by Brad Horton ’15
Over the past summer, Mr. Roth, the former Saint Ignatius Band Director, left leaving a major void in one of the school’s most prized programs.
This void was filled by Mr. Dan Hamlin. Mr. Hamlin grew up in the Cleveland area and had many friends and family members that attended Saint Ignatius High School. He has directed many band ensembles and music programs. He was recently teaching at St. Marc’s Westpark music program and has been involved with many band camps over the years. He said it was his dream job to become a high school band director, and the opportunity Saint Ignatius offered was too great to pass up.
Mr. Hamlin stated that he had no plans for any drastic changes and most of his changes would only be noticed by band members. There are plans for an upcoming Blues Brothers and pop themed half-time show. The pop themed show will feature the songs “Some Nights,” “Rock and Roll All Night,” and “Give Me Everything Tonight.” Mr. Hamlin also had some long term goals of increasing the size of the band, starting band recruitment earlier, and increasing the size of the flag core.
Mr. Hamlin stated that the band at Saint Ignatius offers an unparalleled energy when compared to other high school bands. The students really get excited about what they are doing. Band member Nick Fink ’15 said “[Mr. Hamlin] brings a lot of youth to the band, and he is bringing a lot of new good ideas; that will bring more energy and attention to the band.” He is also like among his students. band members Matt Skoch ’14 and Cormac O’ Riordan ’14 both said Mr. Hamlin was a “cool guy.”
The band has much to look forward to with the band under the new direction of Mr. Dan Hamlin.
