March 18, 2019 at 4:43 p.m.
Band is in need of more members
Future of community group is in doubt
Band is in need of more members
Band is a key component of the Jay County culture.
But the future of a local group is in doubt as membership dwindles.
As the time comes for Jay County Community Band to begin its spring practices, the ensemble is in need of more members to ensure its survival.
Pete Vogler, who retired a year ago from his role as a band director and music teacher for Jay School Corporation, directs the group that runs through Arts Place. He said it has faded to about a dozen members.
“The problem is, those core members, when we first started, we were up around the 30s,” said Vogler. “And that’s a good-sized group. …
“And we thought we would build from there.
“Just the last few years, we’ve done nothing more than shrink.”
The dwindling membership has left the future of the community band in flux. The group is slim almost across the board, with just one clarinet player, one French horn player and no baritones.
In order to make the group work for its handful of annual performances, Vogler has relied on calling in “ringers” — musicians he could get to show up at a moment’s notice who could handle the music without much rehearsal. But, he noted, that’s not a long-term solution.
“That’s fine, except that if we’re going to think about keeping this thing together long term, we can’t always depend on having those people at our beck and call,” he said.
But the future of a local group is in doubt as membership dwindles.
As the time comes for Jay County Community Band to begin its spring practices, the ensemble is in need of more members to ensure its survival.
Pete Vogler, who retired a year ago from his role as a band director and music teacher for Jay School Corporation, directs the group that runs through Arts Place. He said it has faded to about a dozen members.
“The problem is, those core members, when we first started, we were up around the 30s,” said Vogler. “And that’s a good-sized group. …
“And we thought we would build from there.
“Just the last few years, we’ve done nothing more than shrink.”
The dwindling membership has left the future of the community band in flux. The group is slim almost across the board, with just one clarinet player, one French horn player and no baritones.
In order to make the group work for its handful of annual performances, Vogler has relied on calling in “ringers” — musicians he could get to show up at a moment’s notice who could handle the music without much rehearsal. But, he noted, that’s not a long-term solution.
“That’s fine, except that if we’re going to think about keeping this thing together long term, we can’t always depend on having those people at our beck and call,” he said.
Vogler and Jay County High School band director Kelly Smeltzer, who is often one of those “ringers,” resurrected the community band in 2010. A similar group — Jayland Community Band — was formed in the early 1980s but didn’t take off.
The idea for the new group came from Vogler when construction of the amphitheater at Hudson Family Park was planned. He thought it would be a great form of entertainment for the venue, and he secured financial support from Delta Theta Tau sorority.
The community band now has about a half dozen performances annually. Its schedule begins April 1 with rehearsals from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. on Mondays at Arts Place, 131 E. Walnut St., Portland. (There has previously been a fee to join, but that will be waived this year.)
Those rehearsals are used to gear up for three spring performances — the Arts Place MusicWorks ensemble concert in early May, at Arts Place’s Arts Festival on May 19 and on Memorial Day at Green Park Cemetery in Portland. (The core members have already agreed they will continue the Memorial Day performance regardless of the future of the band as a whole.)
The group returns for rehearsals in late August in preparation for a couple of fall shows, including at Jay County Historical Society’s Heritage Festival. After taking October and part of November off, the community band comes back together again to prepare for its Christmas concert at Arts Place.
As was the case when the group was forming about a decade ago, Vogler is more interested in interest than ability. He’s hoping to be able to add instruments in all sections to make the group stronger.
“We need to get more in each section,” he added. “If we had just maybe 10 more people.
“We just want to let people know that if we don’t get more participation, it’s going to fold.”
The idea for the new group came from Vogler when construction of the amphitheater at Hudson Family Park was planned. He thought it would be a great form of entertainment for the venue, and he secured financial support from Delta Theta Tau sorority.
The community band now has about a half dozen performances annually. Its schedule begins April 1 with rehearsals from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. on Mondays at Arts Place, 131 E. Walnut St., Portland. (There has previously been a fee to join, but that will be waived this year.)
Those rehearsals are used to gear up for three spring performances — the Arts Place MusicWorks ensemble concert in early May, at Arts Place’s Arts Festival on May 19 and on Memorial Day at Green Park Cemetery in Portland. (The core members have already agreed they will continue the Memorial Day performance regardless of the future of the band as a whole.)
The group returns for rehearsals in late August in preparation for a couple of fall shows, including at Jay County Historical Society’s Heritage Festival. After taking October and part of November off, the community band comes back together again to prepare for its Christmas concert at Arts Place.
As was the case when the group was forming about a decade ago, Vogler is more interested in interest than ability. He’s hoping to be able to add instruments in all sections to make the group stronger.
“We need to get more in each section,” he added. “If we had just maybe 10 more people.
“We just want to let people know that if we don’t get more participation, it’s going to fold.”
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