Since the establishment of the West High band program in 1969, it has grown and changed, shifting through the hands of different directors. The name most people have grown to associate with the band is ‘Medd,’ due to the 27 years Rich and Rob Medd directed the West High concert and jazz bands together. The Medds recently handed the band program over to two new directors, Ryan Middleton and Brian Zeglis, who have made strides after the retirement of their predecessors.
History
Rob was hired as a West High Band Director 30 years ago, and Rich followed suit two years later. At that time, their goals were to get more students involved and to improve the quality of the program.
We wanted students to have the best experience that they could…and we wanted it to be available to everybody who wanted to be involved…I wanted students to always feel like there was a place for them in the band program.
— Rob Medd
Under their leadership, the band program expanded from one concert and one jazz band each year to the current four concert bands and, at times, four jazz bands. The total number of kids enrolled in the program increased from 85 to 238.
After 27 years of fostering the program together, both Rich and Rob felt it was the right time for retirement. They retired at the end of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, respectively. They will miss teaching music and working with students.
Interviews
Interviews for a new director were held during the spring of 2022, eventually hiring Ryan Middleton. Middleton received a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Northern Iowa, then spent about two years playing in cruise ship bands, before getting his first teaching job at Okoboji High School.
After teaching for three years, he went to Colorado State University for his master’s degree in Wind Conducting. While finishing graduate school, he was hired as the new West High Band Director.
The interviews held the following year, 2023, introduced Brian Zeglis to the band, but he wasn’t a completely new face. Zeglis had played gigs with Rich, been the guest artist for West High jazz bands, and taught the West drumline in the past.
He got his bachelor’s degree in Music Business from Western Illinois University, interned with the Percussive Arts Society, and then went to the University of North Texas for his master’s in Jazz Studies and Drum Set Performance. Coincidentally, he also played on a cruise ship for a summer during his time as a graduate student.
After finishing his master’s, he returned to Iowa and got his teaching certificate at the University of Iowa to teach for 16 years in the Quad City area. Most recently he taught at Davenport Central High School where he was an Associate Band Director until securing a job at West High.
Changes
Genna Ray ’25, one of the drum majors in the West High marching band, has been in band throughout both director changes and experienced the changes firsthand. She described the shift as “aggressive,” not as in hostile, but quick, efficient, and passionate.
It’s a good kind of aggressive, it’s the aggressive that I think our program needs.
— Genna Ray '25
An example of this passion is the open communication between the new directors and the band’s student leadership team for their opinions on what to change and improve. After meeting with the students, the directors formed goals aligning with what was brought up and worked towards them in rehearsals.
One of these goals was taking a more invigorated approach to marching band. The completion of this objective was aided by Zeglis’ previous work with various marching groups, such as the Marching Blue Devil, the Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, and even Davenport Central, which is established in marching.
That is one of the exciting things for me. One of my strengths is teaching the marching band stuff. Bringing that in where it maybe hasn’t been a focal point before, I think, can make a huge difference right off the bat.
— Brian Zeglis
During Heck Week, Zeglis and Middleton reviewed marching fundamentals in-depth and added visuals and new sets to the pre-game performance, which included ‘Tribute to Troy’ and the Trojan Fight Song.
“I’m very excited to have Mr. Zeglis come in because I knew that he had worked with professional drum corps…I think the change [to a] more serious tone is necessary. But also there’s room for us to have fun. Like all the [cheers in the] stands…add a whole new level of unity and fun we didn’t have before,” Ray said.
Her excitement and trust in the new directors is shared by many, including Rob.
“Well, that’s the thing I’m excited for, to be able to see what these guys do with the program. Because I think they’re obviously both extremely capable, so it’s exciting to see what direction they’ll go with things,” Rob said.
Future
Zeglis and Middleton are leading a program with a big legacy, which makes it difficult to make changes. However, due to hard work from the students and the directors, they continue to maintain the work of the Medds while also adding their own touch.
“I remember talking to Mr. Zeglis…about how exciting of a time it is for the band program because it is really healthy and well cared for. But I also think there are some scenarios for growth and improvement as well. It’s a balance of this great program that we’re inheriting but also finding ways to make it our own and to make it meet the needs of all of our students,” Middleton said.
