Frank Stroup, new to the Lincoln Southeast band staff

New to the LSE band staff, Frank Stroup has been teaching for four years. As music is one of his biggest passions, he plays several instruments. Stroup is most experienced at playing the trumpet, guitar and bass guitar, and also enjoys playing the piano, melodica and drums. 

“I chose to become a music teacher because my music teachers in high school, college, and graduate school had a huge impact on me. Band is my avenue to teach music, and I love how diverse it is,” Stroup said. 

He thinks that band illustrates the value of the individual to the group as a whole in a cool way, and that everyone contributes something unique. 

“I student taught at LSE in 2014 and have maintained a good friendship with Mr. Metteer and Mr. Shuda. When I moved back to Lincoln after teaching in Omaha, I knew that if there was a high school opening for band, I would want it to be with them at LSE,” Stroup said, explaining his reasoning for deciding to teach at LSE.

Music has been an important part of Stroup’s life for many years. Stroup said that the most influential person in his life was his first trumpet teacher, Denny Schneider. 

“It may sound lame, but he taught me how to practice, and that was a big deal. I didn’t realize until I was older that he not only taught me how to get better at the trumpet, but he taught me how to improve myself. Denny taught me to identify something I wasn’t satisfied with, figure out how to improve or fix it, and he taught me to develop the persistence and patience to accomplish what I set out to do,” Stroup said. 

With marching season becoming hectic due to this year’s pandemic, Stroup advises band students “to be grateful that we still have the opportunity to make music together. It’s a very special thing that really isn’t possible outside of school.” He also suggests “not to take what you do for granted. There’s a very small percentage of the world’s population that can do what you do, and there’s a bigger percentage that wishes they could.”

Looking into the future, Stroup wants to “invest in [his] family, friends, hobbies and career.” He believes, “It’s never a waste of time to be with those you love and who love you!” He hopes to start woodworking and carpentry as he now has a shop area in his house and to make Sergeant First Class in the Army National Guard before he retires from the military. 

Stroup hopes to keep expanding his musical horizons, and said “I have always been drawn to good beats in hip hop tunes and riffs in rock and metal music. Many times, I would think or sketch out what it would be like to translate that kind of music into a band setting, so maybe I will figure it out one day!”