North Hills Senior High School

North Hills Senior High School
Location
53 Rochester Road Pittsburgh, PA 15229-1189 Coordinates: 40°31′34″N 80°01′33″W / 40.526081°N 80.025769°W / 40.526081; -80.025769 United States
Information
Type	Public
School district	North Hills School District
Principal	Mr. John Kreider[1]
Grades	10–12
Color(s)	Red and White
Mascot	Indian
Information	412-318-1400
Website	North Hills Senior High

North Hills Senior High School is a suburban high school located in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. The school's mascot is the Indians and its official colors are red and white.

North Hills Senior High School has had a storied football tradition in quad Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) play. Its program was number #1 in the country in 1987 and it won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Championship in 1993.

Famous football alumni from the high school include former Washington Redskins and New York Giants linebacker and former Penn State football star LaVar Arrington, former Buffalo Bills safety Mark Kelso, former University of Pittsburgh quarterback and current physical education teacher, Eric Kasperowicz.

Both the Marching Band and Symphony Band have a long history and are very well respected, being one of only a very few high school bands to participate in the inauguration ceremony of President George W. Bush Warren S. Mercer, Jr., North Hills High Band Director for 31 years until 1992, elevated the North Hills High School Symphony Band to national prominence. Mr. Mercer has received numerous awards to include being elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association in March 1972 and is the recipient of a citation of excellence from the National Band Association. The NHHS Symphony Band was awarded the famous Sudler Flag of Honor by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation in 1983. The NHHS Symphony Band has won the highest honors in its section at the Carnegie Awards Festival sponsored by Carnegie-Mellon University. It has performed at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Convention 1965 and 1971; the Mid-West National Band Clinic, Chicago, Illinois, 1966, 1970, and 1987; the Mid-East Instrumental CLinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1967; the Music Educators National Convention, Washington, D.C., and in Boston 1973. In more recent years, the band played at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The band sought to enrich its musical program by commissioning a composition from major composers. Such commissioned works have been written for the band by Mr. Don Gillis, Mr. Edward Madden, Mr. Robert Jager, Mr. Jerry Bilik, Mr. Philip Catelinet, Mr. Rex Mitchell, Mr. Vaclav Nelhybel, Dr. Paul Whear, and Mr. Norman Dello Joio. Guest conductors through the years have included, Dr. William Revelli, Dr. Richard Strange, Dr.James Neilson, Dr. James Dunlop (PSU), Mr. Vaclav Nelhybel and in March 1973, Arthur Fiedler, Director of the Boston Pops Orchestra. ( Reference: MENC Music Educators National Conference January 19-22, 1973, Boston North Hills Symphony Band Bio Sheet)

References

1. ^ http://www.nhsd.net