The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
DEVOTED TO MUSIC
Fighting Cardinals director sees challenges and commitment in band
Steve Poremba, director of the Mentor High School Band Marching Band — the Fighting Cardinals — has roots that run deep in the Mentor music community.
Poremba got his start as a percussionist in the band at Mentor High School, where he met his wife, Jodi. She also was in band’s flag corps at that time. Today, Jodi is principal of Lake Elementary School in Mentor. Steve and Jodi Poremba have two daughters, who both attend Mentor High School: Kelsey, a junior, plays clarinet in the concert band and is co-captain of color guard; and Sydney, a freshman, plays bassoon in the concert band.
Steve Poremba, who has been the director of the Mentor Marching Band for 12 years, also teaches at the elementary schools. He previously taught at the middle school.
He directs a band which has doubled in size to 260 members from 132 and admits it can be a challenge getting to know all the kids in a band that size, but they take every effort to get to know them all.
“We spend a ton of time together. We try to do things during band camp and outside of band so we can see the kids face to face and get to know them, so they are not just a dot on the field.” — Steve Poremba, Mentor band director
“We spend a ton of time together,” he said. “We try to do things during band camp and outside of band so we can see the kids face to face and get to know them, so they are not just a dot on the field.”
Getting to know each of the kids, although challenging, is important to Poremba, who said they meet in small groups so they can get to know them a little bit more.
When it comes to commitment, the kids pretty much devote their lives to the music, Poremba said. They start meeting the first week after school lets out for the summer. Starting in mid-July, they rehearse every day anywhere from four to 10 hours a day. They rehearse two days a week after school and perform at games, competitions and festivals.
“They practically live here in the fall,” Poremba said of the band members.
As band director, Poremba has expectations for the band members. He expects them to be good people and to represent the band in the best way possible and wants them to be proud.
“We have a saying that says, “March proud,” and I just want them to do that, whether they are marching on the field or walking down the halls at Mentor High School or in grocery store or whatever,” he said. “We just want good kids, good band members.”
Poremba feels that being band members is definitely beneficial to the kids, as it gives them something to belong to and gives them a place to go where they are meeting people that are doing the same thing they are.
“When they come from the middle school, this can be an intimidating place to be when you are starting out, so they have a group they can identify with and be with from day one,” he said.
He hopes being a part of band is something they will remember long after graduating and leaving the band.
“I mean that’s why I’m here, I went to Mentor and graduated from here and I was in the band.” Poremba said.
“It meant that much to me to come back and be working with them.”
It’s also his desire that the band members will take some life lessons away from their band experience, such as time management and learning how to deal with a large group of people and lots of personalities as the same time.
When it comes to words of advice for current and future band members, he tells them: “Have patience, you are going to be in a group with a lot of people that learn at a lot of different levels. He also advises them to always do their best and remember every best is a little different.”
The Mentor High School Marching Band is comprised of musicians, the flag corps and majorettes, who are the newly crowned international champions in the Senior Division of the Dance-Twirl Team Event.