2010 Band Birthday Party our 10th !!
60 members present!!! An all time record! Rehearsal was directed by Jerry Reese at the South Castle Middle School band room, and followed by a dessert party in the school cafeteria.
Members present included:
Flutes: Tracy McConnell, Pat King, Sharon Reineke, Summer Aulich, Alex Koch, and Sandy Rawls.
Bassoon: Jenny Deters.
Oboe: Carla Martin.
Clarinets: Frank Book, Betty Emmert, Kenny Chaung, Mary Ann Decker, and Marsha Wines.
Saxes: Fred Hormuth, Mary Williams, Terri Schultz, Dusty Smith, Sandy Miller, Mike Filipi, Jeff Middleton, and Sandy Caputo, and Bryant Taylor.
F Horns: Mike Reising, Elizabeth Fooks, Carl Becker, Geneice Snow, and Ray Koch
Euphoniums: Dave McGill, Steve Pitt, Terri Palmer, Hugh Whitaker, Gene VanStone, and James Leslie.
Trumpets: Bryan Hartig, Mark Taylor, Virgil Miller, Mary Ann Koch, Andrew Koch, Flyn Dunbar, Jon Patton, and Mike Decker.
Trombones: Wayne Fiester, Pete Venstra, Mark Myers, and Roy Doris,
Tuba: Dan Schultz, Mike Koehne, Jim Hadley, Jeff Westfall, Charlie Dewig
Percussion: Ted Gore, Rachelle Gore, Nance Fiester, Joanne Johnson, Jerry and Shirley Tenbarge
And… of course… our director Jerry Reese.
Pictures taken that evening, and a short phone video, show Hugh Whitaker dancing with Sandy Rawls, a tradition they’ve established this winter. Hugh may be on oxygen most of the time now, but he can still dance!! And so can Sandy, with her wardrobe of cowboy boots, and her husband Jerry. Jerry, incidentally, has started the nice habit of being the doorman at our concerts, urging people to contribute generously by handing round the money jug, as well as the programs.
No one at that party could help but see the social organization this band is. We have such a good time together! New members and long time members, young people and old people, people from so many backgrounds and making their livings doing such diverse things, people of so many different faiths and churches; there we all are together making music. Through the years, we have seen many, many talented people come join us, and we have seen a few leave us for various reasons, but I think we have benefited from every one of them. I hope that they have become better musicians, or at least had a better time than they had otherwise in their musical lives. I know that Dan and I are better people because of every one we have met in any way with this band. Our lives are enriched and exciting and we look forward to every Tuesday. Because Tuesday evening is band night. We have had ten years of Tuesdays so far, and, hopefully, will have tens more. How privileged we are to know all of you.
I hope this band is good for all of us. For one evening a week, at least, we can come to rehearsal and forget everything else. For a couple of hours we can just make music. We can talk to people who know us in this part of our lives and laugh and listen to their stories. We can forget for a little while the tribulations of daily life whatever they are. We can get out of the house, forget the TV and the cell phone and the computer, and go back to doing what people have done for thousands of years: make music with their own talent.
Many times after rehearsal on Tuesday nights, we continue the good times at Archie and Clyde’s, a pizza bar in Newburgh Plaza. Everyone is always invited to these informal get-togethers, and the good folks at the restaurant always save us a few tables and look forward to the Band showing up.
Other times, the ladies in the flute section invite anyone who wants to meet for supper at various restaurants in Newburgh before rehearsal. Dan and I always throw a Christmas/New Year’s party for the band on the Saturday between the two holidays, and the “Dirty Santa” gift exchange has proven a real winner. Various band members have hosted parties at their homes through the years, and who can forget the party at Jo Frohbieter-Mueller’s that special Christmas? The home of that musician and artist in Evansville is a mirror of itself and was a treat for all of us, as was Jo.
Nance and Wayne Fiester have thrown a Labor Day barbeque a couple of times. Of course, that time of year can hustle a party indoors in a hurry if a thunderstorm shows up, too! The band members have even hosted a wedding reception for fellow musicians, and, regrettably, attended and played for a few funerals, too.
There are so many people I want to acknowledge, somehow, in this account of the band. Early members who helped get us started: people like Jeff Westfall, our first director. Larry May, Jon and Tina Patton, Jim Bolte, who directed for several months. Jim Sutter, Dave King, Ray Smith, Tom Rusche, Jo Frohbieter-Mueller, Jona Witherspoon, and Ruthe Potami. Young people who played, or still play, in our band: Anna Hartig, Matt Shepherd, Ashley Cooper, Alex and Andrew Koch, Sam Milam, Elizabeth Fooks (who, now that she’s 21, no longer qualifies as a “young person”, I guess! Sorry, Beth!). And all those people who come every week now to rehearsals: people like Mark Taylor, Mark Myers, Sandy Rawls, Nana Baum, Jenny Deters, Sharon Reineke, Pat King, Marcia Wines, Summer Aulich, Charlie Dewig, and Roy Dorris. People like Steve Pitt, Gene Van Stone, Terri Palmer, Jim Hadley, Joanne Johnson, Pete Venstra, and Jerry and Shirley Tenbarge. Carla Martin, Dan Wheelock, Dave McGill, Dave Guillam, and Sally Hill. Fred Hormuth, who sells shirts for the band when he isn’t on the Board or playing alto beside me. Faril Bunner who plays one magic French horn when he isn’t making Jerry look very short on the podium. Flynn Dunbar, John and Megan Lenox, Deb Oliver, Mike and Mary Ann Decker. Ray and Mary Ann Koch, who bring their family to play together every week they can! And, of course, all those whose stories I have tried to tell.
I want to acknowledge, again, all our directors, all those men and women who have taken up the baton to try to direct a sometimes-unruly band, and who tried to get us to play something resembling music. These people include Jeff Westfall, Jon Patton, Jim Fox, Jim Bolte, Elizabeth Emmert, Ruthe Potami, Hugh Whitaker, Dave McGill, Carl Becker, James Leslie, Faril Bunner, and, of course, Jerry Reese. We have had many guest conductors through the years, including Joseph Choi, Alfred Salvia, John Sakel, John Wittenbraker, Tom Listenfelt, Larry Eifler and Jack Schernekau. There are probably some I’ve forgotten, but none that we’ve not appreciated for not throwing that baton at us for some deserving reason. Thank you for being so kind and teaching us so much.
For every person I’ve named, there are some I’ve forgotten. To every one of you, I say thank you. Every person makes a difference in my life and everybody has contributed so much to the band. It would not be the Old Dam Community Band without all of us and we should be very proud of that. I certainly know that I am.
This “book” has been a labor of love for the first real band I’ve ever played in since high school. I know how much I’ve learned from this experience, both musically and socially. I know it’s heavy on “people stories”, but, then, this is what we are. A bunch of real people getting together weekly in a social group to make music. Wow. Tell your friends. That’s how we’ve grown to be what we are today.
Ten years of Tuesdays so far. Decades more to come. I look forward to it.