Photo courtesy HEIL PHOTOGRAPHY
Members of the Mifflin County High School marching band are, from left, front, Nathan Banks, Marquise Siennick, Charles Fought III, Ethan Sunday, Avery Miller, Bailey Cullen, Reiss Miller, Caitlin Miller, Hunter Corbin, Grady Fisher, Bailey Horner, Rayne Schultz and Ben Snyder; second row, Aaron Zylstra, Olivia Decker, Hailey Clokey, Katrina Spickler, Paige Shugarts, Gracelynn Beckenbaugh, Hannah Jones, Bre Forshey, Alia Diehl, Lilly Ulsh, Emily Shank, Alaina Sharp, Ava Liebegott, Dallas Ivie and Maddy Clinard; third row, Michael Smith, Wade Eichhorn, Kyler Baker, Trae Kerstetter, Alivia Liebegott, Reese Bennett, Gino Zannino, Zeyda Frye, Alessa Norris, Alex Garner, Morgan Crader, Griffin Damicantonio, Malachi Snyder, Jay Shaffer, Emmah Miller and Emily Conaway; fourth row, Aden McCarl, Josh Gates, Dayna Zeiders, Jaxon Foulk, Summer Shuey, Noah Sunderland, Keagan Scyoc, Joey Wolfley, Liam Kerstetter, Shawn Zeiders, Olivia Bubb, Kaden Baker, Hannah Bubb, Caleb Noerr and Dylan Hagerty; back, Miah Harpster, Emma Colyer, Annalisa Kline, Ginger Wolfley, Kara Rook, Serena Ulsh, Cami Knepp, Olivia Niman, Natalie Haubrick, Emma Weikel, Noah Kauffman, Ava Shank, Amaris Fultz, Kenadi Royer, Reina Cirota, Kaitlyn LeFevre, Emily Banks, Reagan Croissette, Maddy Stitt, Santana Kaufman and Vaeda Kaufman.

LEWISTOWN — While many high school students dream of becoming professional athletes or Wall Street executives, Art Belfiore knew exactly what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

“In ninth grade, I knew I wanted to be a high school band director,” recalled Belfiore, who remained steadfast in his decision. “I was torn between history and music. I was pretty good at math, but I didn’t want to be a math teacher.”

More than 40 years later, Belfiore — fresh off winning a third Tournament of Bands title this season and two Atlantic Coast Championships in three years with the Mifflin County High School Marching Band — wears the mantle of Mr. Marching Band.

The Huskies have become a dynasty in the high school’s decade of existence. While he is the mastermind, he certainly deflects credit to where it’s due — his tireless students, staff and music boosters.

Belfiore graduated in 1977 from Mahanoy Area Junior/Senior High School, located 13 miles southwest of Hazleton in northern Schuylkill County in the southern Coal Region. Back then, marching bands took the field and played in simple formations. Today’s bands include drum corps.

“In the early 1970s, marching band was a different activity,” Belfiore said. “The Penn State pregame — that’s what marching band was.

“My band director was the biggest influence on me, other than my parents,” he added.

Belfiore also developed his marching band swagger during his teens, which came after a performance on Main Street at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The former trumpet player said, “When I think of marching bands, I think of hundreds of thousands of people there,” he said. “The parade route was lined and the trumpet player in me was saying, ‘They’re cheering for me.’ I knew they were cheering for us. That has remained seared in my brain as if I’m back in Florida and I’m 18.”

During his high school years, Belfiore also marched in prestigious parades in the Big Apple and for the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, and event played at Philadelphia Phillies’ games.

“We did a lot of stuff for a big high school band from a really small town,” he said. “I thought, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life.'”

Blue Band and beyond

After high school, Belfiore wanted to march with the best, so he packed up his trumpet, enrolled at Penn State and earned a spot on the iconic Blue Band.

Belfiore marched with the Blue Band for four years then was fortunate enough to spend two more years on staff while in graduate school at Penn State.

Over the years, he’s learned that his bands are just competing against themselves.

“When we march off the field, they need to be satisfied that they’ve had a good show,” he explained. “If they do that, that will be a memory that they carry with them forever.”

Belfiore recalls marching with the Blue Band in the Fiesta Bowl parade and writing a show for the band, which was performed during a Penn State game at the Meadowlands.

“I can close my eyes and those memories are so vivid,” he said.

He hopes his students and staff will have the same experience.

“I want them to have a memory that they will take with them throughout their lifetimes,” Belfiore said. “I want them to say that marching band was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I hope they have a memory that they can cherish forever.”

Building a bass, er, base

When Belfiore was hired to be the band director at Lewistown Area High School in 1991, there were 24 kids in the marching band.

“The bands were smaller back then,” he said. “Indian Valley was bigger than us. We got it (Lewistown) up to 65 kids one year then we hovered between 35 and 45 until they combined the two schools.”

The first year of Mifflin County High School, Belfiore’s band had 75 kids.

“The program instantly was bigger than the previous two high school bands combined,” Belfiore said. “I think the kids wanted to be in something shiny and new.”

The Husky marching band’s numbers have remained in the 72- to 76-member range until this year.

“This year is our biggest at 80,” Belfiore said.

Which surprises him, considering 20 members graduated last spring and three did not return.

“We lost 23 people, and we’re four people bigger,” he explained. “We have a huge rookie class,” which bodes well for the program’s future.

As far as their success on the field, Belfiore said the marching bands were good in 2011 and 2012, but the 2013 band was when the program “turned the corner and started to take off.”

A large talented class in 2017 enabled the marching band to take that final step, winning the Tournament of Bands Group 3-A Class Atlantic Coast Championship in 2018 and finishing second in 2019.

Even the pandemic did little to stop that momentum. While many activities in Mifflin County and other schools were shut down, the band marched on.

“The one thing that was different with Mifflin County was the administration and the school board’s decision-making process, we still had marching band,” Belfiore said. “Social distancing worked for us because there were five yards between us to the left and right and backwards and forwards. We taught a lot of basic skills — choreography — that we use everywhere. We didn’t do a lot (going to competitions or performing).”

That work paid off in 2021 when Mifflin County won another ACC title.

“We realized that what we did in 2020 really mattered,” he said. “We kept the program going and students that were in the program used those skills that propelled us to the second ACC championship.

“Even they (members) understand that what we did was really important to keep the program alive,” he added. “We actually grew during that year.”

While numbers for athletic teams and other school organizations have struggled in the post-pandemic era, the band’s membership remains strong and their performance results even better.

“We did a lot of Zoom stuff, but because the stage was so big, we were able to have concert band the whole year,” Belfiore said. “We didn’t perform but we were actually able to rehearse as an ensemble and make a recording. A lot of high school program shut down or did very little.”

Belfiore and his band are still seeing those programs reeling from the effects of the pandemic.

“We saw a lot of bands that were huge and now they’re really tiny. That’s tragic.”

All-year ’round

Marching band has morphed into so much more than performing at football games. It’s a year-round activity for many members. Two indoor drumlines and indoor guard squads keep members rehearsing all winter long.

“The kids don’t stop working, they keep learning and practicing,” Belfiore said.

He and his staff will also sit down and start listening to music to pick a show theme for next fall. Once a decision has been made, they hold a movie night to make the announcement with much fanfare.

“(Assistant band director) Mark Baylor does a movie trailer that gives them hints about what the theme is,” Belfiore said. “At the end of three minutes, the reveal tells the kids what the show design will be.”

From there the drill writer is given the theme and gets to work. However, the marching band focuses on the indoor season until the first week of May when sheet music is handed out.

One big happy family

Liam Kersetter is one of the elder statesmen of the Husky Marching Band. A senior, Kerstetter has been a band member for five years and become the trombone section lead. Marching band gave him the confidence to take on that role.

“Marching band has taught me that I can be a leader and can help others,” Kerstetter said. “It has helped to give me the confidence to step into the role of trombone section leader this year and to help the rookies who are struggling with whatever it may be.

“Another thing it has taught me is that winning isn’t everything, I know that we feel great when we get first place at shows but what truly matters is that when you come off that field, after having a great show, no matter what your placement or score is you feel great knowing that you did your best and you gave your all,” he added.

Kerstetter joined the marching band in eighth grade because he loved music and he wanted to get involved in something that would challenge him as a musician. He also wanted to spend more time with friends.

“I didn’t have a lot of close friendships before I joined the group,” he said. “This group has been my second family.”

Emily Shank, another fifth-year member, joined because she was eager to prove herself.

“I was silent for the first few years until I was forced to come out of my shell in 10th grade,” said Shank, a senior who plays the flute and piccolo. “Mr. B asked me to be a conductor, which meant I needed to speak in front of the band more frequently than I would have liked at the time. I am far better at speaking in front of people than I ever could have been without marching band. I’m even okay with making mistakes.”

Shank treasures the lasting friendships that she’s made over her years in marching band.

“For me, the best thing about marching band is the connections and friendships you are able to make,” she explained. “I have formed connections with more people than I could have imagined. I enjoy traveling with the band and seeing how everyone’s personalities play into our success.”

She admits she was bit intimidated by the commitment at first.

“I joined marching band because my friends encouraged me to join,” Shank said. “I knew that I was capable of doing it, but it was a big-time commitment. I was nervous to join because I had never been a part of a group that was involved in so many things. I joined marching band for the friendships I knew I would develop and the challenge it would be for me musically.”

One time at band camp

While movie spoofs put band camp in a comical light, Belfiore and band members are all business during their two-week camp in mid-August.

It’s the equivalent of training camp or preseason workouts for athletic teams. The progress made during band camp will likely determine how successful the season will be.

“It’s an 8-hour day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” he said. “We start in the band room then spent 2 ½ to 3 hours outside in the morning. We do the same thing in the afternoon and then usually finish outside.

“The first day of band camp this past year was 105 degrees,” he added. “They work really hard, and we work them really, but they word.”

Typically, members learn 63 charts, each with different positions on the field and how they get to them — marching to their left or right, forward or backward.

At the conclusion of camp, there’s a picnic performance and show for family and friends.

“The students work hard at the practices, and never whine — some eye-rolling when they have to run things back,” Baylor joked.

Support staff

After graduating from Penn State, Belfiore taught at Lock Haven High School for two years. In 1981, he met Baylor, who was teaching at Kishacoquillas High School, and the late Michael Wasilko, a former band director at Lewistown, for the first time. Belfiore moved on to jobs in Ohio, Massachusetts and Maryland before finally returning to Mifflin County.

He never imagined the connections he made in the 1980s would blossom into the decades-long relationships he had maintained.

“Mark Baylor does all of the technological stuff,” Belfiore said.

Those around the program feel just as fortunate to have Belfiore on board.

“The band program requires a lot of management,” Baylor said. “Beyond teaching the students, Art oversees the fundraising, transportation, equipment maintenance and repair and works with the band boosters. There’s also a fairly large instruction staff where I have a small part. Everybody coordinates with Art and has ideas about how to make the show its best.

“Art is the final decider. The show is his vision, and he knows where he wants it to go.” 

Belfiore also gives a lot of credit to his music staff. Most of them have been with him for more than a decade and some for 30 years.

“We have great band support, all but one is a volunteer,” he said.

“The best thing about them is they know how to identify talent and develop it,” he added. “We don’t have to rebuild the program on a yearly basis, we just reload. There are a lot of kids interested in the program because of them.”

Belfiore also feels fortunate to have the support of the Mifflin County Music Boosters, who he called “a phenomenal group,” he explained. “They raise tons of money that allows all the staff and the kids to do what they want to do.”

He also thanked the administration for their support: “You have to have that to have a successful music program like we do,” he added.

He also acknowledged the community’s support, which was evident after their last ACC performance when they were escorted through town by fire trucks upon their return to Mifflin County.

“The Mifflin County marching band has a large and enthusiastic fan base,” Baylor said. “When we performed at ACCs in Hershey, it seemed the majority of the crowd had ‘Ritual’ band shirts (this year’s show theme). One of the dads led the crowd in cheering before we started. It could have been a show at Mitchell Field.” 

Field of dreams

Belfiore salivates at the thought of a multi-purpose stadium being built near the high school. School administrators and project fundraisers have already spoken to him about amenities that would benefit the band.

His wish list is short: a higher press box and parking.

He’d love to host band shows at Mitchell Field in Lewistown, but the press box isn’t high enough and the field isn’t suitable.

“If we get a new stadium with a high press box, I want to host a show here,” Belfiore said.

He makes no qualms about which show he has his sights set on — the Tournament of Bands State Championship event, currently held at Mansion Park in Altoona.

“There’s no parking in Altoona. We’d have lots of parking,” Belfiore explained. “We had to warm-up on the backside of the visitors’ stands. That wouldn’t be the case at our new stadium.

“If the stadium is built and we get the Pennsylvania state competition, there would be 23 bands at that show,” he added. “That would be huge for the community. That’s part of the purpose of the new stadium — a multi-use stadium benefits the community.”

If Belfiore sounds like he’s stumping, he is.

“We’re hopeful that the school board votes on it soon, so they can dig a hole next summer and start building the stadium,” Belfiore said.

He and his marching band aren’t waiting for that day to come — they’ve already started planning their show for the fall.