Paul Droste and scholarship winner Judith Straathof. PHOTO/LISA PETERSON
The Fayette County Ohio State University Alumni Club recently held their annual dinner with Paul Droste, past director of the OSU Marching Band as their guest speaker.
Droste shared many stories and interesting facts about the past, present and future of the OSU Marching Band. About 50 Fayette County OSU alumni and fans were present, including two Fayette County residents who were past members of the OSU marching band. A college scholarship was awarded to future Buckeye, Judith Straathof.
Paul Droste is a native of Fairview Park, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education degree from The Ohio State University where he played baritone horn/euphonium in the OSU Marching, Concert, and ROTC Bands, and trombone in the Symphony Orchestra. He received a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Arizona.
Before joining the OSU School of Music faculty in 1966, he taught for six years in the Ohio public schools of Pickerington and Lakewood. Dr. Droste served as the director of the OSU Marching Band from 1970 through 1983. He was the first former member to be selected as its director. He retired from OSU in 1992 and worked as Educational Director of Colonial Music for the next ten years.
Dr. Droste founded the Brass Band of Columbus in 1984 and directed it for twenty years. Under his leadership the BBC won nine international competitions,performed in England, and produced several recordings. He served two terms as president of The North American Brass Band Association, and conducted brass band clinics for NABBA and Yamaha.
In January, 2007, Paul Droste was named director of the OSU Alumni Marching Band. In addition to concerts and parades in Ohio, he led the Alumni Band on a ten day tour of England in July, 2011.
Droste holds elected membership in The American Bandmasters Association and remains active as a brass clinician, euphonium soloist, and conductor.