For one of the newest members of the CHS faculty, the high school is the place where his previous students have gone to get taller. Dr. Nick DiSalvio, the new band director at CHS, is excited to move up into his new role.

DiSalvio had previously taught band and other music related classes at Cinnaminson Middle School, but his resume is packed with experience beyond that. According to DiSalvio, he has been playing music for around 25 years. He has participated in numerous bands throughout his career including his high school, college and even professional bands. 

DiSalvio earned his Bachelor’s degree in music education from Rowan University. After two years of teaching at Westampton Middle School, DiSalvio studied at Illinois State University where he earned his masters in music performance. He then moved to Louisiana where he and his wife studied at Louisiana State University and both became doctors of music performance. After earning his doctorate, DiSalvio participated in multiple bands in New Orleans before moving back to New Jersey to teach at CMS, where many students know him from.

Not only has his location in the district changed, but this year he is taking on an expanded role. 

“It’s a busy position,” DiSalvio said. He had to orchestrate summer marching band practices and be brought up to speed at band camp soon after accepting his position. 

In addition, DiSalvio is also teaching a new variety of classes, including guitars, music theory, digital music engineering and production while also conducting the jazz band and participating in the pit for the spring musical.

In his move from CMS to CHS, DiSalvio has recognized both similarities and differences.

“It’s different but in a lot of ways it’s the same,” DiSalvio said. “I feel like a freshman coming to this building. It’s a lot of new but it’s a lot of still kinda the same.”

DiSalvio said he appreciates that in a district like Cinnaminson, he can count on seeing familiar faces in the high school.

“At a regional school I would know [some] but here it’s like, ‘oh’ it’s where all my students went to get taller,” DiSalvio said.

DiSalvio also mentions that he likes the close knit community of the high school, which means he is now able to see the students he worked with at the middle school again. 

“It’s cool that I have former students who are in band or not come in for lunch or just wanna come and say hello,” DiSalvio said. 

Besides teaching new courses, DiSalvio has also had to adapt to new processes, new technologies and different paperwork now that he’s at the high school.

“There’s definitely been some learning as far as how things are done at the high school versus the middle school. [And] high school kids are a little bit different than middle school kids,” DiSalvio said.

One of the biggest changes that DiSalvio has embraced is becoming the marching band director.

“I think it helps to ground me in the district more… when you’re the music teacher and teaching your kind of crop of kids that go to class and leave, but when you’re the marching band director you’re a public face,” DiSalvio said.

As a public face, he said he enjoys seeing and meeting families, administration, the athletic department and students that he wouldn’t typically see without attending football games and competitions.

In his first year at CHS, DiSalvio said he plans on competing in various band competitions with the marching band, collaborating with his counterparts in the music department, and resuming previous plans that got cut short due to COVID-19. Most of all, DiSalvio said he is excited to try new things, challenge both himself and his band students, and “be here in a place where music can really flourish.”