Mitchell's Ryan Stahle receives SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award

May 21—Eighteen years of doing anything can be a long stretch.

But for Ryan Stahle, director of bands at Mitchell High School, there's nothing else he'd rather be doing, and it shows. The Mitchell High School and University of South Dakota graduate has shepherded his students and programs through a number of different challenges and helped them find their share of success along the way.

And he was recently recognized for that work by the South Dakota High School Activities Association by naming him a recipient of the SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award. The honor was a bit of a surprise, Stahle said recently.

"I was getting my hair cut and started getting a bunch of text messages," Stahle said. "I had no idea I had won that award."

He may not have been expecting the recognition, but his work over nearly two decades teaching music to Mitchell High School students spoke volumes to the award selectors at the SDHSAA. Born in Mankato, Minnesota and a 1992 graduate of MHS and a 1997 graduate of USD, Stahle began his music teaching career at the Farmington High School near Minneapolis before leaving for a business job opportunity in Sioux Falls for a short time.

Not long after that, in 2003, a bit of serendipity played a role in bringing him back to Mitchell, where he had moved with his parents from Mankato just before his eighth grade year. Though he enjoyed his teaching experience in Minnesota, as a recent college graduate, he was unsure if teaching was destined to be his profession.

"(Former band director) Brad Berens was leaving with an administration degree," Stahle said. "It was fate. A friend who was teaching choir tipped me off on the opening and I interviewed for the position in 2003 and I got an offer. It's 18 years coming up this fall."

Starting that year, Stahle soon realized that teaching, indeed, was destined to be his career. In the time since taking the position, the jazz bands under his direction have consistently received high honors, the high school marching band has made the finals of the Sioux Falls Festival of Bands eight times and his symphonic bands are known for receiving consistent superior ratings.

The career shift reinvigorated his passion for music, drawing on inspiration from past high school and college instructors. He especially embraced a love of jazz, a form of music often misunderstood as overly-intellectual or only accessible to those who actually played it. But he tries to instill in his own jazz students the skills needed to be an effective player.

"I played in jazz band in high school and college, and getting those opportunities to solo and learn how to do jazz improvisation were key components in developing that love and interest," Stahle said.

Stahle continues to serve as the state chairman of the South Dakota All-State Jazz Band and is a member of the SDHSAA Music Advisory Committee. He also performs with the South Dakota Jazz Orchestra, and Massive Brass Attack and Main Avenue Warehouse.

Seeing his students excel in jazz music is a wonderful experience, he said. Seven students from Mitchell made the latest all-state jazz band, continuing a tradition of high representation for the school in the event.

"This year we had seven kids from Mitchell, and I find that to be a huge honor. The only school that had more in that organization was Sioux Falls Lincoln, and that's a school of 2,000-plus kids," Stahle said. "We've generally averaged quite a few kids every year that make all-state jazz band, and running the event and having so many of my students there, that is a big accomplishment."

Jazz continues to hold a special place in his heart, but all aspects of his work at Mitchell High School continue to provide satisfaction. This past year, Mitchell hosted the South Dakota All-State Band concert for the first time since 1999, when it was last showcased at the Corn Palace. This past March, the event returned, this time to the district's Performing Arts Center and featured six Mitchell students taking part in the highly-competitive event.

His accomplishments have brought his skills to the attention of other school districts looking to foster success in their own band programs, but Stahle said the combination of teaching at his alma mater, the support of the community and administration and the success he sees in students much like himself when he was younger keeps him in Mitchell.

"There is a high level of parental and community support for music, and then couple that with the administrative support we have — you don't have a multi-million dollar facility (like the PAC) without an administration that values what you do," Stahle said.

Joe Childs, principal at Mitchell High School, said he was glad Stahle is receiving recognition that Mitchell district leaders have known he deserves.

"He is always on the move, working with his students and delivering world-class instruction. In addition to all this, Mr. Stahle has a network that reaches well beyond our state, and because of such, is able to bring clinicians and other high schools to MHS in support of our music programs," Childs said. "This year, he has developed new coursework allowing students to write and record their own music, and during a year of COVID-19, has provided countless opportunities to our Mitchell students. Ryan Stahle has always been our distinguished service winner, the state is just finally getting him the plaque."

Brooks Bowman, SDHSAA assistant executive director and administrator of fine arts, presented Stahle with the award.

"His connections in the jazz education world help him bring in some of the best jazz musicians and clinicians in the country. Schools come from all over the state to take part in the Palace City Jazz Festival because they know that their students will get to learn from some of the best jazz musicians around and they know everything will be run flawlessly," Bowman said during his presentation. "Ryan is a true professional and has made a significant impact on young musicians from all over South Dakota."

Even with the long list of successes and accomplishments, Stahle continues to look for ways to improve his program. The number one priority is growing the number of students who take part in it. The study of music is a rewarding field, one he hopes every student gets at least a taste of during their time at Mitchell High School.

He knows the student potential is there, and past success indicates there are rewards to be reaped by taking part in instrumental music programs.

"The biggest thing I want to do is grow the program. When you talk about our activities, we offer so many things for the kids to do, and yet our student base hasn't grown that much in 15 or 20 years," Stahle said. "A lot of work is being done at the younger levels trying to bring more kids into the instrumental program."

With the latest school year at an end, Stahle said there will be regular work to be accomplished in the summer months before diving headlong into another year full of practice, performance and music. It can be a lot of work, both for teacher and student, but Stahle doesn't take a bit of it for granted. He is getting his chance to work with elements he adores — music and the students who embrace it and want to learn more.

"I'm incredibly grateful to have been a part of that, and (the students) are what keep you motivated and engaged in the activity because they're such a good group of students. They're hungry, they're sponges, they're incredible people to work with. It's been a great ride, and I'm looking forward to the next number of years," Stahle said.