perrymusicrocks
Perry High School
Lima, Ohio
PERRY HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Our Directors
Mike Parent
5-12 Bands, 7-12 Choirs
Mr. Parent is in his 10th year of teaching at Perry High School and his 16th year of teaching overall. He is a graduate of Elida High School and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he was a charter member and the first president of the nationally acclaimed Miami University Steel Band. Still active as a musician outside of his duties at Perry, he performs regularly playing drumset for the classic rock/country group, The JiveTurkeys, playing cajon for the 60s/70s acoustic trio Acoustic Groove, playing steel pans with his own island band, Sojourn Steel, and playing drumset and/or percussion as part of the worship band at Shawnee Alliance Church. He has also performed with the Lima Symphony Orchestra and Middletown Symphony. He has composed and arranged music for numerous marching bands, indoor drumlines and show choirs over the years for several schools throughout Ohio, Iowa and Minnesota, and has directed indoor drumline programs that have competed in both the WGI and MEPA circuits.
Bob Freisthler
K-6 General Music, 5-6 Choir
Mr. Freisthler is in his 19th year of teaching at Perry Local Schools and his 37th year of teaching overall. He is a graduate of Botkins High School, The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. During his time at Ohio State, he performed with James Levine and the Cincinnati Symphony, Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony and Alice Parker with a "Celebration" for the bicentennial in 1976. He has been a member of the Lima Symphony Chorus for 10 seasons, was a church choir director for 25 years, held the position of OMEA District III Honors Festival chairperson for 2 years, was the assistant director of the Lima Rotary Boys Choir for 2 years, was an original member of the Robert Mix Choral Ensemble and has been a guest instructor for the Disciples of Christ Christian Church of Ohio's Annual Conference for 6 years, teaching classes about contemporary music: "Christian Music You Won't Find In The Hymnal".