Steve Finch Leaves
Big Shoes to Fill
Steven Finch is set to ride off into the sunset after a fine 21-year career as a music teacher at Huntington High School. He’s set to retire this month and he’ll be missed by his colleagues and students alike.
Mr. Finch came to Huntington with a sterling reputation as a secondary grade level teacher and conductor of college, community and even professional music ensembles. In addition to his work at the high school, he has served as music director at St. John’s Church, director of the Huntington Men’s Chorus and director of the Choral Society.
“Steve brought tremendous knowledge, talent, experience and professionalism to our choral program,” said Joan R. Fretz, district director of fine and performing arts. “The learning experiences our students have every day are like priceless master classes.”
Described by colleagues as a “true professional,” Mr. Finch will be hard to replace. He has brought the choral program to new heights and the successful candidate out of the 130 who applied to replace him will have big shoes to fill come September.
“Two words come to mind immediately when describing Steve,” Mrs. Fretz said. “He is a scholar and a gentleman. I’ve come to believe that Steve the scholar has the entire ten volumes of the Grove’s Dictionary of Music on a microchip in his brain. That’s 10,000 pages of music information. One has only to attend a concert to enjoy the breath of his knowledge as he educates the audience about musical styles, the life and work of composers, and then translates the text for us all to enjoy. His scholarship extends to countless topics – photography, acoustics, philosophy, carpentry, construction, gardening and just about anything that interests him.”
The soon-to-be retiree is known as a soft-spoken gentleman, exceedingly polite and with a large degree of dignity ever present. Students have appreciated the respect Mr. Finch has displayed toward them, including reluctant or struggling singers. One of his trademarks is making everyone feel appreciated and valued.
“I know he has accomplished his goals at Huntington High School,” Mrs. Fretz said. “In 1988, in his written screening for this job, he wrote, ‘Most important, however, is that to the individual student, the program provides a caring, committed environment in which to grow personally through singing. They are offered the opportunity to develop musical and interpersonal skills which they can carry through their lives.’ He went on to say, ‘I believe that I would be described as a person of enthusiasm and energy who instills a love for the beautiful through musical insight and humor. A dedication to musical excellence combined with a concern for the well-being and growth of individual students.’” Today, 21 years later, no one at Huntington High School would disagree.
As for the future, Mr. Finch will spend more time with his wife, Irene, but few expect him to sit idle for long. He has too much energy and too many interests for that to occur.
“We love you Mr. Finch – for being our special scholar and gentleman,” Mrs. Fretz said. “You are what matters most to us: A true, noble and amazingly humble friend. All of your students and colleagues will miss you greatly. ”
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