IN Peters Township December 2017/January 2018 | Page 40

BANDING
TOGETHER
The Peters Township
Mighty Indian Marching
Band celebrates 45 years of
striving for excellence.
P
roudly taking the field, the Peters Township Mighty Indian
Marching Band (PTMB) celebrated its 45th year this season.
The PTMB was formed in 1972 under Dr. Robert Dell.
What started as a few members on the field that first year quickly
grew over the years to a whopping 190 members at one point.
The name of the group originated when the band first started,
with Peters Township Indians as the mascot and a small marching
band true to the saying, ‘Though they were small, they were
mighty.” As they gained traction, the group took off, and has ended
up where it is today.
In 2016, the marching band had 142 members, and this year
there are 135 members. “Our enrollment should remain around
this number for now, however we’re ramping up recruitment to
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gain interest and encourage students to pursue music and be a
part of our group upon enrollment at the high school,” says Lorne
Hyskell, current director, in his second year with the PTMB.
Hyskell graduated from Duquesne University in May 2016
with a B.S. in Music Education. The band is also overseen by two
assistant directors—David Fiem, and Charity Shelburg. Fiem is
a recent IUP graduate with a B.S. in Music Education who grew
up in Washington and attended Trinity Area School District.
Shelburg is new to the area, having moved here from California,
but is native to Missouri. She holds several degrees, and has been a
classroom teacher in multiple states.
Any Peters Township students in grades 8 through 12 may join
the PTMB, however different sections have different processes.