(Middlefield, OH) - The Cardinal Huskies Marching Band and Silks Flag Line have always had a tremendous reputation for their showbiz. After another transitional year, one of the best music programs in the county was in the hunt for a new leader.
After a quick turnaround, the Cardinal Board of Education decided to hire Riverside High School graduate Frank Sanzo on Wednesday, July 16th. Sanzo recently graduated from Bowling Green State University, where he was the district’s percussion technician, at Anthony Wayne High School as located about two and a half hours west of Middlefield, Ohio, and also at Northwood High School. He completed his student teaching at Bowling Green High School.
“I am looking forward to engaging with a community that takes pride in its Fine Arts, and I am excited to make connections with my students and colleagues,” said Sanzo on his hire at Cardinal Local Schools. “I am eager to provide my students with a fun, fulfilling experience in music.”
His passion for music first took root when he began a band in his freshman year of high school. He didn’t stop there, he also participated in many choir and theatre productions. There, he served as a State Thespian Officer during his junior year of high school before being selected as a section leader for the drumline during his senior year.
“I was always inspired by the passion my educators had towards my success, especially my music educators. I often attribute my achievements to those who taught me to be the person I am today, and I realized that I wanted to give back in the same way,” said Sanzo. “I also love music and teaching; combining the two is the best of both worlds.”
His musical journey started on the snare drum, where he primarily played percussion. This was his main study while attending Bowling Green State University; however, he also learned how to play the guitar, play the bass, and also some piano. He also has a strong interest in recording technology, something he hopes to bring to the students at Cardinal Jr./Sr. High School.
When he thinks about his playing days, Sanzo is reminded of all of the little things Glenn Obergefell taught him and the impact he has left on his life. Obergefell is the choir director and also the assistant marching band director for Riverside High School.
“A specific teacher who heavily inspires my teaching daily is Glenn Obergefell, who is still a teacher at my high school. In class, I try to channel his passion, dedication, and expressive attitude to encourage my students to try their best. I even say many of the affirmations that he used in my high school classes to my current students,” said Sanzo. Many of these affirmations were used during the middle of a hot day of Band Camp this past month.
As previously stated, Sanzo graduated from Riverside High School located in Painesville, Ohio. Along with his position on snare drum, he served as the drumline’s section leader, but his leadership roles and responsibilities didn’t stop there. A recipient of the Quincy Jones Award and the Ian Legacy Foundation Scholarship. He established more duties as he entered college. During his junior year of college, Sanzo fulfilled the role of president of the OCMEA (Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association) and vice-president of the Student Percussion Association. Other groups that he participated in included: Men’s Chorus, Wind Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, BGSU Samba Bateria, Afro Caribbean Ensemble, and a Jazz Combo. Lastly, he was a member of the Music Industry Club for three years, which hosted fun and exciting events like music festivals, open-mic nights, and other fundraisers. Because of so many different groups and titles, Sanzo’s experience in music stretched to Valencia, Spain, where he performed at the Edeta Arts Percussion Festival.
“There, we performed in the world premiere of Michael Udow's The Twelve Labors of Hercules. While I was there, I also got to perform with BGSU's Percussion Ensemble, and two other percussionists performed The Atmos Clock by Brian Nozny. We also performed Xingu River by Philip Glass, arranged by the legendary Third Coast Percussion. This was one of my favorite performances of my undergraduate degree,” said Sanzo.
The majority of Frank’s inspiration for music comes from his favorite band, The Beatles. When asked what his favorite song was, he talked about the song Mother Nature’s Son. This song was written in 1968 about the inspiration of a lecture that was given by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi while they were in India.
“I’m a huge Beatles fan, and my favorite song of theirs is Mother Nature’s Son. A close runner-up would be Yesterday, which I performed as a marimba arrangement by Tōru Takemitsu for my senior recital,” said Sanzo. “It remains one of my favorite pieces from my college years. I’ll take any chance I get to reference, share fun facts about, or simply talk about The Beatles, including now!
When he was asked why he resonates with The Beatles so much, he talked about the different genres, music concepts, and instruments that are used in their music.
“For me, I feel The Beatles check all the boxes. For only being a band for less than a decade, their discography encompasses a vast array of genres, musical concepts, and instrumentations. They are the one group I can never find tiring, old, or overplayed. There's always something new to listen to or discover with them. Branching off from The Beatles, Paul McCartney is my favorite member. I feel his songs and contributions to The Beatles were the most significant, and his career post-Fab Four is by far the most intuitive.”
When Frank isn’t playing or listening to music, he enjoys exercising, playing the drums, writing music, and hanging out with his family and friends. He has a deep passion for professional wrestling, while also collecting and playing vintage video games, watching movies, and playing with his dog.
“A fun fact about me is that when I was eleven years old, my dog had a litter of 12 puppies, which meant we had 14 dogs at one point! It was a fun experience raising them and finding them good homes,” said Sanzo.
Sanzo has already stepped into the role of assistant marching band director for this Fall season, where the second-year Cardinal Elementary teacher, Sarah LaMantia, is taking the head band director position for this season. Haley Adams enters year seven as the advisor for Flag Line and will provide a sense of consistency and tradition for the two programs.
“Frank has been an exceptional addition to Cardinal,” LaMantia said. “His kindness and passion for music connect with our students, and I know he is going to help these kids grow in their musical journey.”
“Frank and Sarah both have provided a spark to the Marching Band and Flag Line this season,” said Adams. “They have great knowledge of the Arts, and it has been fun getting to work alongside them so far.”
“I am so excited to get to work! Students and parents–do not hesitate to reach out to me if there is anything you need. I hope to not only be a teacher, but someone you can trust! Community members, please come out to a concert, parade, or Friday night game and see what awesome work is being done here at Cardinal! I am looking forward to a great year,” said Sanzo. “I am looking forward to engaging with a community that takes pride in its Fine Arts, and am excited to make connections with my students and colleagues! I am eager to provide my students with a fun, fulfilling experience in music.”
The Cardinal Huskies Marching Band and Silks Flag Line will perform every Friday night at halftime of the football games. There will also be a home band show on Saturday, September 20th at 7:00 p.m. For the second year in a row, they will have a chance for the alumni to come back and perform with them on Friday, October 17th, at halftime of the football game against Pymatuning Valley.
“I would love to see this program grow to its fullest potential - both in members and musical ability. My goal as a band director is to create experiences for my students. I feel those experiences can come from many sources, including exceptional performances, friendships, leadership opportunities, travel, and memories. I want the students to see the potential in both themselves and in their role as a larger team. The more I've pushed these students, the more responsive they've been. I want to keep that stride, continue to build relationships, and most importantly, have fun,” said Sanzo.