Interviewing Mr. Daniel Tumolo was not an easy task. Mr. Tumolo is one of those people you can just talk to endlessly, and sometimes even forget you are really just conducting an interview. He is personable, friendly, and absolutley takes a special interest in every student.

Mr. Tumolo has been teaching at North Penn for over thirteen years and teaches all of the music technology courses here at North Penn, including, Audio Engineering, Contemporary Music, Music Tech I and II, and the grand daddy of music classes, Comprehensive Music Technology.

Tumolo did not graduate from Temple thinking he would be teaching music.

“I was a freelance musician prior to this so I was able to stay at home with my first child and my wife signed us up for a music program, like a Mommy and Me except I was one of the few daddies there.” Tumolo said

From that “mommy and me” course Tumolo talked with the instructor and got certified to teach the course. Mr. Tumolo then worked his way up from pre school age children and after going back to Temple and becoming certified he was able to teach high schoolers.

Tumolo didn’t leave Temple thinking he would become a teacher because back when he graduated, the field in which he currently teaches was not available at many high schools.  Back before Mr. Tumolo came to North Penn the music technology department barely existed, but now the program has five classes and nineteen fully equipped technology stations.

In his thirteen years, Mr. Tumolo has seen many talented musicians pass through his class two most notably are Josh Richman a jazz pianist who is a graduate of Juliard and member of The Wonder Years. The Wonder Years sent Mr. Tumolo a copy of their first CD along with a copy of their magazine cover story and a note saying that he helped them as musicians.

“I think that music and art course help you develop a sense of aesthetics also music contains math and science and I think it makes you a more rounded person.”

Mr. Tumolo encourages all students to take music courses for those reasons, but his most advanced class, Comprehensive Music Technology, does require a desire to grow as a musician.

“You don’t have to be a great instrumentalist because we use technology to learn music and to improve musicianship.” Tumolo said.

CMT is the talented group of students that performed Pachelbel’s Canon at the winter concert and work together like a unit that has been together for years, largely in part to Mr. Tumolo.

Outside of the halls of North Penn Mr. Tumolo enjoys woodworking and actually practicing the music and instruments he teaches. At the beginning of each course Mr. Tumolo shows a picture of the music station he created out of wood at his house.

Mr. Tumolo encourages all students to take musical courses at the high school but he also recommends listening to a variety of different music not just one style.

Every student I have talked to about Mr. Tumolo has said nothing but good things. Often I hear students say “Tumolo is the man” or other comments along those lines.

Mr. Tumolo is loved by alumni, students, and faculty alike for his jocular personality and his knowledge and ability to teach what he loves.