CCB NOTES On-line
(Volume III, Issue 1)

Why We Became a Drummer, Trumpeter, Trombonist, Bassoonist, Clarinetist, French Horn Player, etc....

by Marian Singer-Fozard

With more than 75 band members in the Columbia Concert Band (CCB), I figured there must be a wealth of tales among us, revealing our musical start, but within the scope of, “My band director said we needed a such and such player . . ”.

It turned out that this was quite true; however, notwithstanding that, the answers went from comical to practical and were quite surprising. This survey also gave me a wonderful opportunity to talk to musicians sitting on the opposite side of the room, people whom I never see—or if so, only from the back of their heads or when Robert puts us in the spotlight to repeat those exasperating passages.

So Why Did We Select The Instrument We Play?

Andrew Seacord had his front baby teeth removed at the age of ten. So when he asked his band director if he could play the trumpet, the director said, “No, you can’t play trumpet without front teeth, but you can play the French horn without front teeth.” Andrew believes to this day the director had lied to him just because he had needed a French horn player. And Andrew’s parents didn’t object to this instrument—so here he is, one of our French horn players.

When Larry Schultz went to his older sister’s parochial school spring concert, he (at age 11) sat up with interest when he heard the jazz ensemble and concert band. “ I liked the sound,” admits Larry. But which instrument should he play? “The trombone was confusing; you don’t know where to stop; the reeds had too many keys, but the trumpet only had three.” (See Brent Mathews, below).

Every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Larry waited for his teacher, Francis Murphy, to roll in, tired from a Friday night gig, and dig his tobacco covered mouth piece out of his suit coat at 9:10. Then when his innocent student would play, Murphy would blurt out, “For God sakes, Schultz; don’t f—t it out, hit it!” Larry has been “hitting it” ever since.

Jeff Beavin was 13 years old when his parents just brought home a tenor sax, and that was that!

Wendy (Handler) Weissman had Exploratory Music in the 4th grade. This required her to study violin, trumpet and clarinet, each for a third of the year. “The clarinet was the only one I could get a sound out of,” she admits, “and besides, my father had one in the house, and he definitely didn’t want to pay for another instrument.” So there went Wendy’s dream of playing the flute.

Sam Levine also got the instrument that was “lying around the house.” In his case it was the trumpet. His dad played violin with the National Symphony and trombone with Les Brown, but “my arms were too short for trombone,” he said, “and I was too dumb to play violin.” His mother had played violin and trumpet. So Sam ended up with his mother’s trumpet.

Melinda Frisch always wanted to be able to sing. “I can’t,” she said, “so I picked the instrument that sounded the most like singing—the flute.”

Wendy Wolf was required to take a music course in college in which she had to focus on one instrument throughout a symphonic work. The oboe always stood out for her, so she decided to learn how to play it—and that was only four or five years ago. Being a science major, Wendy was shocked to discover this music course turned out to be her favorite class at Yale.

Jerry Bartlett owes his baritone to his junior high school substitute teacher. You see, the day the sub came, the students acted up and decided to switch instruments. Kids will be kids. That’s when Jerry fell in love with the baritone (not Susan—that happened later). Guess what he would have played if it hadn’t been for the substitute teacher? A trumpet! Imagine his playing the “Carnival of Venice” in The Netherlands on the trumpet.

Jody Shochet’s dad picked her instrument. He had always wanted to play tenor sax himself, but his asthma got in the way. So Jody learned the tenor sax; however, six years ago she switched to alto. Will either of her children play the sax?

Jim Fozard wanted to be in the band for social reasons. He wasn’t an athlete, he says. “I saw a sign saying, ‘Bell lyre player needed.’ I applied even though I had never played one before, but since I had studied piano, I thought it would be easy.” The conductor told him, “Sure, you can be in the band, but here’s a trombone. I’ll give you lessons.”

Marian Singer-Fozard was given a choice in high school since there were too many piano players. “You can play the harp or the bassoon,” said the music director. I knew I couldn’t carry the harp on a subway and up 200 stairs. (The school was on top of a hill at Morningside Park in Harlem). Needless to say, I chose the bassoon—besides—there were more parts for it in the orchestra than there were for the harp.

Brent Mathews was eight years old when he heard his dad’s Big Band playing. The trombones looked interesting, but he thought the trumpet would be easier since it only had three keys. (See Larry Schultz, above). And that was the beginning for Brent as a musician.

Tom Harwick started out on the euphonium because his mom had played it in high school. “I thought she would be able to help me,” says Tom. Little did he know that (according to Tom) she had been a terrible player and would be of no help at all. (Please don’t show this to Tom’s mother.) Then, when Tom was in the 8th grade, he picked up a sousaphone and fell in love with the bass part. “It really resonated,” he says. From there he became a tuba player. “The bass line has always been my favorite—even when I played the recorder.”

Rip Rice remembers his mom saying, “What do you want to play, Rippie?” “I want to be like Glenn Miller and play the trombone,” he answered with his typical enthusiasm. Well, there were no trombones in the local music shop. So Rip was given an alto sax. Later he played clarinet and finally the tenor sax when he won the solo tenor sax part in the dance band.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that he picked up the tenor sax again after a long hiatus, thanks to his son, Dave. “Henry Mancini’s dead, Dad. Don’t you think you should play now?” You see, Mancini and Rip were born on the same day, in the same town (New York)—and Rip had always been intimidated, even though he and Mancini had never met. Shortly after Mancini’s death, Rip joined the CCB, and Dave (tuba player) followed.

Nadine Markham-Itteilag didn’t pick her instrument, she says. “It picked me.” In the 6th grade, she “hung out” with a group of friends (the “four musketeers”). One day the music teacher asked three of the four girls (not Nadine) to do some work for her, and in return the teacher gave them each a candy bar. Unwilling to give Nadine a bite, the girls infuriated her. Nadine rushed down to the music teacher, letting her know what she thought of this episode. “The next time you need help, call me!” Nadine said indignantly. The teacher did. She needed someone to play in the percussion section at the school band’s Spring concert. The start of Nadine’s percussion career was to play four solo beats on the bass drum at the beginning of “King of the Road.”

The local junior high band director heard Nadine play at this concert and asked the ersatz percussionist to sign up for junior high band in the fall. “I said ‘No thanks, I had already signed up for French and home economics as my electives.’” Luckily for us, Nadine’s mom heard of this conversation, and advising Nadine that she should “never close the door when opportunity knocks,” took her to meet the band director again and see the percussion equipment at the junior high school. As a result, Nadine dropped home ec. and enrolled in junior high band! Later, in high school, she took private percussion lessons from Robert Miller.

Kim Pelech had played the drums for three years (5th-7th grades) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina until her director announced to her: “We need trombone players next year. Take this home over the summer and play it.” And she did. It is hard to believe, especially after you hear Kim play, that she has never had a private lesson on her instrument.

Ramon Pena (age 23) is with us from Brownsville, Texas until this summer when he completes his cooperative aerospace engineering stint with Lockheed Martin. Why did he select the baritone sax? Ramon gave up the tenor sax in junior high when he saw the new instrument his band had just purchased. “It was shiny!”

“The Band Is My Instrument”
Robert Miller began playing the piano in elementary school. While in 6th grade, he had the opportunity to hear the local junior high school band perform at his school. He talked to his parents about joining and they agreed. When Robert’s parents asked the band director what he could do in the band with a kid who played piano, the director responded that Robert could play percussion, thinking of the keyboard percussion instruments. So that’s how Robert began his percussion career.

Opus II- Music Educator But how did he get into the school band director business? It certainly hadn’t been in Robert’s cards, for he had majored in psychology at the University of Maryland, in part because he believed his parents would find this a “practical” road to career success. Robert’s real love, however (which had never been a career consideration), had always been teaching music. “Deep down inside there was a part of me that always wanted to spend my free time teaching music.” Before his career choice changed, as extracurricular activities Robert had conducted a scout band for four years and had taught private lessons for five years. One of his percussion students, as noted above, was Nadine Markham-Itteilag. “When I thought about it, I decided I was getting more fulfillment from working with students in music than from the other career options I was considering.” In the end, after spending an additional two years at the University of Maryland, Robert graduated with two degrees, one in music and one in psychology.

“The truth is,” admits Robert when discussing his choice to teach music in the public schools, “there are some days I feel I would rather be hosing down lettuce at Giant.” “But most of the time,” he says, “I’m very glad I’m doing what I’m doing.”

Brian Johnson, our “Rhapsody in Blue” guest soloist and former head of the Howard Community College music department, majored in computer science at Illinois State. He had been a self-taught rock-and-roll piano player; as a teenager Brian had sight-read the top-40 tunes, and he had helped out playing for the chorus, but that was it. One day he glanced at advertisement offering piano lessons for advanced students on his college bulletin board. The teacher pulled out the beginner John Thompson book and said, “play.” Brian did, for it happened to have been the only piece in the book he once had played—fortuitous! “I was the ideal student,” said Brian, “for I was clueless. I had never had a lesson before.” Many of us wish we were that “clueless.”

Nucleo Vega (age 19), a former student of Brian Johnson and Robert Miller’s percussion student, will be off to College Park soon to major in music education. Nucleo just graduated from Howard Community College with highest honors, where he majored in music education and received HCC’s Performing Arts Departmental Award. Nucleo has always wanted to play the drums, he eagerly shares: “It started when I pulled out all the pots and pans in the kitchen.”

A special thanks to all of you who shared your story, and apologies to those I didn’t have a chance to ask.

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From the President's Notebook: by Brent Mathews

Having served two years on the CCB Board, the most recent one as your president, I've learned a lot about what it takes to maintain and improve a viable organization such as ours; much more than I learned in my previous eight years as a member in the trumpet section. In this column and in subsequent issues, I hope to convey to you some basic information about the organization and management of the Columbia Concert Band, Incorporated, a tax-exempt entity; our mission, plans, goals, and hopes for the future.

OUR MISSION

What better way to start this process than with our mission statement? Each time we apply for funds from The Howard County Arts Council, The Maryland State Arts Council, The Columbia Foundation, or from a corporation, we must include a mission statement. During the past two years, I have been working on the wording of the statement we had been using in an attempt to simplify it while maintaining and even broadening its universal scope. The following, most recent, mission statement easily encompasses every activity we have undertaken in my ten years with CCB and, in my opinion, leaves room for many new plans as we grow and mature:

The Columbia Concert Band, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster musical art forms for wind and percussion instruments through composition, performance, education and training by providing opportunities to those interested in such music to develop their musical talents while entertaining and educating the public.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM PHILEUTONIA

From the Spring of 1994 through 1996 we overlaid our regular concert schedule with the many activities necessary to host the PHILEUTONIA Band of Helmond, The Netherlands, on its trip to the U.S. (June 28 - July 6, 1995) and send about half of our members on an exchange visit to Helmond, hosted by PHILEUTONIA (July 5-13, 1996). While many of us have very warm feelings about our Netherlands friends and hope to see them again before long, there are no plans for any formal interchange with PHILEUTONIA during the 1997-1998 Band Year, which begins September 1, 1997.

So, what have we been doing with our time since returning from The Netherlands last July? We’ve been trying to apply the lessons learned from the PHILEUTONIA power house, that’s what! Here are some of the advantages enjoyed by PHILEUTONIA that we hoped to adapt to our situation when we returned from The Netherlands:

1. A prominent place in the community with a useful network of contacts to allow the CCB to help the community and vice versa.

2. Funds to do important things. For PHILEUTONIA, this is related to #1 above, and we believe it is for us as well.

3. A permanent place of residence, not shared with other groups, with a rehearsal hall and space for private lessons and for storing instruments, a music library, complete with a photocopier, and a room for preparing and serving food and refreshments, not to mention restrooms, parking, etc.

4. An enthusiastic nucleus of members and their families and businesspeople advisors who make it all happen.

5. A sense of the band as a vehicle for social interaction and fun, in addition to fostering members’ musical growth.

OUR PROGRESS THIS YEAR - Increased Profile and Networking

While our band is far from enjoying these advantages to the degree that PHILEUTONIA does, I learned that PHILEUTONIA didn’t enjoy them either ten years ago although their band has been in existence for more than 100 years. Actually, we have made progress this past year in many areas, and when one considers the Columbia Orchestra and the Columbia Pro Cantare, it is obvious that much more progress is possible on this side of the Atlantic.

At the end of last summer, CCB’s vice-president, Maurice Feldman, and I set as personal goals the objective of raising the CCB profile in Howard County. With the help of other CCB members, progress has been made in this regard. CCB has been represented at Howard County Executive Ecker’s scholarship fund-raiser, Spotlight on the Arts in October, at the dedication of the Jim Rouse Theatre in February, the Howard Community College Graduation in May and at The Jewish Festival and The Columbia Festival of the Arts this June along with our usual performances at places like Lake Elkhorn and Lake Kittamaqundi.

Another factor in raising our profile, I think, is the increasing activity of our three most active ancillary groups, the Jazz Band, the Starvation Army Band and Columbia Kammermusik. Descriptions of each of these groups appear elsewhere in this issue as well as a list of their performances during 1997. We consider each group a part of Columbia Concert Band, Inc., under the purview of our Board of Directors. Each group has a somewhat different relationship with the Board. Columbia Kammermusik, a woodwind quintet, originally organized by flutist Judy Sammel early in 1996, is an example of what can be done in a short time. They played curtain music before 400 people at the concert hall (Speelhuis) in Helmond between performances of our concert band and our jazz band last July. This was their third public performance.

We encourage other members of our concert band to form special groups like this. In the past we have enjoyed music by a saxophone quartet and, at our winter concert, a low brass ensemble. More recently, we have heard from our party band. It is our understanding that these groups play only on an ad hoc basis. If any group practices regularly and plays six or more times per year, we would like to keep track of their performances and their progress, for publicity purposes, and so that they can be recommended for jobs.

In order to increase our networking, raise our community profile and also increase our attendance at concerts, we returned from The Netherlands with resolve to seek collaboration with other musical groups in the presentation of our formal concerts. Robert Miller did us a big favor in this regard by persuading Brian Johnson, Music Director at Howard Community College (HCC), to be the piano soloist for our performance of Rhapsody in Blue at our May 1997 concert, and to augment our concert with his HCC Chorus. This also provided an opportunity for some of our members to accompany the Chorus in Rutter’s Requiem and for some of our members to sing with the Chorus. The audience almost filled Smith Theater. This was one of our best concerts ever and, as a result, the Board has voted to have 200 tapes made for sale to members and their friends, complete with art work. The tapes will cost $7.00 each and should be available for sale as this article goes to press.

OUR PROGRESS THIS YEAR - Funding

Sam Stern, Andrew Seacord and I have put in a lot of time during the past twelve months preparing funding applications and meeting with panels which pass on our applications, with more success than in recent years. We received a $1,100 General Operating Grant from The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC), a Mini-Grant of $342 from The Maryland State Arts Council to help with expenses of our formal concerts and we will receive a General Operating Grant of $500 from The Maryland State Arts Council for next year. Meanwhile, we have just submitted another General Operating Grant application to HCAC, also for next year. In addition, we were one of 14 organizations selected (out of 45 applicants) to receive a grant from The Columbia Foundation for a Columbia 30th Birthday project. This grant of $700 is to be used to commission a Columbia Vision March. CCB is currently in as good a financial shape as we have ever been and the Board has earmarked $2,000-$3,000 for the purchase of instruments, which might include a bassoon, an English horn and some percussion equipment.

OUR PROGRESS THIS YEAR - Space

We have been very fortunate during the eight years that Robert Miller has been our director to have the use of the band room at Hammond Middle School free of charge during the school year. During the summer, however, we are charged for using the building. This summer, we have been forced to move temporarily to Hammond High School because of construction at Hammond Middle School. In the long range, we hope to find a permanent home at Howard Community College. This depends on construction of a new building. OUR PROGRESS THIS YEAR - Membership Involvement

During PHILEUTONIA’s visit here in 1995, our membership pulled together beyond expectations to make the project a success. Again, in 1996 we did what needed to be done to make the exchange visit successful, while continuing with our normal summer program. In 1997, so far, concert attendance has been high and dues delinquencies low, although we still have some “dues deaf” members. Your Board members all have work to do outside of our monthly meetings and their enthusiasm and hard work have made my job rewarding.

Jeff Beavin and his wife, Lisa, held a very nice reception at their home following our Winter Concert on December 15. Our Party Committee put together a family-friendly Mardi Gras event on February 8 and the reception following our Spring Concert on May 18, which was well appreciated by the audience. Look for more of these social events in the future and bring your family. You’ll find what a nice group of people we have in our band.

THE YEAR AHEAD

As a personal goal for the next twelve months I challenge you as an individual band member to do everything you possibly can to improve your technique and musical artistry, for only through the efforts of individuals can the entire organization excel. Maximum joy of belonging comes when we can make beautiful music together, individually and collectively. This requires daily practice, attendance at rehearsals and performances and concentration on the music and conductor when the band is under the baton. Thank you, everyone, for your hard work and cooperation during the past year. I hope you are as enthusiastic as I am about our prospects for the year ahead.

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Information About the Columbia Concert Band Community: by Brent Mathews

The Columbia Concert Band, Incorporated

Organized as a non-profit corporation in 1983, the Columbia Concert Band (CCB) has been directed for more than seven years by Robert Miller, instrumental music teacher at Hammond Middle School and a professional percussionist. Under his direction, the CCB has doubled in size to 80 members, now has an assistant director and two assistant conductors, and is able to play some of the most challenging repertoire for wind band. The CCB sponsors two free formal concerts in Howard County annually and has a busy outdoor summer schedule in four counties and Baltimore City. Rehearsals are held Monday nights, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Hammond Middle School. (Rehearsals are temporarily being held at Hammond High School until September 1997.)

Columbia Concert Band Performances, 1997

Sun, May 18 -- Smith Auditorium, HCC -- Spring Concert (formal)
Thu, May 22 -- Merriweather Post Pavilion -- Howard Community College Graduation
Sat, Jun 7 -- Downs Memorial Park, Pasadena -- Maryland Band Day
Sat, Jun 21 -- Lake Kittamaqundi -- Columbia Festival of the Arts
Sun, Jul 27 -- Baltimore Inner Harbor, 7-9 p.m. -- Sunday Concert Series
Sun, Aug 17 -- Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia, 6:30-8:30 p.m. -- Sunday Lakefront Series
Sat, Sep 20 -- Lake Elkhorn, Columbia, 11 a.m - 12 noon -- Community Association Fair
Sun, Dec 14 -- Jim Rouse Theater, Columbia, 3-4:30 p.m. -- Winter Concert (formal)

The Columbia Jazz Band

Organized seven years ago by Director Robert Miller, the Jazz Band is made up of CCB members who are interested in perfecting their techniques in the rendition of the jazz medium. Even though all twenty or so of the Jazz Band’s players are volunteers, many have played professionally and some still do. All aspire to the highest levels of technical and artistic excellence in their selection and execution of big band jazz arrangements. The Jazz Band gives stage band concerts and plays for dances, dedications, receptions and picnics. Rehearsals are held Monday nights, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Hammond Middle School. (Rehearsals are temporarily being held at Hammond High School until September 1997.)

Columbia Jazz Band Performances, 1997

Sat, Feb 1 -- Crofton -- Church Dance
Fri, Apr 11 -- Sparrows Point High -- Benefit for High School Band
Sat, May 10 -- Rts. 29&103, Ellicott City -- Mormon Church Dance
Sun, Jul 6 -- Towson Courthouse -- Towson at Night Concert
Sun, Jul 26 -- Reisterstown -- Community Association Party
Sun, Aug 24 -- Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia, 6:30-8:30 p.m. -- Lakefront Series

The Starvation Army Band

Organized in 1988 by CCB trombonist Jim Fozard, this nine-piece combo grew out of an ensemble from The Columbia Concert Band picked to play Johnny Warrington’s Dixieland Concerto for Dixieland ensemble and concert band at a summer concert performance. The group now performs about ten times per year in a variety of musical forms which include New Orleans jazz, ragtime, swing, rock, ballads, dance and Klezmer. Rehearsals are held Tuesday or Wednesday nights, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at director Fozard’s home.

Starvation Army Band Performances, 1997

Sat, Feb 8 -- Manor Care Nursing Home, -- Silver Spring Concert
Sun, Feb 23 -- Wilde Lake HS, Columbia -- Opening of Jim Rouse Theatre
Thu, May 15 -- Manor Care Nursing Home, Silver Spring -- Concert
Sun, Jun 1 -- Howard Community College -- Jewish Festival Concert
Sat, Jun 14 -- Glen Arm, Maryland -- Glen Meadows Retirement Community
Sat, Jun 21 -- Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia -- Columbia Festival of the Arts
Fri, Jun 27 -- Montpelier Mansion, Laurel -- Montpelier Concert Series
Sun, Jun 29 -- Gypsy’s Cafe, Baltimore -- Concert
Fri, Jull 4 -- Hesperus Dr./Eliots Oak -- Longfellow Community Parade
Fri, Jul 4 -- Sunrise Retirement Community, Towson -- Concert
Thu, Jul 24 -- Union Square, Baltimore, 6:30-8:30 p.m. -- Concert
Sun, Aug 10 -- Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia, 6:30-8:30 p.m. -- Sunday Lakefront Series

Columbia Kammermusik

Organized as a quartet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) early in 1996 by CCB flutist Judy Sammel, this democratically operated ensemble added a French horn in 1997. Significant performances include curtain music at a Gala Concert in The Netherlands last year and a concert at Wilde Lake High School for the dedication of the Jim Rouse Theatre on February 23, 1997.

Columbia Kammermusik Performances, 1997

Sun, Jan 26 -- Maryland Presbyterian Church, Towson -- Church Service
Sun, Feb 23 -- Rouse Theatre, Columbia -- Dedication of Rouse Theatre
Sun, Mar 23 -- Emmanuel United Methodist Church, Laurel -- Church Service
Sun, May 4 -- Maryland Presbyterian Church, Towson -- Church Service

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Maryland Association of Community Bands: by Maurice Feldman

Is there a need for a Maryland Association of Community Bands? With this in mind an attempt was made to answer this question with the following questions: Why do we need an association? What will it do? Who will run the association? Why should our band be an active member of the association? What will be the cost to my band?

Why do we need an association? An association provides groups of people with similar interests and desires a vehicle through which to promote their interests by various means.

What will an association do? The stated goal of the Maryland Association of Community Bands is to have one large and unified voice in the promotion of community music to the government and the people of the State of Maryland. The Association will also provide leadership in the scheduling and promotion of Maryland Community Band Day. The final goal of the Association is to establish a computer data base for all of the music libraries now maintained by local bands. Once established, this data base will make available to all member bands a music lending library. Each band will then control its own library, but also will be able to borrow music from other bands for particular concerts.

Who will run the organization? Each band will nominate one member from its own band to serve on the board of the Association. The chairperson position in the Association will rotate among all member bands with a new chair each year. The board will have one annual meeting each year to coincide with Maryland Band Day. This meeting will be open to all members.

Why should our band be a member? Membership in the association can only benefit your group: it will give you a voice in promoting your band as you try to raise funds for operating costs; it will bring together people with like interests through any publications we may attempt and through Maryland Band Day; and finally, it will make available to your band a music library that might be the envy of the nation.

What will be the cost to our band? The initial cost will be $50.00 per year to cover the cost of mailings and the establishment of the music library data base.

To date, the following bands have expressed interest in helping to form the Maryland Association of Community Bands: the Baltimore Symphonic Band, Baywinds Community Band, BelAir Community Band, Calvert Community Band, Columbia Concert Band, Rockville Community Band and the Southern Maryland Community Band. The first meeting of the Association will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, 1997 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore.

If any other bands are interested, please contact: Maurice Feldman, Columbia Concert Band, 3813 Oak Ave., Baltimore, MD 21207 or via e-mail at jan@clark.net.

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