TONTOGANY – Rich Dubler is laying down his conductor’s wand for the final time this year.

Dubler has been the band director at Otsego Local Schools for 20 years.

“I wanted to be a veterinarian. I found out that Ohio State was the only university that taught veterinary science and they took in 27 freshmen a year. And I said, ‘this grade point average is not built for that program,’” he said with a laugh.

His cousin was the band director at Swanton and Maumee “and I followed in his footsteps.”

Dubler earned his music degree at Bowling Green State University in 1986 and went on to conduct the bands at Edgerton and Gibsonburg before joining Otsego in 1992.

He said he has learned he needs to be patient and realize band isn’t the only thing on a student’s plate.

“There are times we have to be understanding of that as teachers, and sometimes it’s hard to do,” Dubler said.

The number of students in band was increasing from the high 50s to 90, and then the pandemic hit. Since then, it dropped to 60 last year and 70 this year.

Dubler said there is the biggest sixth-grade band class this year in his memory, but some kids sign up for band in high school without knowing how to play an instrument.

“We work with them and teach them and get them caught up,” he said.

While his class may not offer book-learning, there is still a skill he wants his students to learn.

“I want them to take the discipline – and obviously, the love of music – but the discipline it takes to get through life successfully,” Dubler said. “If they impart the discipline that they learn in this room in their job, they will never get fired.”

He said that as they work to be the best band they could be, they become disciplined in their approach, as they work on sound quality and doing it over and over and not putting it on autopilot.

“It’s a mental thing more than anything else and it’s mental toughness. It’s mentally tough to be outside at a football game … with it sleeting sideways at halftime.”

This is a true story as it happened at Eastwood a number of years ago.

“You would have never known they were cold by the way they performed,” Dubler recalled. “They were able to do that through the mental toughness that we teach.”

Those band members still remember that game like it happened yesterday, he said.

This past marching band season the weather was more cooperative, although it did rain a few nights, he said.

Dubler said he was thinking of a catch phrase for band and came up with “teaching life skills through band 42 minutes a day.”

Otsego has marching, concert, pep and jazz bands.

“I love it all,” Dublersaid, adding that he was particularly proud of the bands’ 17 consecutive superior ratings at the Ohio Music Education Association competitions.

He said he will miss being around the kids.

“I’ve pretty much talked myself into this is the time.”

May is a brutal schedule month for Otsego bands.

After playing at commencement the evening of May 21, he will turn around and lead what has become an annual its “Stars, Stripes and Sousa” concert on Sunday night.

Dubler started the Sousa concert years ago and it has become one of the most popular concerts given each year.

“People turn out because they love that patriotic flare.”

Band members will be back performing somewhere Memorial Day then head to Cedar Point.

Dubler said he doesn’t have any post-retirement plans but said he will have a part-time job doing something.

He and his wife Sharon bought a camper in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and he plans to hang out there more.

She teaches English at Otsego and won’ retire for a few more years.

Both of their daughters graduated from Otsego: Andrea in 2015 and Leah in 2018.

Dubler plays trombone and hasn’t ruled out giving lessons.

He said he never considered leaving Otsego.

“When you look at the administration and townspeople’s support of our program, money isn’t worth the relief that those supports are.”

He also went from performing in the old high school gym to performing in the auditorium during his tenure.

“The fact that people passed the levies for the schools and the auditorium were certainly huge steps for the music program.”

Dubler said that is proof of the support of the Otsego communities of the music program.

“I’ve been having so much fun this year,” he said and believes it’s because his students know he is leaving.

“They have been so workable this year. I’ve been having so much fun working with them, teaching them, conducting them, talking with them, messing with them in the hallways.

“This year’s been a real joy, one of the best.”