Tom Heinick’s resume includes factory worker and sandwich shop assistant manager, but as the next phase of his life looms, his crowning achievement is undoubtedly the 33 years he spent guiding the Palmerton Area High School music program.

Set to retire at the end of the 2020-21 school year, Heinick oversaw Palmerton’s jazz, concert and marching bands, and helped mold students who would perform at the district, regional and state band competitions.

“Directing the bands has been very rewarding,” Heinick said. “When we had a jazz band, we reached a high level of accomplishment and the kids played with great energy. The jazz band became a group that bands from some of the other schools looked up to when we went to jazz festivals. The concert band rebounded from the low enrollment of a few years ago, and amongst all the fun the kids had in rehearsal, we also performed some pretty powerful music, and having audience members report that they are moved by a performance is always gratifying. And in marching band, I will miss the enthusiasm, joy and camaraderie the members always have, and their willingness to go above and beyond to achieve common goals.”

Growth and improvement of the bands was the key during the first half of Heinick’s career. Those efforts have paid dividends in the 2000s.

“Due to unfortunate circumstances, the program declined during the early 2000s, but we stuck with it, planted lots of seeds, and the efforts have blossomed nicely in recent years,” he said. “I am also very proud of the students’ accomplishments, both in ensembles and individual.”

Under Heinick’s tutelage, Mitchell Hourt, who graduated in 2020, was named to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Wind Ensemble two years in a row. Hourt is now attending Moravian College and hopes to become a music teacher himself.

“Mr. Heinick is a big reason why I hope to become a teacher,” Hourt said. “He’s meant so much to the music program at Palmerton. He brought the band back from the ground up. I think his biggest attribute is that he truly cares about his students.”

In 2009, Palmerton was left without a marching band. After a five-year absence, Heinick reached out to students in an effort to revive the band. The marching band grew to 18 or 19 students and was 50 members strong by the time it played at Walt Disney World in 2018.

“When the marching band was missing for five years, I think that created quite a hunger for it,” Heinick said. “Having no band at football games just felt empty, and a hometown band is certainly an important component of local events like the Halloween parade and Memorial Day. The support of the board, the administration, the community, our amazing parents group, along with having eager and enthusiastic students all contributed greatly to the band’s recent success.”

The return of the marching band and the efforts of Heinick, Hourt said, helped bring back “Bomber Pride.” Palmerton’s board of directors knows they are losing a key member of the district.

“(Tom) was a major reason students wanted to join the band and he really stuck with it when there wasn’t a whole lot to stick to,” director Sherry Haas said.

Tammy Recker, fellow school board member, said Heinick was her partner at every faculty meeting when she worked for the district.

“He was voted best hair by the faculty over a decade ago and I still think he has one of the best sets of hair in the music industry,” Recker said. “He’s a friend and someone who taught me the ropes and taught my daughter how to play the drums. We’re going to miss him around here.”

Hourt also recalled how far Heinick would go to ensure his students the best opportunities to succeed.

“I can remember a time when I was doing a drama club show the night before one of my district band auditions and he came backstage to ask me if I had any original music to play for the audition,” Hourt said. “I didn’t and I still don’t know exactly what he did, but I think he drove somewhere to get me original copy for that audition. His legacy will no doubt be everlasting.”

Heinick not only taught in the district, he and his family called it home since 2003. That gave him the opportunity to be part of his children’s musical lives.

“We even shared the stage many times and that’s a great memory I’ll always have,” he said.

His wife, Marcia, who Tom called the most incredible supporter of both him and the music program in Palmerton, also works in the district as a member of the support staff.

“She has graciously allowed me to spend however much time I needed to keep things going, and has been incredibly helpful along the way,” Tom said. “I can only hope to be as supportive of her, as she continues to work while I lay around the house binge watching Netflix.”

School music programs, like many extracurricular activities, have taken a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. While that impact may last a few years, Heinick said, the bands can see continued success with the support of the school and the community.

“It’s also very important for parents to allow and encourage their children to participate,” he said, “and for the parents to be actively involved in the process, starting in elementary school.”