With the start of the school year, Bellefonte Area High School has acquired a new band teacher, Mr. Jeremiah Dobo. He’s a first year teacher originally from Brookville, where he taught K-6 and 4-12 music and band.
Mr. Dobo is a well-rounded musician, playing multiple instruments and with many years of teaching experience.
“I play basically every instrument in the band and orchestra. Some I can only play well enough to teach, but others like tuba, trombone, baritone, french horn, and some percussion I’ve actually performed professionally on. Tuba is my main instrument though. I’m also a decent enough singer,” he said.
He found excitement in music early on and was also interested in teaching, which led him to be a music teacher.
“I always liked the idea of teaching but never knew what I would teach. I was ok at history and English, but neither of them really made me feel excited the way music did. Then as I became a better musician I realized that teaching music was something I could do to help give other students the same feeling of excitement I did in high school. I could do that while also being able to continue making music myself.”
Mr. Dobo has loved his experience teaching at BAHS. Teaching at a new school proposes new challenges for a new teacher.
“I am loving my time at BAHS so far! It is very different from every other place I’ve taught or gone to school myself so it has definitely taken some adjusting. The students and staff I’ve met so far have been great. The biggest transition for me is the schedule with block days and the different ways of doing paperwork and other bureaucratic things like that.”
Senior Drum Major Isobel Herr is closely working with Mr. Dobo this year in her role as Drum Major.
“He’s very-detailed oriented and connects well with students. He’s able to have a good time but he’s also interested in the well-being of the music department,” Isobel said.
“If the class is about performing, my favorite thing is the moment where it feels like all of the hard work we’ve put in translates into creating a musical performance that means something to the students. If the class isn’t performanced based, it’s always the a-ha moments when something clicks and a student can become more engaged.”
So with the 2024-25 BAHS school year underway, the band class seems to be set with an amazing teacher for years to come.
