Wayne Fox

Sarah Ditzler

Sarah Ditzler’s musical journey started when she was just barely old enough to speak and sat at the top of the living room steps with her dad’s cornet saying “one, two, ready, pay (play),” a phrase she must have heard him say often in lessons with his students. In third grade, Sarah started taking cornet lessons from her dad at home and from Dan Hoover at Forge Road Elementary school in the Palmyra Area School District. Little did she know,  one day she’d be playing with Dan in the Perseverance Band! 

From elementary through high school, Sarah participated in a variety of music ensembles and activities, playing the trumpet and singing. She was (probably) the epitome of a music nerd (her words). In 2008, after graduating from high school, she continued to study trumpet with Bill Stowman and Music Education at Messiah College. If Sarah remembers correctly, one of her first performances with the Perseverance Band was sometime during her college years when she joined the trumpet section in a parade.

After college, Sarah continued to play the trumpet and sing (sometimes even while camping, as pictured), and she picked up some concert band conducting, too! She values the experiences she’s had and the wonderful friendships she’s cultivated as a musician in Lebanon and Lancaster counties. Sarah has since also developed a love for teaching students with visual impairments and has since received a Master of Education in it. She is currently a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) with the IU13 when she is not participating in music activities (or…is it the other way around?). 

Sarah looks forward to another season with the Perseverance Band!

Howard Boots

Mr. Howard Boots received a B.S. in Music Education from Millersville University in 1988. He is a retired Master Sergeant with the PA Air National Guard. He served for 24 years with the Air National Guard Band of the Northeast, stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. In his final year of enlistment, he was deployed to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Howard is also a retired band director from the Cocalico School District, where he was employed for 32 years. He has become an in-demand guest clinician, soloist, and/or director for school districts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey.

In addition, Howard is the conductor of the Lampeter Strasburg Community Band, and Flipside Big Band. He plays the clarinet, flute, trumpet, saxophone and tuba and can be found performing in various professional and civic groups throughout PA. Howard is married to a drummer, loves golf, has two dogs, and resides in East Earl, PA

KATHY (CORBIN) SNAVELY

 As a fifth grade student in 1973 at Palmyra’s Pine Street Elementary School, Kathy began playing clarinet in her school band.  She was greatly influenced in her choice of clarinet by her parents watching the “Lawrence Welk Show” every Saturday evening, especially watching clarinetist Henry Cuesta.  Kathy played clarinet during all her school days at Palmyra Middle School and High School under the direction of Fred Otto and Bruce Weaver, who taught her first clarinet lesson.  In high school she participated in district and regional band and orchestra and participated in Pennsylvania All State Orchestra in 1981 as first clarinetist, playing the clarinet solo in “The Pines of Rome.”  Following graduation from Palmyra High School in 1981, Kathy joined  the Keystone Band of Rehrersburg in 1982 and the Perseverance Band of Lebanon in 1983.  She enjoys playing in these two bands immensely, particularly playing all the John Philip Sousa marches.  She has performed continuously with these two historic bands to the present day, spanning  more than 4 decades.  Kathy has also performed with the Ephrata Concert Band, Harrisburg Concert Band and Lebanon Community Concert Band as well as her own church orchestra at Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Lebanon.    

Kathy has worked for 3 decades for Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center as a medical transcriptionist and for the past 5 years worked exclusively for Berks Cardiology, a satellite of Penn State Health.  She previously worked as a medical transcriptionist for Philhaven Hospital.   Kathy resides in Gretna Springs with her husband of 40 years, Irvin.  Kathy and Irvin have 2 adult daughters, Karen Swetland and  Allison Snavely.  Karen can be seen  playing oboe in the Perseverance Band occasionally and playing with the Rehrersburg Band.  Kathy and Irvin also have two grandsons, Luke and Peter Swetland.    In Kathy’s spare time, in addition to performing in the Perse and Rehrersburg Bands, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling with Irvin, spending time with her dog and attending Barry Manilow concerts.  In 1973 as a fifth grader, Kathy would have never envisioned a lifetime of playing clarinet with many great musicians and having music be such an integral part of her life and a lifetime source of enjoyment.