Dueling Dallabettas: Bands to meet at football game

  If band instructor Amanda Dallabetta looks a bit nervous at the football game tonight (Friday), it's only because she's squaring off against her father-in-law on the other end of the field.

  Six years ago Dallabetta took over her father-in-law's job as band director at Yuma High School. Now John Anthony Dallabetta, a local legend in band music, is teaching at Gila Ridge High School and his fledgling marching band is playing at its first game - against Yuma High.

  But don't expect to see much rivalry between these dueling Dallabettas. Not only are both band instructors more interested in making music, they also enjoy a familial bond that's always played on a high note.

  "I think it's just fantastic!" Amanda enthused. "I mean, how often do you get to see your father-in-law on the opposite end of the field?

  "My mom said, 'You guys should get some boxing gloves and take a picture like you're going to fight.' But this is all fun. It's all about the kids making great music and having some great memories."

  Bucking any stereotypes about in-laws, John Dallabetta raved about his.

  "We get along real good. She's a doll and I love her, just like I love my son. My history with Yuma High is something I'm proud of, but I had to turn it over to someone. Amanda has done a wonderful job at Yuma High and I'm really proud of her."

  John Dallabetta, a 35-year-veteran of band directing, began his career in Kingman, Ariz., for 15 years. He then worked at Yuma High for 18 years before retiring in 2004. But he couldn't stay away from the band biz for long, taking teaching jobs at a local junior high and at San Luis High School.

  "I've retired three times," John said, laughing. "I need to stay gone!"

  The senior Dallabetta has been working with Gila Ridge's band for about five weeks.

   The Gila Ridge Hawks marching band formed last year, but their game against the Yuma High Criminals marks the new band's first public performance under John Dallabetta's direction. 

  He admitted that the Gila Ridge kids are nervous about taking on the older school with the big reputation. But Amanda Dallabetta says her students are actually more than a bit intimidated by the new band with the seasoned director.

  "When John took that job word got around a lot. His name carries a lot of power," Amanda said. "The kids all said, 'Now we're going to have to work so much harder!' I thought, 'Oh man, we have some competition now.'"

  John Dallabetta said his band is young and green, but he delivered a storm of praise for his kids' persistence and potential.

 "They're a little nervous, our 70 players against Yuma's 140. Yuma has a long tradition of marching well since time began, darn near. We want to be just as good as anybody else. I think given two or three more weeks we'll be right up there with the better ones."

  Sounding a lot like a coach leading his charges to victory, he added this about tonight's (Friday) performance: "We're not going to hold back and we're not going to be embarrassed. We're just going to jump in and start swimming."

  John Dallabetta speaks with firsthand knowledge when he describes Yuma High's long tradition of marching band greatness, but not just thanks to his own years of service. This isn't the second time a Dallabetta has directed that Yuma band. It's actually the third. John Dallabetta's father, John Leo Dallabetta, held the same post years ago, as did a cousin at some point.

  "My mother was a teacher, my dad was a band director, my aunts and uncles were principals and teachers," John Dallabetta said. "My son is a teacher, my brother is superintendent of schools in Mayer (Ariz.) and my sister is a teacher at Carver. We know nothing but teaching."

  Amanda Dallabetta's history with her father-in-law began long before she married his son, John Grady. A 1997 graduate of Yuma High, she first met John Dallabetta as a student in his band class.

  "Then I started dating his son in college and seven years later we got married."

  Having such a close connection to a veteran band teacher has proven invaluable, too.

  "For that first year, to come in and fill those shoes was very overwhelming. All I could do was go and ask him a lot of questions," Amanda recalled.

  John stayed at Yuma High for two years after Amanda arrived on the scene. The first year she served as his assistant. The second year he assisted her.

  "Being family, when we'd get together, I'd ask him questions about technique and doing administrative paperwork. He's always been willing to give me advice and let me bounce ideas of him. I would be foolish not to take advantage of his wisdom."

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Darin Fenger can be reached at
dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.