Artist Spotlight - Chuck Heck
As we gear up for another school year, we chose to feature a music educator as our Artist Spotlight. Chuck Heck is going into his 44th year of teaching at Indian River School District as the high school wind ensemble director, high school jazz band director, lesson instructor and K-12 music coordinator. Mr. Heck started at Indian River in 1980 just after graduating from Crane. Though he had plans to eventually find a position in Rochester, the passing of his father kept him in the area, as he decided to take over his father’s position at Indian River School District.
Chuck himself was a graduate of Indian River and has lived in the area all of his life. His music interest started with percussion, but eventually moved to trumpet, then tuba, but he also finds himself playing upright bass and bass guitar for pit bands or other ensembles. He recalled learning bass by playing along to his first album, James Taylor’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. But as a music educator, Chuck can hold his own on clarinet and saxophone.
One special musical moment in his life was getting the opportunity to play for the 1980s Winter Olympics in Lake Placid due to his enrollment at Crane School of Music in Potsdam. He recalled getting the opportunity to play the Star Spangled Banner on the ice when the USA won a gold medal.
Mr. Heck came close to retiring at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year but decided to put it off at least one more year so that he could help coordinate the return of their 5th grade band program, which was dropped about 16 years ago. Due to its close proximity to Fort Drum, Indian River School District has gone through many changes since Chuck first started. He was there as the population increased from 1400 students to nearly 5000, which spurred the creation of a middle school, then a primary school, and then an intermediate school, as well as the complete demolition and rebuilding of their performance space. Fort Drum’s close proximity also means that there is a constant revolving door of students who come to check from all different levels and unique experiences. Mr. Heck commented that you truly have to be a part of it to understand what it is like.
Recently, Chuck Heck was awarded the Outstanding Music Educator Award from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), which only receives one nomination from each state. He attributes this recognition toward his membership in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) over the past 43 years as well as his coordination of Rochester and Eastern conferences.
When asked to talk about the positives of the community he has served, he said that there is so much talent. And one of the great part of Northern New York is that, “we don’t have the hustle and bustle that some of the cities would have” which in-turn creates more time and opportunities.
When Mr. Heck retires he says he plans to see his children and grandchildren more, travel, ski, and go to the Monterey Jazz Festival in California.
If you are looking to learn more about Chuck and you have a subscription to NNY360, we highly recommend checking out the article linked below.
