You may not know Dennis Lindsay personally, but you surely know his work.
Perhaps you teared up listening to patriotic music at local Memorial Day ceremonies, your grandparents enjoyed a free concert at the park near Boutwells, you clapped along with the Pep Band at a Ponies football game, or your elementary student was inspired to start music lessons after "the big kids" played at their school. These are just a handful of the events led by Dennis Lindsay, Stillwater High School's Director of Bands.
Mr. Lindsay is the only band director at SAHS, responsible for ensuring that Stillwater's 2,175 high school students have the opportunity to perform in eight different symphonic, jazz, percussion and band ensembles. Comparatively, Apple Valley High School has three staff band directors for 1,900 students - and their music program is often mentioned as a rival to Stillwater's in terms of quality and rigor. Stillwater bands frequently earn top honors at regional competitions and have students selected for Minnesota All-State ensembles.
More importantly, Mr. Lindsay is a source of inspiration for kids who've gone on to study music at prestigious schools like Juilliard, and for those who've chosen other career paths but will carry a love for music and community with them throughout their life.
So the next time you're enjoying the band at a local event, be sure to thank Mr. Lindsay, Stillwater's hardest working man in show business.
Timothy Will