To know Dick Wiggenhorn’s history of music, one would have
to go back to his 8th grade friend, Fred Miller, and his need for
a drummer in the orchestra at St. Mary’s Elementary School in
East Dayton. Dick tried to explain to Fred that he knew nothing
about playing drums, and Fred downplayed it completely, telling
Dick he only had to hit the bass drum on the beat with the orchestra.
And there his music career began!
He took lessons after school every day at the Catholic school, and during the summer took lessons at Hauer Music Store in downtown Dayton.
When Dick entered high school, he had no intention of becoming a member of the band, but one of the drummers was ill the night before a football game and Dick was asked to replace him. His music career began to progress rather rapidly. By his senior year, he was a member of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. In those days, rules were very strict, and unfortunately, his band director called for a rehearsal on a night he had a concert with the orchestra. His band director told him if he didn’t show up at practice, he was done; Dick had to make the difficult decision to drop out of the orchestra. His drum teacher then turned him onto a big band that needed a drummer, and Dick got that job.
From then on, he worked with many bands in the Dayton area. When he started college, he was majoring in Engineering, but soon found his passion to be music education and switched gears. Upon graduation, Dick took a job in Fairborn as a general music teacher with grades 1-6. The next year he was in instrumental music. Dick also taught in Fairborn for 7 years, and while teaching in Fairborn, he started teaching percussion at the University of Dayton. And also while at Fairborn, he started working on his master’s degree at OSU, which led to him working as director of the University of Dayton marching band. After 4 years, he left the University of Dayton, to head to Wayne Township Schools as their Music Supervisor.
The band in Wayne was very small (30 members), when he went to the first practice before the Independence Day Parade of 1964, and yet, by the time he retired in 1987, the band numbered 200! He was the 3rd band director hired to further develop the Wayne band program, which began under the direction of Florence Mayer from 1959-1963, then Donald Wilkes from 1963-1964.
In 1979 his band won the contest at Riverfront Stadium, featuring bands from all over Ohio and Kentucky. That performance win opened the door to future performance invitations to perform at Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals games. Additionally, in the 70’s, Wiggenhorn developed a Festival of Bands, entitled Halftime USA, which endures to this day.
Dick Wiggenhorn is currently an active percussionist for the Impossibles, a 5-piece band that entertains throughout the community. He is an icon in the Huber Heights community, where many of his former students have gone onto greater achievements in the field of music and music education. He has touched many lives through his efforts, dedication and commitment to the schools, music, community, civic and religious organizations.
Dick and his wife Mary, who has
supported his dreams and desires for
many years, will celebrate their
55th wedding anniversary in 2010!
Richard G. Wiggenhorn
Music Director
1964-1987
WARRIOR BANDMATES
Personal Bio
Director of Bands Wayne High School Huber Heights, Ohio
You are listening to Richard Wiggenhorn's compostion and arrangement of the opening
"Indian Fanfare" to the Wayne Warrior "Fight Song" still played by the Wayne Band to this day.
