September 2026

Hi there,

Something New Is Here — And It's Just the Beginning

This isn't just an update — our website has been completely redesigned! Last year, a dedicated volunteer put in the hard work to rebuild our website from the ground up, making sure our community always had accurate, trustworthy information. Now we've built on that foundation with a brand-new site and a new home: indianolamusic.org (Don't worry — indianolamusicboosters.org still works too!). The name is shorter, but everything you counted on is still there — plus a fresh design, a new calendar, and even more ways to stay connected, stay informed, and support the Boosters. Go check it out and update your bookmarks!

One more thing worth knowing: whenever a performance is streaming live, now all you have to do is go to our website and click the "Livestream Now" banner at the top of any page and you will be sent directly to the livestream. No more worrying about where's the email with the link!

Quick Hits

What's New

New calendar — every performance and special event at indianolamusic.org/calendar

New contact page — indianolamusic.org/contact

Easier unsubscribe — one click, no hassle, see the bottom of this email

Show Your Support

Yard Signs on Sale

Show off your Music Family pride! Yard signs are on sale now through Friday, September 11 at 11:59 PM. Signs can be customized with any name (or no name at all) and up to 3 activities per side. The image below is just an illustrative example.

What's Happening

Program Updates

With school just getting started, our programs are now beginning to prepare for a year full of exciting music. The first chance to get a glimpse of the hard work students are putting in is this Friday, September 4th when the Pride of Indianola Marching Band kicks off its season at the Indianola High School varsity football game.

The Pride of Indianola will first perform the national anthem then take the field at halftime for part of this year's show, titled "Queen."

Get to Know Our Directors

Director Spotlight: Nathanael Smale

Indianola High School Vocal Director

Ask Nathanael Smale when he knew he wanted to teach music, and he'll point you all the way back to age five. In an "All About Me" book he wrote as a kindergartner — still tucked away in a memory box at home — young Nathanael declared he wanted to grow up to be either a singer or a teacher. "Then I grew up," he laughs, "and realized, hey, that could be one awesome job."

Music ran in the family on both sides for as long as Mr. Smale can remember, and that early spark only grew stronger. By late middle school and early high school, he knew for certain: this was what he was going to do.

Mr. Smale is now in his ninth year of teaching overall and his second year as one of Indianola High School's vocal directors. Before joining the high school staff, he taught at Emerson Elementary — and some of his current high schoolers were once his students back at Emerson.

[Editor's note: additional background, including where Mr. Smale went to college, to be added.]

Getting to Know Mr. Smale

Mr. Smale credits much of his teaching philosophy to his own middle school choir director and longtime piano teacher, Kelly Truax. She taught him to look beyond the obvious choices — the big shows, the famous composers — and dig for music that's a little off the beaten path but every bit as powerful. It's a habit he's passed on to his own students, and it's part of why the program's repertoire always feels fresh.

Outside the classroom, Mr. Smale is an avid escape-room enthusiast — he and his friends have tackled 11 rooms and escaped from 10 — and he never tires of hearing Samuel Barber's "Agnus Dei," performed by Voces8 (watch/listen here). "It's pure bliss. I get goosebumps every time."

He's also the first to say the learning goes both ways with his students. "Nothing is ever perfect — the way we teach, the way we perform. But we can always grow together." What works for one student might leave another feeling lost, he says, and that's taught him to keep adapting, keep innovating, and keep meeting kids exactly where they are.

Life in the Program

Ask Mr. Smale what he hopes students carry with them long after they've left his classroom, and the answer has nothing to do with pitch or rhythm. "Be a good human" is the phrase he keeps at the core of everything he teaches. He wants every student — whether they're in the program for one year or four — to leave more conscientious of the people around them, with a stronger sense of community, respect, and kindness.

That philosophy shows up everywhere in how he runs his classroom. This year's show choir motto, "one show, one goal, one family," captures it well: one show to work toward together, one goal of getting a little better every time they meet, and a family that shows up for each other with respect and love — especially in the tough rehearsals. "We're always finding joy even in those moments," he says. "Even on the 14th time in a row we've worked on one consonant, we're doing it for the joy of it all."

For many students, the highlight of the year is the winter concert's candlelight processional, when the full ensemble sings "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night") together. Mr. Smale says it's a moment that comes up again and again when students reflect on their favorite memories in the program — and it's his favorite too.

He also lights up talking about a breakthrough at a Norwalk show choir performance last year, when feedback between the daytime and evening shows led to a last-minute addition that transformed the number. "The kids really felt the electricity, and the audience really responded well to it," he recalls.

And then there's the birthday surprise: showing up to school early one morning last year, only to be gently kicked out of his own classroom by students who'd decorated his office for his birthday and weren't ready for the reveal yet. "The thoughtfulness of the kids trying to make my birthday special — and the hilarity of it — that one still makes me smile."

Mr. Smale's advice to a nervous student before walking on stage is simple: if you've done the work, let your nerves fuel you instead of holding you back. "Breathe in, breathe out. Have you done the work? I know you have. So go out there and show it."

Why Music Education Matters

When asked to finish the sentence "Music education matters because...," Mr. Smale doesn't hesitate:

"It is a place where everyone can and does belong. No matter what divides us in the world, what makes us different — at its heart, music is always about bringing people together. It matters because, at the end of the day, I don't care who you are, what you believe, or what you look like. I care that you're here for the same goal: to add a little more beauty into the world."

Read the full Director Spotlight →

How You Can Help

Director Wishlist

Our directors keep a running list of what would make the biggest difference in rehearsals and performances for their program. Here's a glimpse of what's on it right now and a simple way to contribute to the programs:

Save the Date

Upcoming Events

See the full calendar →

Support the Boosters

Every gift brings us closer to this season's goals — from cymbal stands and repairs for our youngest musicians to instruments, uniforms, scholarships, and events across every program. It's all made possible by people like you.

Fund the music. Fuel the future.

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Indianola Music Boosters · P.O. Box 9, Indianola, Iowa 50125 · Contact us