John Spangler retire
from Freehold Twp. district
Music teachers end long
careers on a high note
David Rhoades,
John Spangler retire
Freehold Township school district music teachers David Rhoades (l) and John Spangler, pictured at their retirement dinner, worked together for more than 30 years.
from Freehold Twp. district
By linda denicola
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Two music teachers who have each spent more than 30 years teaching in the Freehold Township School District are retiring. David Rhoades and John Spangler are not only instrumental music teachers who often combine their bands, they are friends who plan to travel together this summer with their wives, who are also retired teachers in the district.
Spangler is retiring after 34 years and Rhoades is retiring after 32 years. Rhoades teaches at the Laura Donovan School and the Barkalow Middle School; Spangler teaches at the Joseph J. Catena School and the Eisenhower Middle School.
"We are all the best of friends," Rhoades said. "We ski with them, and we are going to take a big trip out west. We share a curriculum, we share ideas. We have separate bands, but join up in the spring to enter band competitions at Hershey’s Music in the Parks Festival. We’ve had very good success over the years. Since 1986, we’ve been rated two ‘goods,’ two ‘superiors’ and all the rest ‘excellent.’ During these competitions we are competing with some of the best bands in the eastern United States."
Rhoades started teaching in Freehold Township in 1971 after serving two years with the Marine Corps band when he was stationed in Quantico, Va., but traveled all over the eastern part of the country.
Rhoades said his two-year stint in the Marines and with the Marine band has a lot to do with the way he is now. He explained that the whole focus of his life had been on music, but said he wanted to get away from that for a while, so he joined the Marines. While he was doing his infantry training, he was recruited to join the band because administrators noticed that his background was in music.
"The last thing in my mind during boot camp was to have to audition for the band, but I think what I learned in the Marines rubbed off on me. I love marches and have a deep appreciation of our country and a great deal of respect for people who serve our country," he said.
Rhoades grew up in western Pennsylvania and came to Freehold after the service to work in catering.
"I found a job as a waiter at [a hotel]. I got a room in a house and by chance found out about a job in the school district. I was in the right place at the right time," he said, explaining that after a few years he met his wife, Mary Ellen, who was a student teacher at the time. She went on to teach fourth grade for more than 30 years before retiring last year.
Spangler also grew up in Pennsylvania and met his wife, Diane, at school. Diane is also retiring this year, after teaching seventh-grade language arts for the past 33 years.
Spangler attended Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pa., and majored in music education. Then he went on for a master’s degree at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Ewing. While he was there, a friend of his from the Freehold area got a job teaching in Freehold Township. The following year there was an opening in the district and he took it.
Spangler said he has enjoyed the trips he has taken with his pupils and seeing them take such pleasure in music.
"It’s very satisfying doing something that you love and sharing that love of music with the students. It’s a thrill when you have a student who really gets into it, when they get to the point in their study of the music where you can teach them more advanced things," the educator said.
After retirement at the end of the month, Spangler doesn’t have any concrete plans.
"I’m going to take it all in and see what comes up. We’ll do some traveling. I will probably start playing the trumpet again and may join one of the community concert bands," he said.
Rhoades said the hardest thing for him right now is letting go, not only of his teaching job, but of the summer program that has been his "baby" for 31 years. The summer program consists of three bands, beginner, intermediate and advanced/jazz band.
"It’s become a tradition in Freehold Township. We bring in a lot of kids. Everyone has to pay tuition, but people who live in the district get free transportation. It was in existence three or four years prior to me. We used to collect a dollar a kid and provided free transportation.
"Now our costs have gone up so we have to charge tuition. We get over 100 kids every year and always hold a program about Aug. 1, which is when this year’s performance will be held at the Laura Donovan School," he said.
Rhoades said he doesn’t plan to sit around, but for the next few months he and his wife are just going to travel.
"We’re going to visit the national parks with the Spanglers, and we’re going hear the Boston Pops in Boston. We’ve been fortunate to be able to travel. A lot of it [has been] with the Spanglers. We are all avid skiers, and we love cruising," he said.
Rhoades said he and his wife plan to join the choir at St. Rose of Lima Church in Freehold Borough. He would also like to do some volunteer work.
Although he was a voice major in college, in high school he played the tuba and clarinet.
"Thank God, my mother and father made me practice in high school. I played anything I could get my hands on. I had very good teachers who really took an interest in me," he said.
Rhoades said his family moved a lot, and he attended many schools.
"Music became an extremely important part of my life. Wherever I went to school, there was a band. All I’ve ever wanted to do was to return to the kids what was done for me. The idea here is that we’re teaching more than music. We’re teaching responsibility, self-discipline and self-respect," he said.
He added that several of his students have gone on to music careers, several joined the Air Force band and some went into music education.
"It’s nice to know that I’m working with the second generation now and I’ve taught some of the faculty members," he said.
Rhoades said he has seen many changes over the past 33 years.
"The district has built two schools and changed the name of three of them. I’ve worked in practically every imaginable space. There have been times when I haven’t had a room to teach in.
"When I first came here, I taught at the West Freehold School. It was the original school. There was a place in the basement through a door that opened up under the stage. It had a dirt floor because it had been the old farmer’s rifle range. I was there for a few months. Each time a new program comes in, the arts are moved to make room for the larger classes. We have to be quite adaptable. Trying to find a place for a big group ensemble is difficult.
"I really feel like I’ve gotten as much or more out of this as I’ve given. It’s been very satisfying to do what I’ve done, and I’ve had wonderful support from my family and the administration," Rhoades said.
Both music teachers agreed that it’s been a very good career for them in Freehold Township.