Once in awhile, we stumble upon great individuals who have great impacts on our lives that can inspire and motivate us just from their demeanor. Michael McEniry is one of those great individuals. Someone who has not only affected the lives of the students that he taught, but someone who showed great integrity among his colleagues and in the music industry at Mason City High School.
In his sophomore year of high school, McEniry had thought about pursuing a career as a marine biologist and possibly joining the coast guard. However, after one time of going to Northern Iowa and being exposed to the trombone with a teacher by the name of John Hansen, he was suddenly,“ turned on” by the music that day.
After college and with his teaching career ahead of him, McEniry went to Osage for two years after two years at Mason, and eventually returned to Mason City.
When he finally came back to Mason City High school as a band teacher, the head director of the band at the time who was Robert Dean, played a big influence on him to become a director himself.
McEniry’s motivation in his teaching really came from sharing the experiences with the students in performing on stage, which led to moments where the audience would experience great emotion.
Over the years, Mr. McEniry learned from another previous head director, Gil Littow, at Mason city on how to become a better teacher with students, and to strive in life to be a life long learner. Here Mr, McEniry went into detail about the many books he chose to read in order to benefit himself with more knowledge, such as a pile of trombone books he pointed to on his desk for him to become a better Trombone player and teacher. No matter what, there is always more to learn in life according to McEniry himself.
Over his 32 years of teaching students in band and in other music groups, including work in the follies with the Jazz band, McEniry commented that he,” will miss working with the kids the most”. The things that he loved the most with the kids would be sharing his experiences with the students while he worked with them. He had also talked to the students about the importance of character, which in his words meant,” doing the right things when no one is looking”. His memories over the years all consisted of working with the wide range of students in all of his teachings of music. He had also stated that his path of music had led him to meet,“ a lot of extraordinary people”, who are both colleagues and students in his life.
A message to the student body that he would like to broadcast would be to, “Stay away from drinking alcohol and drugs, but to instead focus on keeping a clear mind while doing well in class and participating in extracurricular activities.
Mr. McEniry’s plans for the future consists of continuing private brass lessons, being more musically active in his church, and to spend more quality time with his wife Pam, where they will spend time together working out at their acreage.
From looking at what Mr.McEniry has done over his extraordinary thirty two years of service to the high school, it’s safe to say that Michael McEniry is truly The Music Man of Mason City school community who will forever be remembered.