Will Forbes (right), the new STC Band Director, spent his Monday evening building new relationships with students and their parents at an open house. With plenty of pizza to go around, the event was a success for the band. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

More than 30 South Tama County band students and parents stopped by the high school Monday evening to meet Will Forbes, the district’s new 7-12 band director, during an informal open house organized by retiring director Mike Carnahan.

The event was an opportunity for students and families to introduce themselves before full marching band activities begins later this summer

Carnahan said he wanted to make sure students weren’t walking into band camp with a complete stranger on the podium.

“I didn’t want the students to show up at marching band camp not knowing who their director was,” Carnahan said. “I wanted everyone to have a chance to meet.”

Forbes shared that accepting the job at South Tama felt like finding a school that reminded him of where he grew up.

A graduate of Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High School in western Iowa, Forbes comes from a small-school background and said that immediately stood out during the hiring process.

“The more I looked into it, I started to realize this is the type of school I grew up in,” Forbes said. “I really value connections with students and building relationships. Through college, that’s something I found I really loved about teaching.”

Forbes recently graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in music education. While at Iowa State, he performed in the university marching band, concert ensembles, and trombone studio while gaining classroom experience throughout all four years.

Although he’s only recently accepted the position, Forbes said the transition has been made much easier by Carnahan, who is retiring after 27 years directing South Tama’s band program.

“Mike reached out and told me that whether I got the job or not, I could always call him with questions,” Forbes said. “He’s been great because I’m not being left with nothing.”

Rather than stepping away immediately, Carnahan has spent the past several weeks introducing Forbes to students, helping the marching band prepare, and even giving him a tour of the community.

“He showed me around town, introduced me to people, and recommended places to eat,” Forbes said. “He’s been really good about helping me get acclimated while also making sure this is my program moving forward.”

Forbes also credited choir director John Loos and middle school band director Terea Smith for helping answer questions as he settled into the district.

With introductions being made, the STC band now looks ahead to their fall marching band show. Despite the new face in charge, the band marches on.