OBSERVER Photo by Damian Sebouhian Jeff Geblein, who is retiring after his 41st year of being Forestville Central School district’s music director, recently won The Resource Center’s Community Support Award.

FORESTVILLE — Veteran teacher Jeff Geblein recently received The Resource Center’s Community Support Award for his efforts in bringing live holiday music to the centers’ employees and clients.

As director of the Forestville High School band, every December Geblein has brought band members to The Resource Center’s Dunkirk facilities on East Chestnut Street and Lake Shore Drive, and he arranges for Santa Claus and some elves to appear to hand out gifts and candy canes.

“Our groups perform many times during the year, but it’s always a highlight when we get to go to The Resource Centers,” Geblein said as he accepted his award. “The kids look forward to that and the joy that the music that they play and sing brings to everyone.”

Geblein is in his final year of teaching at Forestville Central Schools.

“This is my 41st year,” Geblein told the OBSERVER. “All in Forestville. I’ve been here from the beginning.”

Geblein has taught it all, including the fourth through twelfth grade band program, pit orchestras for musicals, marching band and jazz ensemble.

“I’ve had phenomenal students over the years,” Geblein said. “I love working with them. I couldn’t pick a favorite part of the job. Every day is different and every group, every level of student provides a different challenge and a different reward. Today is a fourth grade beginning day, which is awesome because I get to work with kids from the start. Tomorrow is high school kids. I love working with the concert band and putting on concerts, the marching band when we do parades and football games, jazz ensemble for concerts.”Geblein offered high praise to the Forestville Board of Education for being proactive in finding a replacement for a highly invaluable position.

“Our board of education is extremely supportive of the band program,” Geblein said. “They hired a teacher (Faith Leone) to work with me this year. We’ve gotten to know each other quite well over the last couple of months. I’m mentoring her. We’re co-teaching and next year she will be taking over the program. The kids have taken well to her. She’s going to do a good job and is going to be a really, really good teacher.”

Geblein said that he’s going to miss being around the students after he retires.

“I became a teacher because I love kids. I love working with kids and teaching them music and teaching them about life though music.”

The veteran teacher said that although most of his students don’t go to college for music, “They’ve used a lot of the lessons they’ve learned in band to help them become successes in other areas.”

Geblein’s advice to any student considering learning to play an instrument, is “the only way you can find out if you can play an instrument is if you try it. I don’t allow (students) to say the word ‘can’t’. They can say they’re having difficulty with something, but we’re going to work at it and overcome it. Mistakes are opportunities to learn.”

Geblein, who has five kids of his own, as well as six grandchildren, is planning on spending time with them.

“I have a son-in-law and a son who are in the Army,” Geblein said. “They’re all over the place. My wife and I are going to spend time with the grand kids wherever that may be. Right now it’s Georgia and Texas.”

Jeff Geblein’s parting words of wisdom for all students is this: “Don’t give up. Keep trying. You’ll be a success.”