sam Kinzel  said, “Mr.B was always been super dedicated to me and my classmates, he always wanted us to be the best we could be.”

Bumgarner has had many accomplishments throughout his career, but he still believes that teaching has been the greatest of these achievements, “I never considered how much kids have taught me, and how much they have helped me to grow as a teacher.”