Teaching Values that Transcend Music
2025 Finneytown Hall of Fame Inductee Rick Canter
Fresh out of Bowling Green State University, Rick Canter first stepped onto the conductor podium at Finneytown High School (FHS) in the fall of 2000. And as Bob Dylan once sang, “The times, they are a-changin.”
A new era was unfolding. Finneytown band students, grades five through 12, soon learned the joy of playing like a well-oiled machine, while also understanding that it requires discipline, hours of hard work, and, if necessary, a fierce competitive spirit under pressure.
A college drum major and outstanding horn player, the young Canter pulled into Finneytown an accomplished musician. However, Rick had also been a scrappy, co-captain of his wrestling team at Ross High School. Behind that wide, toothy smile burned an inner drive. And it became contagious across the Wildcat community.
From 2000 to 2012, Rick directed bands for Finneytown Local School District, including several years as music department chairman. Within a few years, he led the FHS marching band to its first-ever appearance at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Finals. Earning “superior” ratings at OMEA state competitions soon became an annual event. His symphonic bands also reached new heights in district and state competitions. The marching band performed at the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., and at Disney World.
Not since the earlier era of Bill Swartzel as music director had Finneytown music programs caught on with such fire.
Rick’s mission was to make music integral to student life. “I am proud that through hard work, collaboration with talented colleagues, and a focus on making music meaningful and accessible to all students, we grew the band to include nearly a third of the entire student body,” said Rick, a new inductee into the Finneytown Hall of Fame. “That growth wasn’t just about numbers. It reflected a culture where students felt valued, challenged, and connected. I worked to install skills like perseverance, creativity, and teamwork.”
His enthusiasm extended to the students’ parents. He collaborated closely with the Finneytown Music Parents Association. In 2012, the Ohio Music Education Association named Finneytown Parents as “Outstanding Music Support Group.” During district and state competitions, his music ensembles were not only primed to perform, but he made sure the huge turnout of family and community supporters cheered loudly from the stands. At band contests statewide, many attending knew from crowd volume when the little high school from Cincinnati had taken their position on the field. After one dazzling band performance at a contest in Columbus, the PA announcer shared the size of the FHS student body with the surprised crowd, which exploded in applause and cheers.
Rick’s memories flow when he recalls his Finneytown colleagues: “I loved singing in the faculty chorus led by dear colleagues Theresa Merrill and Jason McKee, directing the pit orchestra for musicals alongside theater director Shawn Maus, working with Mike Kennedy, hosting a faculty scholarship concert to raise money for private music lessons, and working with athletic director Chuck Grosser to support our incredible student-athletes at football and basketball games. These moments showed me that at Finneytown, we weren’t just coworkers. We were a family united by a common love for our students and our school.”
His Finneytown years involved another, and vital, common love. After he began dating Kellie Conlon, a first-grade teacher at Brent, they went to Graeter’s for ice cream after a band concert. While hoping to go unnoticed, they felt like half the school had turned up to watch them! The next day, student Will Hershey raised his hand and asked, “Mr. Canter, do you like Miss Conlon?” They have now been married 22 years and raised two children. Kellie and Rick live in Sharonville.
Leaving Finneytown after 12 years and as recipient of the district’s “Educator of the Year” award, his career has continued to blossom. For the past decade, he has been band director of the thriving program at Walnut Hills High School. He is also music director of the Cincinnati Junior Youth Wind Ensemble. Rick is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician. He has presented sessions on band pedagogy to music educators’ associations throughout the country, from Oregon to Texas to New York. He has won the Music Educator’s National Conference Music Composition Competition.
However, his journey as a music educator began in Finneytown, and it holds a special place for him. “I feel truly blessed to have worked alongside so many Finneytown students on their musical journey,” he said. “Through it all, I tried to teach more than just music; I hoped to instill a deep sense of leadership, service, and pride that students could carry with them into their futures.”
Join Rick on the Field One More Time over Alumni Weekend
Celebrate the legacy. Rekindle the music. Be part of the Finneytown Alumni Band on Friday, September 26th—an unforgettable night under the lights at the Homecoming football game.
Then, don’t miss your chance to honor Rick Canter’s induction into the Finneytown Hall of Fame at the Legacy Celebration on Saturday, September 27th. It’s part Hall of Fame, part campaign launch to transform Finneytown’s Performing Arts Center and Competition Gym for future generations.
