GILROY
– Joey Fortino will be on an adrenaline high during tonight’s
homecoming game, but not because he’s worried about the competition
on the field. Gilroy High School’s band director will witness the
fruition of hundreds of hours of dedicated work as the 53 members
of the marching band perform their s
how for Mustang fans for the first time this year.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Joey Fortino will be on an adrenaline high during tonight’s homecoming game, but not because he’s worried about the competition on the field. Gilroy High School’s band director will witness the fruition of hundreds of hours of dedicated work as the 53 members of the marching band perform their show for Mustang fans for the first time this year.
However, as the director of GHS’s four bands, as well as the South Valley Youth Orchestra, Fortino won’t slow down after the Mustangs football game.
“He gives tremendously of his time,” Principal Bob Bravo said. “From before school starts, during school, and long after school’s over.”
Fortino directs two central bands – symphonic and wind ensemble – as well as the more advanced jazz and marching bands, for which members of the central bands must audition. The jazz band rehearses before school and marching band rehearses in the evening several nights each week. Fortino also teaches music theory, guitar and directs the South Valley Youth Orchestra, which rehearses once a week.
Fortino prefers to acknowledge the dedication of his students.
“The thing I really love about this job is: no matter what, the students want to be here,” Fortino said. “They work hard, and they always rise to the occasion.”
The band program has become an award-winning source of pride for GHS, with the 53-member marching band consistently outperforming schools in Class A, or bands with 60 members or less.
“All last year we were, with the exception of one competition, scoring ahead of every group in our division, and most in the next division up, too,” Fortino said.
In a Western Band Association competition in Merced last weekend, the marching band placed first in its division while the percussion section – which is one of five scored separately – scored higher than the bands in Class AA, with 61 to 100 members. Class AAA is for bands with 101 to 140 members and Class AAAA bands have 141 or more members.
A 1992 alum of GHS and the marching band, Fortino went on to major in French horn at San Jose State University. He was hired by GHS six years ago after the previous band director suddenly left the program. Fortino was given the job four days before the band was to attend a week-long band camp to kick off the school year.
“On that Monday, we started, and I knew that I had no idea what I was doing,” Fortino said.
The first two years were a learning experience.
“College training and credential training do not prepare you for what you are going to do,” Fortino said. “It was learning how to do all the various things and how to put a good package together. I take the things I know I can do well, and it takes a few years to get that working and get the results of the students.”
Four years later, communication has improved and the program is more stable, but Fortino said it has yet to hit its stride.
“Every year is different, I’m waiting for that feeling to happen,” he said.
Fortino, 29, may feel there’s room for improvement, but the marching band’s solid competition performance shows his methods are striking a chord with students. The Mustangs placed first in five competitions last year and won the Western Band Association field show championships, their first major title in 10 years.
Bravo said Fortino’s students are rising to his high level of expectation.
“I don’t think he’s coming at it, like, ‘Well, let’s try,’ he says, ‘Let’s win,'” Bravo said. “It’s a combination, because having those expectations is only half the story, the other half is to be willing to do the hard work.”
The Mustang marching band will compete six times this season and will host a large competition at GHS on Oct. 25.
Having only been to one show this year, Fortino said he’s not sure how the competition will stack up, but he is not concerned.
“We try to set the bar higher and higher each year and that makes teaching fun,” Fortino said. “Really, we don’t worry about the others so much. It’s just getting the kids to compete with themselves.”
Fortino’s students appreciate his drive.
“He’s really good, he pushes us a lot, but we always rise to the challenge, and I love that,” said senior Joshua Arribere, who plays in the wind ensemble and marching band. “He challenges us and makes us do better.”
Drum major Ronnie Phillips, who conducts the marching band, said that Fortino has a knack for recognizing students’ potential.
“Mr. Fortino is an awesome teacher,” she said. “He pushes you harder than you’ve ever worked before, but you don’t realize it at the time because you’re having fun. You push yourself because he’s pushing you also.”
Fortino will collaborate with his wife on his next project: a second child due early next spring. The couple has a 3-year-old daughter.
The Mustang marching band will perform in this afternoon’s homecoming parade, which starts at 3:15 p.m. at GHS, and at half-time during the varsity football game, which starts at 7:30 p.m. The show, “From the Sands to the Sea,” features music with a nautical theme.
