Perrysburg father, son double up

Duo play for PHS, Ohio State alumni bands

9/9/2013
BY MATT THOMPSON
BLADE STAFF WRITER
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    Matt Jender of Perrysburg plays his baritone during the half time performance of the Perrysburg alumni marching band.

    THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH
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    • Matt Jender of Perrysburg plays his baritone during the half time performance of the Perrysburg alumni marching band.
    Matt Jender of Perrysburg plays his baritone during the half time performance of the Perrysburg alumni marching band.

    Bob Jender and his son Matt missed the Ohio State University Alumni Marching Band practice Friday — to instead play together at Steinecker Stadium with the Perrysburg High School alumni band.

    Bob Jender, Matt’s father, stands at the end of the line of alumni band members during Friday’s halftime performance.
    Bob Jender, Matt’s father, stands at the end of the line of alumni band members during Friday’s halftime performance.

    On Saturday, the two were back at Ohio Stadium playing their baritone horns with the OSU Alumni band.

    Each season, Perrysburg has its alumni band join in with the current band for the second home game. The father-son duo was among 30 alumni to join Perrysburg band director Scott Schleuter’s band of 100.

    PHOTO GALLERY: Perrysburg band alumni return for performance

    “It is one of my goals here to have students graduate with an appreciation of the art and want to continue playing and support us,” Mr. Schleuter said. “A few years ago we had a 1948 graduate.”

    Matt is a 2009 graduate of Perrysburg, and his dad, Bob, is a 1978 graduate. They both went on to play in the Ohio State Marching Band.

    “After playing at Ohio State for four years, it is such a different crowd in high school, but it will be fun to remember the high school experience — and not have to suit-up properly,”Matt said

    Matt’s brother, Michael, also played for both bands.

    The Perrysburg alumni band plays the same two songs — “Hang on Sloopy” and “Louie, Louie” — each year during its halftime performance.

    Mr. Schleuter said the third song is always a fairly recent hit because so many band members graduated in the last year or two. “Thriller” was that song this year.

    Mr. Schlueter greatly appreciates graduates who come back to play in the alumni band.

    “It means a lot that they take the time to come back to school,” he said.

    “It shows me that they enjoyed it.”