by David Miller
Loveland, Ohio – Watch this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV VIDEO that was shot in the Spring of 2014 in the waning hours of Bruce Maegly’s teaching career. Maegly and the Middle School Stage Band entertained the young students at the Loveland Early Childhood Center just before his retirement. Maegly was one of the most all-time beloved Loveland school teachers who retired that week after 35 years.
He was the founder of the Loveland Middle School Stage Band.
The Stage Band started the first year Maegly taught in Loveland when he was approached by then, principal, Jack Wood about playing for a basketball tournament they were hosting at the old middle school. “So, I put up a sign on the bulletin board inviting people to come in,” Maegly said. They started by learning three pieces of music for the tournament and played three pieces over and over all day long. “The night of our performance someone came up and said, ‘Hey. What’s this group called.” Maegly’s answer was, “Uh… I don’t know…. Uh… The Stage Band.” He explained it was because that is where they were playing, “On a stage.” And, that’s how it started forty-one years ago and it’s still going on. Later, former Loveland High School principal, Tom Hausterman invited Maegly to start what would become the Jazz Band. Two years later there were two jazz bands at the high school.
In 2012, Maegly was honored by the Hamilton County Education Foundation as a Teacher of the Year. At the time of the award, Loveland Middle School Principal, Chris Burke said, “Very few teachers have the ability to impact as many lives as Bruce Maegly does on a regular basis. Bruce leads hundreds of students on a daily basis to grow and achieve success. Teaching multiple periods of large group bands, in two different buildings, Mr. Maegly has the ability to reach more students on a daily basis than just about anyone in our district. When you add the fact that he expertly and skillfully engages these groups every day it not only makes him deserving of this reward but invaluable to Loveland.”
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Goodbye Mr. Maegly from Loveland Magazine on Vimeo.
