Soul in Every Note - Mr. Marinaro's Life in Music
by Shumi Liu
Embedded Files
Mr. Thomas Marinaro
One of the most important moments in a student’s musical journey is the start. For elementary students, a music teacher can lay the foundation for years of playing and performing. Mr. Thomas Marinaro is one of those teachers. He is the 4th grade band teacher at Maple East and Country Parkway Elementary School, directs the band, and provides lessons to students. Mr. Marinaro specializes in woodwinds with the alto saxophone as his primary instrument.
Mr. Marinaro’s path to music education wasn’t straightforward. He began playing the saxophone in 3rd grade, before the 4th grade band started, because his mom and dad warned him that if he waited, the school might assign an instrument he didn’t want to play (a wise suggestion!). As his parents often listened to Whitney Houston and Kenny G, he heard a lot of saxophone as a young child and thought that it was “kind of cool.” Still, throughout middle school and high school, Mr. Marinaro considered quitting music many times. What kept him going were the annual “Jazz at its Best” concert hosted by the West Seneca schools, featuring influential jazz artists, similar to the spring jazz concerts held by Williamsville schools. Each concert, Mr. Marinaro would feel a bit more motivation and interest in the music and that would carry him through another year. He also credits his parents, who simply “wouldn’t let him quit.”
Mr. Marinaro conducting Maple East Elementary Band
Originally, Mr. Marinaro wanted to become a gym teacher. But after a football injury prevented him from playing in his senior year of high school, he turned to music education since he “just happened to be good at music,” - thanks to years of playing and practice. His first teaching job was in Holland, NY, and allowed him to combine both passions: coaching basketball as well as leading the school band.
Outside of the classroom, Mr. Marinaro loves being a dad to his two young sons, ages 7 and 3. “I like to spend every second I can involved in their life, doing whatever it is,” he says. “I try to share what makes me tick with them, but it's not as important as what they think, because it's their life. So, I just love being there.” He is also very skilled at remodeling houses, like his father, who ran a construction business.
Mentors at SUNY Fredonia, where Mr. Marinaro got his teaching degree, gave him numerous opportunities to perform and expand his musical experience. Mr. Bruce Johnstone, a saxophonist and teacher at Fredonia, performed in Buffalo every Friday and invited Mr. Marinaro to join him. This continued for the duration of Mr. Marinaro’s time in college, and even into his first job at Holland.
During his first few years as an educator, Mr. Marinaro became deeply driven to improve his musicianship and advance his career. He practiced 6-7 hours a day for 7 years, studying with legendary Buffalo saxophonist, Mr. Dave Schiavone. It was then that Mr. Marinaro truly began to fall in love with the sax. He remarked, “I fell in love with it and realized it’s more than just something I do to get better, but it’s good for my soul. It’s good for me as a person. It levels me out in a way that nothing else seems to.”
Mr. Marinaro on stage
Today, he also performs regularly with his Thomas Marinaro Quartet at a Buffalo jazz club, the Pausa Art House. If you’ve ever attended his show at Pausa, you’ve likely felt the energy and emotion he pours into every note. His saxophone comes alive, and the sound resonates through your seat.
Thomas Marinaro Quartet performing at Pausa Art House
As for what keeps him in the classroom, he emphasizes: “It’s the students.” He explains, “It’s the excitement from the kids and their desire to figure out how to make music. Their energy when they’re knocking my door down, saying, ‘Let me in there. I want to be in band.’ That’s pretty cool.”
For any student who is interested in pursuing music teaching as a career, Mr. Marinaro offers this advice: be willing to fail, and often. He compares students to infants learning new things: “You’re going to fall on your face. Those who accept that and grow from it usually become great at whatever they strive to do.” It’s a philosophy he lives by. Through years of practice, performance, and teaching, Mr. Marinaro has embraced every challenge with humility and heart. “You have to walk the walk,” he says. “If I tell my students to practice, I have to practice, too. Even after years of work, you realize you still don’t know everything. So stay humble, work hard, and do it because you love it. The concerts may look glamorous, but they take a lot of effort, and leading others through that takes even more. Be ready to embrace the challenges that come with the journey.”
Page updated
Report abuse