Fermi Instrumental Music Teacher Named to Top 50 List

Longtime Fermi High School instrumental music teacher Mark Reppucci has been honored in the latest issue of SB&O (School Band and Orchestra) with inclusion in its 18th annual 50 Directors Who Make A Difference Report.

One director from each of the 50 states is selected for the honor.

Reppucci has been teaching for 23 years, including the last 16 at Fermi. He currently instructs about 170 students in the instrumental music program.

Here is a look at his interview in SB&O:

What is your proudest moment as an educator?
I am most proud of the number of students who continue to make music a part of their adult lives in college and beyond. It is also a thrill to turn around at one of our concerts to observe the numerous alumni coming back to visit in the audience and support the current members making music! One of my proudest moments was the marching band performing at the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC, in 2014. We were also invited to participate in the opening ceremony and have our trumpet player’s perform Taps spread-out on Constitution Avenue. As we were lining up before the opening ceremonies I received a tap on the shoulder and turned around…low and behold my high school band director, Ron Christianson, who made a difference in my life, was present visiting at the same parade.

How do you hope to make a difference in your students’ lives?
I used to joke with my students that I wanted to make a difference in their lives through music, whether it was positive or negative: at least they would feel something! The point being that I wanted to affect change through music and cause them to be curious and to take action in making a difference in their own lives. Ultimately I want to elicit an aesthetic experience through music for every student. For them to discover the sheer power of music to express emotion, offer solace, invite community and to bring their mind, body, and spirit together.

What’s the most important lesson that you try to teach your students?
Music excellence demands effort, sacrifice, and teamwork.

Photo credit: Rich Tanguay