Band Camp 2014

Summary Band Camp 2014, July 15 through July 19 at Airstream Park in Olympia, Washington, enticed over 100 music lovers to come to our beautiful south Puget Sound area to play and work hard, laugh a lot, eat really good food, learn new pieces, and make awesome music. We may all be "better than 50," but as part of the New Horizons International Music movement, hear us roar -- well, play really loud sometimes. Actually, most of the musicians followed the directors most of the time, even when we were supposed to play quietly. What more can you ask? When you get a hundred musicians together, the result is impressive. On the first day, Tuesday, each of our three conductors gave us five pieces to sight-read, practice, and fine tune. By Friday we knew which nine pieces would be the "chosen" ones that we would perform at the concert for hundreds of people on Saturday night. The result was worth all the practice (blood, sweat and tears?) we put in, and the audience responded with enthusiasm. Again this year, we had three awesome conductors. I think they worked even harder than we did...exercising lots of patience, offering loads of encouragement, and laughing when they might have felt like crying or yelling. They pulled many of us up a level or two past our expectations of ourselves. We appreciate the guidance we received from Vic Jowders, our Olympia NHB director; from Joe Labuta, guest conductor from Saline, Michigan, and from Roy Ernst, guest conductor from Tarpon Springs, Florida -- and originator of the whole "New Horizons Music" movement. We had musicians here from all over the country: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and, of course, several cities in Washington. It was sort of like a family reunion, with the family name being "New Horizons," but without any family feuds! PARTICIPANTS Directors: Joe (MI) Roy (FL) Vic (WA) Piccolo: Eddi (WA) Flute: Arlene (WA) Bobbie (OR) Carol (WA) Catherine (WA) Chris (CA) Daurel (OR) Elizabeth (OR) Jan (WA) Kate (TX) Kay (WA) Laura (OR) Linda (WA) Muriel (WI) Pat (CA) Penny (WA) Rosemarie (CA) Roy (FL) Sally (IL) Suzanne (WA) Virginia (CA) Oboe: Gail (WA) Genie (CA) Helen (CA) Bassoon: David (WA) Linda (WA) Robert (WA) Sheldon (WA) Clarinet: Carolyn (OR) Gail (WA) Harmon (WA) Helen (MI) Ila (WA) Jerry (WA) John (OR) Larry (WA) Marcia (MI) Marilyn (OR) Mary (MI) Noel (WA) Paul (OR) Sharon (WA) Tom (WA) Alto Clarinet: Carolyn (CA) Bass Clarinet: Bill (OR) Carol (WA) Dave (WA) Doris (MI) Contra Alto Clarinet: Kathleen (WA) Alto Saxophone: Diane (WA) Eloise (WA) Gary (OR) John (WA) Maxine (WA) Tenor Saxophone: Bill (WA) Clark (WA) Ron (WA) Ruth (WA) Baritone Saxophone: Judy (WA) Nate (WA) French Horn: Bob (OR) Gretchen(CA) Joyce (WA) Julia (WA) Melissa (OR) Pat (WA) Tia (WA) Trumpet: Alma (SD) Arden (WA) Barry (OR) Bill (OR) Jim (MI) Joan (WA) Joe (MI) Judd (WA) Merl (OR) Syd (WA) Trombone: Cindy (OR) David (IL) Fred (WA) Jim (WA) Joel (WA) Rush (WA) Baritone/Euphonium: Elmer (WA) Ginger (WA) Howard (NY) Jerry (CA) Lisa (OR) Ted (WA) Tuba: Gerry (CA) Leila (SD) Paul (WA) Sandy (AZ) Tom (CA) String Bass: Linda (CA) Percussion: Caroline (WA) Carolyn (WA) Harry (WA) Joan (AZ) Shirley (AZ) Vic (WA) Each of our conductors brought five pieces to camp, music ranging from easy to AARRRGGGHH!. By the time we finished the camp, even the "impossible" ones had become doable, while some of the others actually sounded pretty well polished! Vic Jowders gave us A Copland Tribute, Encanto, Old Comrades, Roosters Lay Eggs in Kansas, and The Wizard of Oz. Joe Labuta gave us First Suite in Eb, Caribbean Rondo, March Grandioso, Pizzicato Polka, and Romany Life.. Roy Ernst selected A Walk in the Morning Sun, Egmont Overture, In a Gentle Rain, Magyar Keverek,and Star Wars Epic Part 2. The concert on Saturday night, July 19, was the culmination of our efforts, and the finale of our camp. The nine (plus one!) pieces we ended up playing are listed in order below. (As of November of 2014, the titles are linked to mp3 files of our band plyaying the songs. Thanks to Maxine Scheer for sending them to the website! A family member who attended the concert recorded them for her.) March Grandioso - Roland Forest Seitz, arr. Andrew Glover In a Gentle Rain - Robert W. Smith Magyar Keverek - Catherine McMichael Encanto - Robert W. Smith Romany Life - Victor Herbert, arr. Larry Daehn A Walk in the Morning Sun - Pierre La Plante Old Comrades - Carl Tieke, ed. John R. Bourgeois Caribbean Rondo - Pierre La Plante The Wizard of Oz - Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, arr. James Barnes encore: The Roosters Lay Eggs in Kansas - arr. Mayhew Lake (for Sousa) I believe I speak for all who attended in saying it was a totally worthwhile expenditure of time and effort; and we certainly got our money's worth! And many of us are already planning our band camp adventures for 2015. Thanks for the memories, guys! Back to main Band Camp page. NOTE: To contact us, please e-mail us at the address below.