NORTHUMBERLAND -- A longtime marching band director in Northumberland County is being honored this weekend. He is being inducted into the Cavalcade of Bands Hall of Fame in Hershey.
Denny Schnader invited Newswatch 16 to his home in Lewisburg and shows us pictures of his time as Shikellamy High School's marching band director.
"I had it made! I had it made," Schnader said.
Marching Band Director was not only Denny's job for 29 years. It was his passion. Denny was hired in 1968.
"They had a 30-0 football team and they wanted a band director who knew something about marching," Schnader said.
He showed the Shikellamy Braves tough love. He took them to a competition during his first year at the school.
"We won. It was the biggest victory they ever had," Schnader said.
After that, under Denny's direction, Shikellamy became a competitive marching band and started winning a lot. There were usually around 150 kids in the band. By comparison, this year's band was less than half that size. The Braves were chosen to perform at three NFL games, as well as the Fiesta Bowl Parade and the Orange Bowl Parade.
Denny is being honored this weekend. He is being inducted into the Cavalcade of Bands Hall of Fame in Hershey.
"Well, I don't think I should, I think we all should, all the people I worked with," Schnader said.
"It's well deserved and it's long overdue," Chris Minnich said.
Chris Minnich was a member of the marching band and went on to teach percussion for Denny.
"If he asked you to do something it was always for the good of the organization," Minnich said.
Schnader will be inducted into the hall of fame at Hershey Stadium this weekend. The ceremony follows the annual Cavalcade of Bands Marching Band Championships where Shikellamy will compete.