DAVID CODRINGTON marches to the beat of his own drum. As a little boy, he was fascinated by music, how musicians read notes and how they played instruments. When you see Codrington dressed sharply in his ornate attire, with baton in his hand, or with his mace, a transformation has taken place.
When he is not commanding the Royal Barbados Police Force Band (RBPF) during parades, he is conducting the musical group, setting the tempo and timing for the ensemble.
And though the office of drum major and conductor may give a degree of power, Codrington said leadership was not about wielding authority but empowering people. He explained to EASY magazine that a rank did not mean control over others. Rather, it is the way in which you treat people that makes them want to follow you.
Codrington had no knowledge of music nor did he know how to play an instrument, but he told his parents he was very interested in becoming a musician. Even though his parents were concerned that he wanted to be a part of something for which he did not have natural talent, they encouraged him to pursue his dreams nevertheless.
“So when I left secondary school I applied to the RBPF band and they taught me everything from scratch,” he said.
“After I passed through the band cadet period I was trained as a parade drummer and I learnt to play the oboe. I did that for a while until I was promoted to the rank of sergeant and during this period I played two new instruments, the clarinet and saxophone. However, I preferred playing the sax because it has a wider scope for performing; much people do not relate to the oboe and clarinet as they do the sax and with the sax you can play in classical bands as well as Crop Over bands.”
Codrington confessed that it was a bit difficult for him to grasp the tenets of music but eventually it became easier.
“At first it was a little ticklish but gradually I applied myself and it became easier. When I got a good grasp of what it was really about, I was able to progress from one stage to another in a short span of time . . . . If you push yourself and keeping trying you would succeed.”
David, who currently holds the office of inspector, said performing on Christmas Morning in Queen’s Park was something he looked forward to every year. He played an instrument in the park from 1974 until 2007; now he stands at the front of the band and conducts.
“Since I have been promoted to a higher rank it is not a requirement that I play, so I give way to the younger players,” he said.
“Before however, I made sure I prepared my best to play in the park. Playing in the park means so much to us in the band that if some guys don’t get the opportunity to play they would cry. When we play it lends cheer to people and as a tradition many people look forward to seeing us, even those from overseas.
“When I used to play it was very emotional for me, people would walk up to me and say positive things and that made me feel amazing.”
David said that the transition from playing an instrument to conducting was nerve-wracking and the first time he had to direct the band he was anxious.
“When you play in the band you can cover up if you make a mistake but a conductor stands in front of the band by him or herself and the attention is on them. But I enjoy conducting very much. I study the different styles of international conductors and I try to learn as much as I can from them.
“As the musical director of the band my role is important. With my baton I control how loud or soft the bands plays and the tempo they play at.
“When I look back at how far I have come I am really proud of what I have achieved. The road wasn’t easy and I had to be disciplined in order to advance myself and once I put in the hard work, I saw results.”
Now 60 years old, Codrington has spent 44 years of dedicated service in the RBPF and said he was very grateful to former commissioners Orville Durant, Grantley Watson and Darwin Dottin because they played an integral role in his development. He said that with their confidence in him he was able “to go places”.
“In 2007 I went to the Royal Marine School in England and though it was a great experience it was extremely cold. Seeing a big machine shovelling snow was different for me and at first the weather intimidated me. A guy from Botswana and I were the only two black guys in the programme so I made sure I showed the others enrolled what I was made of.
“I trained hard during the course. I trained from as early as 1 a.m.; I wanted to make sure I got my drills on point and not even the weather could stop me and in the end it paid off.”
Codrington said the band has so much international recognition that it is invited to special events abroad and takes the pride of Barbados wherever it goes. He has travelled to places such as Britain, Germany, Suriname, the United States and Bermuda with the band.
Codrington is also an ordained priest at the Catholic Orthodox Church. His spirituality helps him deal with challenges that come his way at work and it also helps him to lend a hand to his fellow bandmates.
He also has a love for sport and spending quality time with his children Kelly-Ann Holder, Davien Brancker and Justin Alfred. If he does not go driving with them on weekends, he is playing cricket or football or swimming.