"I'm not a trophy person. I don't get the point. It doesn't really matter," Boitz says.

Boitz says the practice and audition process is the significant portion of any competition. "Who cares if the students make it or not? That's icing on the cake," Boitz says. "The competitive part of it is so silly, and everybody seems to take it so seriously."

But Boitz does admit that it is essential to encourage students to do their best. "We're cheating them if we don't push, if we don't encourage, if we don't expect them to do well. We have to do this," Boitz says. "However, if you push with the verbiage to win, that is really dangerous because that creates an element of failure, that creates an element of fear. I don't use the word 'win' with my kids, strategically so."

Nevertheless, under Boitz's tutelage, Saratoga High's music program broke records this school year. According to Principal Kevin Skelly, Saratoga High's students formed the largest representation from one school in the history of the annual Santa Clara County Honor Band; 11 of the 12 students who auditioned were accepted into a California all-state band; and Saratogans took 10 of 150 spots in a California all-state orchestra.

"The kids were really impressive this year. I take no credit for that. I'm just a cheerleader," Boitz says.

According to Boitz, auditioning for both the all-state and the honor band took commitment and effort on the part of the students. All-state tryouts involved sending in recordings, while students who tried out for the county honor band auditioned live in front of a board consisting of county band directors.

The 280 all-state band members will spend a weekend together in Fresno this month, while the orchestra selections will travel to Pasadena in March. Both weekend conferences will culminate in performances with the entire group.

The 80- to 90-member county honor band performed together on Jan. 19, conducted by Dr. Edward Harris, director of San José State University's School of Music and Dance.

Junior Sue-Ting Chene was on the honor band for her second time and says Harris was a "great conductor." Being on the band, Chene says, she learned about music and playing music and playing with other students.

Chene also was chosen for the all-state band and orchestra, after having auditioned unsuccessfully since she was a freshman. "I was excited because I'd been trying out for the past few years," Chene said. "You get to play with all the top students in the state. It's just a higher level of music."

Paul Sprague, a senior who plays trombone and baritone, played in the honor band for his fourth time and will be a part of the all-state band for the third time.

Both are interesting, Sprague says, because "you get the new experience of meeting all the new people and seeing how there are so many great musicians out there."

Although just a freshman, Albert Chiang was also selected for the county honor band and all-state band. Chiang says he initially auditioned because he wanted to challenge himself musically.

Chiang says when Boitz first told him of his selection, his reaction was nonchalant. "I don't think it really sunk in, and I don't think it's really sunk in yet," Chiang says.

Chiang says, however, that some of the credit belongs to Boitz, who is always encouraging and supportive of the musicians. "Where he sees talent, he'll encourage it further," Chiang says.

"Boitz," as his students call him, encourages all his band and orchestra members to audition for all the competitions, Chene says.

"The kids respect him as their musical teacher, but they also see him as a friend," says Charlie Robert, whose daughter Alison is a sophomore who plays the flute. "He's a big motivator by who he is and his love for music."

Principal Skelly was part of the board that interviewed Boitz for the job five years ago. "His hire was a slam-dunk for us," Skelly says. "He's built an environment where parents and kids want to perform for him."

"You don't have to spend more than two minutes with him to know that this is a guy who loves kids and has a real passion for what he's doing," Skelly says.

Under Boitz's guidance, the instrumental music department has grown from less than 100 members to approximately 230, and from three musical groups to eight.

Boitz, who is originally from Minnesota and previously taught music at a large high school there, says working at Saratoga High has been a fantastic experience.

"The whole process of it has been the most interesting, passionate thing I've ever been involved in," Boitz says. "The potential for creating a really great atmosphere for the kids is really there; if anything, I'm humbled on a daily basis by the faculty here."

Boitz has shifted the focus of the music program at Saratoga, urging students to take on more leadership roles and applying lessons learned from being part of the band elsewhere.

"I think the program really exists as a metaphor for kids for a lot of different things," Boitz says. "The reason that they get to all-state, honor band, etc., is not to create the world's greatest musicians. The reason is to create a sense of self-confidence and everything in themselves that they can use in other things."

Saratoga High School representatives in the 2002-03 Santa Clara County Honor Band are:

Seniors— Paul Sprague, Binh-Young Tsao; juniors—Sue-Ting Chene, Han Choi, Nancy Ho, Jenelle Hoffman, Andrew Kao, Joseph Kim, Megumi Nomura, Nick Rumbaugh; sophomores—Felix Chou, Jensine Lee, Sumin Lee, Dustin Lei, Edward Liu, Marisa Lopez, Jamie Lu, Emily Yao; freshmen—Albert Chiang, Mara Kutter, Jennifer Wu, Daren Yin.

California Band Directors Association All-State Band:

Seniors—Paul Sprague, Binh-Young Tsao; juniors—Sue-Ting Chene, Han Choi, Nancy Ho, Joseph Kim, Megumi Nomura, Ben Tilles, Ada Yee; freshmen—Albert Chiang, Jennifer Wu.

California Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra:

Seniors—Matthew Allen, Lawrence Chou; juniors—Jessica Chang, Sue-Ting Chene, Joseph Kim, Evan Kutter, Megumi Nomura, Ryo Yamagishi; sophomore—Jessica Ling.