“Dare to be great” and “Love music” are two ideals Stephen L. Gage instilled in the musicians who studied and worked with him, and he influenced generations of performers and educators in the Mahoning Valley.

That’s how our entertainment writer Andy Gray described him in a news story earlier this week.

Sadly, that story was reporting on Steve Gage’s death Sunday at the very young age of 66.

His death has saddened the Youngstown State University community, the Warren community and countless lovers of beautiful music.

Gage taught for 28 years at YSU. He also was the longtime Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra conductor for more than 20 years and served as conductor of the W.D. Packard Concert Band since 2012. He died Sunday following complications from surgery last month.

During his remarkable life, Gage served as a professor of conducting and director of bands at YSU’s Dana School of Music from 1993 until 2021. After retiring from YSU, he moved to Chrisman, Ill., where he was living at the time of his death, and he was teaching at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

He also has guest conducted the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Army Band: “Pershing’s Own” and the U.S. Army Field Band and Chorus, and he conducted concerts in Canada, Ireland and 34 states. During his tenure at YSU, its Wind Ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut and recorded seven CDs.

The outpouring of tributes since his death Sunday has been incredible.

This week, his former students, colleagues and patrons mourned his death and recalled him kindly.

Indeed, our Mahoning Valley has lost not only a very talented musician, leader and teacher, but most importantly, he will be remembered as a man of very good character.

In remembrance, one friend described him as simply a “a good human being.” Another called him “an incredible mentor.” A colleague fondly referred to Gage as “The Pied Piper of YSU,” referencing the large student following he inspired.

Bob Antonucci, band director at Lowellville High School, said music wasn’t the only lesson he taught. “He didn’t want them (students) to be just good musicians, he wanted them to be good people, and he lived that,” Antonucci said.

What a wonderful tribute to a man who so loved both teaching and music.

Steve Gage will be laid to rest Saturday in Illinois, where he was living at the time of his death. Gage’s family hopes to establish a scholarship fund in his honor and plans a memorial concert at Stambaugh Auditorium in the spring.

The W.D. Packard Concert Band also will pay tribute to the principal conductor that it lost. It’s planned for the 3 p.m. Sunday concert at Packard Music Hall in Warren, with plans for a full-length memorial concert in coming months.

Undeniably, the W.D. Packard Concert Band will sorely miss him.

No doubt Steve Gage’s position on stage, at some point, will be filled. The void he will leave in life likely will not.

Rest in peace, maestro.