P'burg music teacher ends long career with flourish Sunday, May 21, 2006 • By Dustin Schoof • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | Music teacher Neil Boyer took his final bow Saturday, capping more than three decades conducting the Phillipsburg High School Band. "I'm speechless. I don't know what to say other than thank you," Boyer said at the high school band's 75th anniversary celebration concert. The High School Band Boosters held a surprise celebration for Boyer, who will retire next month after 35 years of conducting hundreds of aspiring young musicians. "The past 35 years have gone very fast, but I'll always remember the kids," Boyer said. Tears streamed down his face as he hugged his daughter Amy, who flew in for the event from her home in Seattle. A discrepancy over the size of her carry-on bag (which contained her father's present) almost made her miss out on her father's celebration. "I got a little worried. They told me it was too big," she said. Addressing the crowd, a shocked Neil Boyer said "I really wasn't expecting this. It's a very big surprise, to have my family and daughter here. It was very touching." Boyer was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd inside the high school's auditorium before leading the band through concert favorites such as "Fanfare of the Bells," "Brass Brilliante, "Funiculi Funicula" and "Flight of the Flutes." "He definitely deserves his retirement; he's put in a lot of long, hard years. We're just really excited and happy for him," said Boyer's son Adam. Former students from around the country also made the trek to Phillipsburg to show their appreciation for the person who made a significant impact in their lives, including former student Michael Thatcher. "He got us involved in playing in bands and playing taps for soldiers at memorial services. Someone who spends 35 years in education deserves some recognition at the end of their career," Thatcher said. Michele Tucker made the trip from Durham, N.C., to pay tribute to the conductor and share some of her favorite band stories and memories with her classmates, some of whom she hasn't seen since graduation. "For me, in high school, band was my social life. Mr. Boyer was a good instrument in guiding us in all that. He's dedicated a lifetime to helping kids. It's a good reason to get back and catch up with people and thank him." Boyer's passion for music also made an impact on his own children's lives. Like his father, Adam Boyer played trumpet in elementary band before moving behind the drum kit in high school -- "much to my father's dismay," he said. "In our own way we've all done something with music," he said. After receiving his bachelor's degree in music education from Mansfield State College in 1971, Boyer was hired by Phillipsburg High School. "I couldn't believe it, he's been in this job a large majority of his life. It's been a wonderful experience for him. Not too many people stay in a job as long as he has," Amy Boyer said. During the ceremony, Neil Boyer was presented with a plaque, a "memory book" submitted by former band students and a trip to a bed and breakfast in Louisville, Ky. The band was originally scheduled to perform at the Kentucky Derby but had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts. Upon hearing the news of Boyer's retirement, boosters President Anthony Pizzino said he "was sad and happy. Happy to know he can retire at an early age. I was sad because it was an end of an era, the Neil Boyer era," Pizzini said. Dustin Schoof is a news assistant and can be reached at dschoof@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used with permission.