Ashland University director of bands called up as a member of the Ohio National Guard

ASHLAND - The passing of the baton at Ashland University is a temporary transfer, as Ashland's director of bands, Joseph Lewis Jr., fulfills his duty as a member of the Ohio National Guard, while retired College of Wooster director of bands and professor of music education Nancy Ditmer fills in for him at his university post.

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In addition to leading the university bands since the fall of 2017, Lewis Jr. is the commander of the 122nd Army Band in Columbus, which he said is one of the many units in the Ohio Army National Guard.

The governor called the Ohio National Guard, in which Lewis Jr. has served since 2000, into active duty on Jan. 5, 2022.

Since then, "we've been deployed all over the state," said Lewis Jr., having only been given notice on Dec. 31, 2021.

"This is the first time the band has been activated during the pandemic," Lewis Jr. said, adding, members have been assigned "a mix of different things" to do, including patient transport, food service and environmentally related duties.

Lewis Jr. is serving at a COVID testing site in Stark County.

"It has been a different experience," Lewis Jr said.

Although it is "a different way to serve," he emphasized, "It is a great way," and he is honored to take part.

"It's important to help out where we can," he said, pointing out the National Guard deployment is freeing up medical personnel to use their expertise in areas of priority.

In "figuring out how to adjust to the quick turnaround" in his job description, it helped to know he was leaving his band students in good hands.

Lewis Jr., has gotten to know Ditmer through the Ashland Area Community Concert Band

"(Ditmer) is very well-known within the music community," said Lewis Jr., who has also gotten to know her through their participation in the Ashland Area Community Concert Band.

"I know she's going to be fantastic," he said, offering Ashland students "a great experience" as she primarily works with the symphonic band and student teaching observation.

"I'm honored to do it," said Ditmer, whose experience includes serving as past president of the Ohio Music Education Association and North Central Division president of the National Association for Music Education.

When Lewis Jr. called her with the request on New Year's Eve, she didn't hesitate to say yes.

Ditmer has been retired from the College of Wooster since spring 2019, following a 35-year tenure there. She had hoped to use some of her freed-up time in guest conducting and musical performance adjudication; but because of the pandemic, "those opportunities weren't there."

Fortunately, she has had the chance to play the clarinet in the Wooster and Ashland community bands.

"It's nice to be back doing music," Ditmer said of her stint at Ashland University, scheduled at this time to extend into April of this year.

Ditmer: Ashland University community 'extremely welcoming, warm and friendly'

She described her acceptance into the Ashland University community as "extremely welcoming, warm and friendly."

From the moment Lewis Jr. sent out an email announcing her temporary assignment, students began communicating with her by email.

"It has been very heartwarming," she said, praising the "comfortable environment" and the almost seamless transition.

Her first rehearsal with the band was like returning to school after the holidays, she said adding that it meant a lot to her to be introduced to students by the university's choir director, Rowland Blackley.

"I'm really happy to be at Ashland," Ditmer said, and "I think (the students) are having a good time."

For her, "It has been a lot of fun," she said, identifying the only real challenge as "a bunch of paperwork" during the hiring process.

Leading the band hasn't been her only collaboration with Lewis Jr, with whom she has worked on a couple of projects in the past.

Standing in for him with Tri-County Honors Band rehearsals

She is also standing in for him when needed, in deference to his National Guard schedule, in fulfilling his commitment to the Tri-County Honors Band rehearsals and scheduled performance on Jan. 30 in Wooster.

Having been involved with the Honors Band during her entire College of Wooster career, "it is near and dear to my heart," she said, as part of her involvement with public schools' art programs in conjunction with Tri-County Educational Service Center.

This year's event will be special to her as she and Lewis Jr. bring guest and high school bands together.

Most important to Ditmer is honoring Lewis Jr. for his service to the country through the National Guard.

"The students are very proud of him, and so am I," she said.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Retired COW director fills in for Ashland University band director