Music to their ears

Members of the Rio Rancho High School marching band performed at the Mayor’s Sunday is Funday at Haynes Park. “The Road Not Taken,” band director Matt Casarez explained, is the name of their program for this year’s competition. (Gary Herron/Observer)

Perhaps the best reason for the great music cranked out at local football games by the Rio Rancho High School marching band and the Cleveland High Regiment Band starts at the top.

Kurt Schmidt, the executive director of Fine Arts at Rio Rancho Public Schools – and formerly the band director at RRHS — is the New Mexico Music Educators Association Administrator of the Year.

That Fine Arts program, lauded RRPS Superintendent Sue Cleveland at the school board meeting Monday evening, “is an outstanding and recognized program, (and) most importantly, one that benefits the students of this community, their parents and definitely the larger community.”

Music has been “a priority since the inception of the district,” Schmidt told the board, referring to the music teachers in the district as “the most creative and dedicated, hard-working, amazing people I’ve had the pleasure to work with” who “go above and beyond.”

Schmidt, named the executive director of that department after former director Debbie Fleming retired in April 2018, has been with RRPS for 24 years.

Of course, having top-notch band directors at both comprehensive high schools has helped the community stay in tune. Matt Casarez succeeded Schmidt at RRHS, and Daniel Holmes leads the band at CHS.

In addition to Schmidt’s honor from the NMEA, RRPS received an Award of Distinction for the third time (2014 and 2020 previously). Holmes was honored as the director of the CHS Wind Symphony, named the All-State Honor Band for the second time and RRHS choir director Rebecca Kendall was named the New and Emerging Music Director of the Year.

“I’ve known her since the day she was born,” Schmidt added, with a chuckle. “She’s an equally talented singer, violinist and pianist.”

Incidentally, the popular Pageant of Bands, a competition that attracts high school bands from all over the state, will take place Oct. 22 at Rio Rancho High School.