DeLong

Port Clinton City School District has selected Sean DeLong, a band director at Ontario Local Schools and graduate assistant at Ohio State University, as the new Port Clinton High School Band Director. DeLong will take over the successful band program from Rod Miller upon his retirement in June. DeLong has mentored the Ontario Local Schools high school and middle school band programs since 2016. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University, was a member of the marching band, and as a graduate assistant at OSU assisted in the administration and instruct of the marching band.

In 2015, he designed and taught the “Sound of Music” halftime show for the Ohio State Marching Band.

“Band has always been a family to me and I am excited to join the Port Clinton band family,” said DeLong. “A band is as unique as the students, school, and community that it represents and I cannot wait join the students and staff at Port Clinton.”

DeLong met his future band members at the Performing Arts Center recently and answered questions from students.

Principal Gary Steyer and the Port Clinton administration met early in March with junior members of the band to solicit their input on qualities and characteristics they would like with the new band director. The list from the leaders in next year’s band was shared with the candidates the staff committee interviewed for the position.

“I’m proud to say that we found the person that we feel our committee and our students were looking for when we started this process,” said Steyer. “DeLong will be a perfect addition to the Port Clinton Music Program. His experiences as an Ohio State Band member, his participation in a variety of professional ensembles, and his teaching experience are what set him apart from the other candidates, making him the perfect person to lead our program.”

Patrick D. Adkins, Superintendent of Schools, said that “We are really excited to welcome DeLong to our Port Clinton Family. Miller has done an incredible job building a band our district and community have come to love and we are confident that Delong will continue this tradition of excellence.”