Banding
Together
M
arching strong at 83 members, the Fox Chapel Area
Marching Band is bigger than it has ever been. From
Friday night football games to band festivals and
competitions, the group is busy dazzling audiences
in many venues throughout the year.
Daryl Lesnik, a 14-year music teacher at Fox Chapel Area High
School, directs the marching band. “Fox Chapel Area is not only
a great place to teach, but also a great place to live and send your
children to school. My daughter is a second grader this year in the
school district and my son, who is 11/2, will be starting school in
the district before we know it,” he says.
The Fox Chapel Area Marching Band has grown significantly
over the last 10 years. This year, 40 new members are on the field.
“The marching band is off to a great start, with the largest group
of new marchers since I’ve been teaching in the district,” notes
Lesnik.
Evan Hertrick and Clarissa Stewart are Lesnik’s assistant
directors. Hertrick is the band director at O’Hara and Hartwood
elementary schools. This is his third year in the school district
and working with the marching band. Hertrick’s students will be
old enough to join the band in the next few years. He currently
has 170 elementary band students between the two schools.
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Stewart is a 2010 graduate of Fox Chapel Area High School and
performed in the high school’s symphonic band, jazz ensemble,
marching band, and the PMEA All-State Band. In addition to
working with the Fox Chapel Area High School Marching Band,
she teaches elementary band in the Wilkinsburg School District.
Additionally, the high school marching band has a design
and instructional staff of 12, and endless support from the
community and parent volunteers.
“The Fox Chapel Area Marching Band is unique in that it is
also a competition band, which adds a layer of difficulty and
requires an additional commitment from its members,” says
Stewart.
Lesnik adds, “The band brings together an amazing group of
young people from all different skill sets and backgrounds. It’s a
large commitment of time and energy and aids the participants
in future life skills. There are a large number of people involved in
the band’s success—paid professionals, band parents, volunteers,
school district administration, maintenance, custodians,
secretaries and marching band alumni—it truly is an entire group
effort.”
The band’s student leaders (drum majors) this year are
Rebekah Polcyn, a trombonist, and Zachary Zytnick, a clarinet