Past Directors

Clement Wiedinmyer is credited as being the founder of the music program within the East Stroudsburg School District. Immediately upon his being hired by the District as its first (and only) instrumental music teacher, Mr. Wiedinmyer went door-to-door to recruit children for his band, and eventually established and directed three ESSD music programs. In addition, Mr. Wiedinmyer taught home music lessons to children throughout his 34 year East Stroudsburg teaching career. He was one of the prime forces behind the formation of the "Band Mothers" organization in 1938, which raised thousands of dollars for instruments, uniforms, travel expenses, guest conductors and an annual scholarship. Mr. Wiedinmyer organized the Northeast District of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) in 1938 and later served as its President. He also served as Vice President of the statewide (PMEA) organization. He published numerous articles in state and national magazines and co-authored a music instruction book, "Easy Steps to Melody Instruments." In the late 1950s, Mr. Wiedinmyer was instrumental in the planning of the music facilities of what today is known as East Stroudsburg Area High School-South, as well as the auditorium that today bears his name. Upon his retirement from the District, Mr. Wiedinmyer became an Assistant Professor of Education at East Stroudsburg State Teachers College.

Robert F. Zellner taught instrumental music and was the Band Director at East Stroudsburg Area High School from 1956-68.  He then joined the music faculty at Gettysburg College, where he served as Director of Bands and Music Department Chair.  He retired in 1998, after 30 years of service at the college.  He conducted over 400 festival bands and was the Co-founder and Director of the Pennsylvania Lions All-State Band. Professor Zellner was the recipient of numerous music awards, including the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Bandmaster Award (1983), the NBA's Citation of Excellence Award (1988), the Lions International Presidents Award (1997) and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 7 Distinguished Service Award (2000). In 2002, Gettysburg College established the Robert F. Zellner Music Education Award.  After his passing, Mr. Zellner’s family started the Robert F. Zellner Memorial Scholarship for an East Stroudsburg senior who will be majoring in a music related field.  

John Casagrande was Director of Bands in East Stroudsburg from 1968-1978.  He was then Director of Bands at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, and then Mount Vernon (VA) High School before joining the faculty of George Mason University, eventually becoming a Professor of Music Education.  He retired from GMU in May 2010 but continued as an Adjunct Professor supervising student teachers for multiple years. Bands under Mr. Casagrande’s direction performed at three National Concert Band Festivals in Chicago and Indianapolis, the national convention of the Music Educators National Conference, two conventions of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, the Mid-East Instrumental Music Conference, three conventions of the Virginia Music Educators Association, and many other prestigious performances.  In 1998, Mr. Casagrande was elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.  Other honors included election to the American School Band Directors Association, multiple “Citations of Excellence” from the National Band Association, and the Sudler Flag of Honor.  

Gordon L. Fung taught in New York State (Cairo and Skaneateles) prior to accepting a position with the East Stroudsburg (PA) Area School District in 1973 and was appointed Director of Bands and Department Chair in 1980. During his tenure as Director of Bands, the Marching Show Band performed at ten professional football games. The Concert Band performed twice at the PMEA State Music Conference, the Mid-East Band Festival, earned twelve consecutive superior ratings in grade six music at the PMEA Adjudication Festival, commissioned numerous compositions and annually presented a guest artist from the New York Philharmonic or the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Spring Concert. In 1993 Mr. Fung began teaching elementary band students in East Stroudsburg. His elementary band students were invited twice to perform at the PMEA State Music Conference. In 1999, Mr. Fung and his students collaborated with Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and did a video shoot for an instructional video that has been distributed worldwide by the Hal Leonard Publishing Company.  While Mr. Fung retired in 2001, he continues guest conducting, adjudicating, and lecturing in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He annually conducts concerts in Europe through the auspices of American Music Abroad. He has had numerous articles published in the professional journals of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, written several articles for the national publication The Instrumentalist and is the author of the book, Case Study: A Successful Band Program.

James (Jim) Martini served as ESHS Director of Bands and as an instrumental music teacher from 1993 through 2000. Under his direction and leadership, band participation essentially doubled in size to 160 members, and a second band, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble was formed in 1995 (and was a featured performer at the 1997 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference). During Jim’s tenure, both bands received numerous superior ratings at PMEA Adjudication Festivals, and traveled throughout the east coast to perform. While at ESHS, Jim directed the symphonic wind ensemble, concert band, marching show band, two jazz ensembles, the spring musical theater production and small ensembles, while teaching lessons to all band students and a Jazz Improvisation Lab course. Mr. Martini was the conductor for musical theater productions of The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Anything Goes and Brigadoon. He served on a school-wide committee to implement intensive (“block”) scheduling at ESHS in 1995, and as such, was instrumental in the design and smooth integration of music courses into the new schedule. Jim currently serves as the Director of Instrumental Music at Central York High School, which has become one of the most respected programs in South Central Pennsylvania.  He is currently serving as Secretary-Treasurer for PMEA District 7.  Mr. Martini’s musical contributions have broadened to include widely acclaimed expertise in music technology, as documented by his presentations at local, regional, state and national conferences.  He has also served as the Musical Director for numerous productions with the Pocono Lively Arts Community Theater Ensembles, as well as a guest conductor, musical director, adjudicator, judge, consultant and presenter for numerous productions, band tournaments, shows, band festivals, symphonies and conferences.

Dr. Kyle R. Glaser served as the Director of Bands at East Stroudsburg High School-South from 2000 through 2008, where he directed the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, the Cavalier Marching Band, and the Jazz Ensemble. From 1998 through 2000, he taught instrumental music lessons and conducted the Concert Band at Bushkill Elementary School and was the Associate Director of Bands at the East Stroudsburg High School. Under his direction, bands in East Stroudsburg received numerous Superior ratings at PMEA and PBA Concert Band Adjudications, and in 2002 and 2005 the East Stroudsburg-South Symphonic Band was selected to perform at the Annual PMEA In-Service Conference as a featured performing group. He also served as the interim director of the East Stroudsburg University-Community Concert Band in the fall of 2002. Dr. Glaser currently serves as the Associate Director of Bands at Texas State University. His responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Winds, overseeing all athletic bands, and teaching various methods classes.  He maintains an active schedule as a clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator across the nation. He has contributed several chapters to the GIA Publications Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. From 2017 through 2019 he served as the national vice president for professional relations for Tau Beta Sigma, the national band sorority. Glaser's professional memberships include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the National Association for Music Education, the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity.