HURON — For its first inductee, the Huron High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame’s committee made the easiest decision that it is likely to make…ever. It took one nomination and one vote to select Milo Pietz as the first inductee into the newly created Hall of Fame.

For the first time ever, the Huron High School Foundation will take steps to recognize the abundance of talent that has roamed its stages, debate halls and rehearsal rooms, during a “For the Love of Fine Arts” show at 2 p.m. on Sept. 14, in the Huron High School Auditorium.

The show is free, however, there is a free will donation station, with proceeds earmarked for the FAHOF.

A gala concert - with participants who will likely be inducted in the future as well - will culminate with the induction of Pietz, who taught choral music for 25 years at Huron High School, as the first person to be included in the HOF.

But teaching and directing were not where he saw his life headed as a young man growing up on the family farm near Tripp, a small town almost directly south of Huron.

“I was going to be a farmer,” Pietz said. “Teaching wasn’t even on my mind. My original goal was actually to become a veterinarian. But I went away to a church school in Wisconsin and while I was there, thoughts of becoming a pastor crossed my mind.”

He met his wife-to-be, Donna, and he said his thoughts changed again.

“I was active in music in school,” he recalled. “Everyone in my family sang – and sang very well. I never thought of being inclined to music, but it was very important, no doubt.”

It was at Dakota Wesleyan University that he made the decision to dive into music and education, with thoughts of becoming a choral instructor and director.

“Music is such an integral part of life; music is all around us all the time…embrace it,” Pietz said. “It was my goal each year to instill a love of music in my students and share the different styles available.”

While Pietz has been influential on hundreds of young musicians, he was influenced early in his life by a math teacher and choral director named Stan Arlton.

“He was a perfectionist and somewhat I guess you would say, eccentric,” Pietz said. “But he had a background in and a true love of music. Math and music go together well; I always like math but Stan Arlton was a perfectionist.”

When Pietz began at DWU, Dr. William Kugel influenced his approach to directing. “I often took a choir to sing at the music educator’s conference in Brookings and one time a conductor from DWU marveled that I was a student of Kugel.”

The conductor noted that while Kugel was very driven, Pietz was the opposite.

“I told him that I didn’t see that,” Pietz said. “I found him to be very sensitive, while also being driven and dramatic.”

Pietz gave an example.

“At that time nearly everything was done a cappella (without musical accompaniment),” he said. “Once we were in place, pitch was given and Dr. Kugel would be in the back of the hall somewhere. He would begin to make his way toward the stage and you never knew when or where he was going to give the downbeat. You had to be ready.”

Pietz said he never utilized that particular discipline, but agreed that it was a great tool to make sure the choir was ready and paying attention.

Prior to coming to Huron in 1967, Pietz taught music and German in Gregory. He earned his BA from DWU, his Master’s degree in Music from USD and has done additional studies at Montana State, Northern State and SDSU.

During his teaching and directing career, he was presented the S.D. Outstanding Music Educator Award, which is presented by the National Federation Interscholastic Music Association, received the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s Distinguished Service Award, won the Outstanding Achievement Award from the S.D.-American Choral Directors Association, and the Outstanding Community Service Award by the Masonic Lodge of Huron.

Pietz also was presented the Hineni (Here Am I) Award for his volunteer service, from First Presbyterian Church in Huron, where he directed the choir for more than 30 years.

Since his retirement, Pietz continues to be involved as a judge at regional music contests, as a guest clinician, and has worked musically with several area Hutterite communities, when it doesn’t cut into his walleye fishing time.

Awards are great recognition from one’s peers, but the best measure of a teacher may be the long term effect his influence has on his students.

Several of those students will be on stage Sept. 14, returning to the auditorium where their musical journey began, under Pietz’s watch.

Mike Whitney – Class of 1977. “Milo was absolutely the best teacher,” Whitney said. “He cared about each and every one of his students.”
Whitney said that the enduring influence that Pietz had on him was instilling him with confidence.

“I had played in the band in junior high and was in the choir,” Whitney said. “When I was a sophomore, Milo had myself, and classmates Bruce Felix and Joe Mahowald join the concert choir, which was really unheard of for students so young at that time. But Milo and confidence in us and we gained confidence in ourselves. From that point, every time I walked into an audition for a group in college or wherever, I brought the confidence he instilled in me, with me. I built on the foundation that Milo started with his belief in his students.”

Whitney also recalled a time when Pietz went “above and beyond” what would be standard for a teacher.

“We had a quartet,” Whitney said. “It was myself, along with classmates Bruce Felix, Joe Mahowald and Russ Pietz. Milo really encouraged us, had some practice time with us and even got us music.”

The “above and beyond” resulted in the quartet winning the Springfield Rotary Club’s Quartet Championship.

Callee Bauman Wachter – Class of 2004. “I never had Milo for a teacher or choral director in school,” Wachter said. “But he was often a judge at contests and I took piano from Donna. So I knew Milo and his suggestions always carried a huge amount of weight. I would say that he was Huron’s musical guru. He has touched so many lives.”

One of the lives Pietz influenced has continued to produce ripples throughout music education in eastern South Dakota.

Kelby Fode – Class of 1968. “I was a senior the first year that Milo came to Huron,” Fode said. “Now I hadn’t participated in chorus or anything like that until that year. I sang at home with my family, all of whom are very musical. But Milo so inclusive. I sang in the choir that year and Milo made a connection for me, which led to a scholarship to DWU.”

Fode said he hadn’t thought about teaching music and directing until that moment, but had his eyes opened by the influence of his high school choral director.

After getting his degree, Fode taught and directed at the Huron Junior School and, to bring the story full circle, was the person who stepped in when his mentor retired in 1992.

The ripples keep coming, as Fode has retired from teaching and directing, but both his children are following the path he followed, at Pietz’s urging.

“His influence is huge, over so many students,” Fode said. “Here I am in my 70s and I recently participated in the alumni choir at S.D. Honors Choir. There were so many singers in that group, who Milo taught, or their kids or grandkids. His influence, both as a teacher and personally, cannot be overstated.”

Joe Mahowald (Class of 77) is arguably the most successful musician to graduate from Huron High School. His accomplishments from Carnegie Hall to numerous stages and roles on Broadway are a testament to his hard work, talent and possibly a late game interception by Pietz.

“I remember it was late in my senior year,” Mahowald chuckled, “and I had been down to the guidance counselor, who told me that he believed I would make and excellent auto mechanic. I think he said something like ‘you could make a darn good living working at a gas station,’” Mahowald recounted.

“I was walking back to class and must have had a look on my face. Milo saw me and asked me if I was okay. I told him what the counselor had told me and I will never forget what he did.”

Mahowald said that Pietz grabbed the back of his neck, looked him directly in the eye and said, “I expect to see you singing at the Metropolitan Opera one day.”

“Teachers should be paid like rock stars,” Mahowald said. “Fifteen years later, I sent him a postcard when I landed a role in “Different Fields,” which was produced by the Metropolitan Opera. Milo’s belief in me had a large part in that.”

“Milo is such a great leader of young people,” Mahowald said. “He was interested in all of his students and instilled a confidence in them. Music has a purity to it and you are in control of your instrument. It is highly personal and Milo was hugely influential and encouraging.”

For Pietz, the induction is a prize jewel in his list of accomplishments, but in true Milo fashion, he deflects the attention.

“I don’t feel worthy,” he said. “I was the recipient of so much talent that came through my choir room in my time in Huron. I happened to be there to add what little bit I could, during the brief time we were together.”

Pietz said he is very proud of the success of his former students, whether in the classroom or on the stage. “It does my heart good to see them succeed and the level of their success. That was always my goal – to point them in a direction and give them a few ideas. If I could do that they will succeed.”

As the first inductee, Pietz will receive a special award at the Sept. 14 show, but don’t expect to see another award plaque for his honorariam wall at home. It will be somewhat unusual and hugely appropriate at the same time.

But his name will forever be etched atop the plaque that will live at the door to Huron High School Auditorium, as the first inductee into the Huron High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame.