After 38 years, Todd Schreiber is about to take his final bow.
Schreiber is retiring at the end of this school year. He’s been Whiteford Agricultural School District‘s K-12 vocal music instructor since the 1988-89 school year.
The district’s music/theater program hopes Schreiber’s past students will attend three upcoming events: an April 18 retirement party, May 18’s high school choir concert and Schreiber’s final theater show. “Fiddler on the Roof” will be staged March 20-22 on the high school stage which, last year, was named the Todd R. Schreiber Stage.
A dedication plaque says, in part, “Mr. Schreiber has given our Bobcats the chance to grow in their confidence, discover their voices and shine in the spotlight. To say our beloved ‘Schreibs’ is an influential educator would be an understatement.”
“Fiddler on the Roof” was supposed to be staged six years ago, but then the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We were shut down two days before tech week. So, we thought we would take care of our unfinished business,” said Sharon Van Loocke, Whiteford Musical Theatre’s producer/co-director.
In 2003, Van Loocke, Schreiber and tech director Pastor Rick Deisler brought theater back to Whiteford after more than 25 years. Their first show was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
“The three of us have worked side-by-side for the last 23 shows. We will end together with 24 shows under our belts,” Van Loocke said. “Vikki Aitson, our costume director, will also be retiring. She began assisting in 2009. Our hopes are that the Musical Theatre program will continue under the musical direction of whomever they hire to replace Mr. Schreiber.”
Schreiber has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. He’s directed state choirs and served as an accompanist for workshops and conferences. Since 2001, he’s been the district manager for Michigan School Vocal Music Association and was the organization’s 2013 Teacher of the Year.
Schreiber also directs Muskingum University’s Summer Musical Theater Camp and the Bowling Green State University Summer Music Institute Musical Theatre Camp.
At Whiteford, Schreiber leads Christmas concerts and the annual Spring Concert, which calls up alumni in the audience. He holds the elementary Music Olympics, which led to the 2008 publication of his book “Olympic Games for the Music Classroom.”
Schreiber also coaches Whiteford varsity and junior varsity cheerleading and serves as the junior class advisor.
Schreiber said he’ll miss “so many things” about Whiteford Schools.
“Clearly, I will miss the amazingly talented students and the program we have built together over the years, in addition to the incredibly supportive administration, staff, community and alumni,” Schreiber said. “A lot of traditions have been established over the years: the elementary Christmas program, drawing haunted houses, Music Olympics, sixth-grade videos, attending district/state music festivals, Honors Choir, Snack Thursday, performing outstanding musicals and the countless trips to Chicago, Toronto and New York City, to name a few. I will definitely miss the feeling of ‘home’ that was established from day one.”
Schreiber is hoping for a less busy schedule.
“I am looking forward to not having a schedule, but the universe will fill it up somehow,” he said. “I plan to travel and have time to visit friends and family. I will probably start some new TV binges as well, and I’m looking forward to some home renovations.”
“Fiddler on the Roof” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. March 20-21 and at 2:30 p.m. March 22 at Whiteford High School, 6655 Consear Road. Tickets range from $10-25. The public is welcome.
For more information about Schreiber’s retirement party and his last high school concert, email [email protected].
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at [email protected].
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