Kathy McIntosh never dreamed she’d be the band director at her alma mater.
She is, though, and this month will be recognized as the Troy schools Teacher of the Year by the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce.

The 1983 THS graduate headed off to Morehead State in Kentucky, where she received a bachelor’s degree in music education.

After college she returned pretty close to home, working in the Covington village schools for a decade. “I learned a lot there. It was a great community,” she said.

She taught band and general music and started a choir, the first since the 1950s.

On the last day of school in her 10th year at Covington, she received a call about an opening for an assistant with the Troy schools band. The application deadline was the same day. She applied and was hired.

“In my wildest dreams I would have never imagined that I’d be back here,” she said.

In 2007, she became Troy’s director of bands. This is her 18th year with the district, now also serving as music department head. She also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Wright State University and has a principal’s license.

Band is about more than music, McIntosh said.

“My philosophy about band is maybe different. I believe every kid deserves to be in band if they want to,” she said. “I want them to be a part of a group, learn life skills, keep track of their stuff and treat it with respect. In a music group you want everybody to be as good as they possibly can because you all are reaching for the same goal. “

The music also is a way to help students be good citizens, she said, adding the bands are a great public relations vehicle for the schools.

The members are reminded of that when they are representing the schools locally or perhaps on one of the bands trips to London or coming up in the spring, Toronto. “We talk about that … They represent the community. What they do is reflected all the way back to Troy, Ohio,” McIntosh said.

She works with hundreds of students in the music programs each year.

Those kids, she said, are definitely her favorite part of the job.

“I like the sixth graders when they are all excited about learning. I like the high school kids. They keep me up on things. Because I don’t have kids of my own, they are kind of my kids,” McIntosh said.

She attributes her success to hard work. “I’m not sure I was ever the best musician. I am not sure I was ever the best teacher, but I believe in hard work … I just work and work and work to try to do the best I can.”

She called teaching a great profession adding, though, it has fallen on hard times in some areas. “There is a lot of disrespect for teachers so it is nice that you teach someplace where you are appreciated for what you do,” McIntosh said. “That is not just me. It is for everyone involved.”

 

McIntosh leads the Troy High School Band at a recent football game