|Photo provided by Justin Jones| WPHS Strings Teacher Ben Podolski began at the high school with only six students, and the Ohio County Strings program now boasts over 400 students.

WHEELING – More than 80 former students of “Mr. P,” as he was known by his pupils, will join the strings teacher on the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center stage one last time this Sunday during the Ben Podolski Alumni and Friends Concert.

Three local music educators, each guided by Podolski during their careers, have organized the event to pay tribute to the educator’s impact on string programs throughout the state.

Ohio County Schools middle school and elementary strings teacher Molly Williams, who is one of the organizers, noted that the concert will allow Podolski to celebrate his two passions — teaching and playing the violin.

To kick off the afternoon of music and celebration at 3 p.m., Podolski, a group of his former colleagues, and Laura Grube, who will take Podolski’s place as the new WPHS Strings teacher, will play a quartet piece.

With each ensuing piece, more students will take the stage as the songs played will decrease in difficulty to accommodate the skill levels of alumni.

The event setlist includes Podolski and student favorites, including an arrangement of “Come Together” by the Beatles and a rendition of “Con te partirò” by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto.

The finale song, “Golden Grove,” is a multi-level piece, meaning that it has been composed to be performed by people of varying skill levels, from beginner to experienced.

Marshall County Schools Strings teacher Justin Jones, another concert organizer, noted that former students joining Podolski on the stage will have graduated as recently as this year and as far back as 25 years ago.

“It’s nice to see people who graduated just a couple of years ago to people who graduated more than 25 years ago traveling back into town for the concert,” said Jones. “I think it’s a testament to Ben’s impact that people want to make that trip back into town to be a part of the celebration of the program that he helped create and build.”

Ohio County Schools elementary and middle school strings teacher Kate Hails explained that having the teacher take the stage with former students seemed a much more fitting way to wrap up his career than “just buying him stuff.”

“For Ben to be able to play with former students, from casual players to professional performers, is what he wants,” said Hails. “It’s the best feeling when you have students come back and are still doing what you taught them and loving and honing their craft. For these students to get to come back and play with him again, you can’t re-create this.”

The concert will be conducted by former WPHS band teacher Patrick Garrett, a longtime friend and collaborator of Podolski. The group of Garrett, Garrett’s wife Leslie Garrett and Podolski were instrumental in expanding music programs in Ohio County and bringing the Performing Arts Center to WPHS.

“Frankly, it’s kind of the end of an era for all of us to see him move on,” said Patrick Garrett. “The next generation of folks are going to be wonderful and do amazing things that we could never do in part because of Ben, so that’s exciting too.”

Garrett explained that Podolski was the “last on standing” amongst the music educators who came to WPHS in the late 1980s.

“Ben came to Park very, very green and didn’t even want to be a teacher at first,” recalled Garrett. “He was an amazing, amazing violinist, but was also young and didn’t know what was going on. We (Garrett and his wife) knew that there was something special already, though, when it came to his beliefs and the way he dealt with children.”

When Podolski came to the school, the WPHS orchestra had only six members. The educator finished his career with more than 400 students in Ohio County strings programs. Garrett credits Podolski’s collaborative spirit as one of the reasons for his success in growing the program.

“The teachers in WPHS music programs in the 1980s all had beliefs similar to one another and reached out to each other, and that’s where the magic was made,” described Garrett. “Nobody was trying to step on each other, and that came from Ben because he wanted to collaborate and continued that spirit of collaboration after us.”

Each concert organizer has felt Podolski’s desire to collaborate with teachers and unite strings programs in the state during their time working with him.

Williams, who was taught by Podolski in high school, noted she still seeks out advice from him as a teacher today.

“He’s a well-rounded strings educator, and as I’ve become a professional myself I still ask him things about the violin,” said Williams. “I realize the more I worked with him, the more he has a broad understanding of the whole family of string instruments and is an effective teacher who can adapt to different situations.”

Jones, also taught by Podolski in high school, noted that the educator left him with a guide for a music program at Ohio County Schools that he strived to re-create when beginning a strings program at Marshall Country Schools.

“He is a forward-thinker, and one of his greatest attributes is that he doesn’t just look at himself or his program — he’s looking at the county-wide program,” said Jones. “He’s looking at the big picture and seeing it for its overall value, not just one element.”

For Hails, who was a student-teacher under Podolski, the teacher’s legacy stems beyond the county to strings programs throughout the state. She noted there would be no All-State Orchestra program without Podolski.

“There are a lot of former student-teachers of Podolski’s who are teaching in Martinsburg and down in Virginia and Maryland,” added Hails. “He’s just very instrumental in that he can reach out to any of our student-teachers and touch base.”

With more than 80 former students dusting off their violins and cellos to play at the concert, Jones noted the event will serve as a demonstration of the legacy and impact Podolski has left on strings programs throughout the state.

“I think that having a gathering of his friends, family and students is a culmination of what music is — being together and creating an experience that people are going to remember,” said Jones. “I think this will summarize his career and encompass everything his music education and experience helped create.”