Bio
Websites & BlogsTetonTrekker BlogTetonTrekker DesignsJulie: Girl FridayinScoreOrder.com
Mom, wife, computer geek, musician, ski bum, bicyclist, glamper, treasure hunter, bookkeeper, office wizard, trekking through life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
– to the tune of ‘Just A Gigolo’ by Louis Prima
I’m just a piccolo and everywhere I go
People know the part, I’m playin’
Stars and Stripes for me, in the wrong dang key
eew, what they’re sayin’
When I come and play, out-a-tune rehearsal day
What are they planning for me?
When the end comes They’ll know
I was just a piccolo
The band goes on without me…
Free Concert! 07:00 pm – Sunday, May 05, 2019 at the Center for the Arts
True Believers,
I can’t wait for Spring
Concert this year! I’ve been itching to do a movie themed concert ever since I
became the conductor of the community band. The last movie themed concert
performed by the band was in 2016 with Jennifer Levanduski conducting. That
concert featured such classics as “Officer Krupke” from “West Side Story”, the
theme from “The Godfather” and music from “Tombstone”. Just like Hollywood, I
wanted to do that concert again, but bigger! This concert features only music
that has been found in movie sequels, hence the title of our concert, “A Night
at the Movies: The Sequel!”
All of the music selections
feature music from movies that have sequels. Movies like “Jurassic Park”,
“Superman”, “Star Wars” and “Back to the Future” have many sequels and feature
their main themes in all of them. Some of the more obscure movie sequels in our
concert include “Blue Danube Waltz” from “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Wizard of
Oz”. Some might remember their respective sequels, “2010: The Year We Make
Contact” and “Return to Oz”. “Return to Oz” might be one of my favorite sequels
to a beloved classic because of it’s very dark tone and memorable scary
moments. Some of our selections will feature themes that are only found in
their sequels, such as “Yoda’s Theme” from “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”
and music from “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”.
To celebrate our 30 year birthday we have invited our founding conductor, Don Cushman, to conduct a special piece.
This concert is going to be
a blast! All of the musicians have been working real hard to bring the power of
cinema to your ears. I can’t wait to see you at The Center Theater on Cinco De
Mayo!
I played the flute from 5th grade until I graduated from High School, then played in the Bishop California Community Band a couple times right out of high school. I moved to Jackson for a summer in 1980 and stayed, life, work, family, children, and Jackson Hole activities filling my life and my flute collecting dust in the closet.
In 2004 I was sitting in the stands at my son’s little league game. One of the other moms, Nancy Ninnemann, who I also know from Boy Scouts, was talking about paying the flute. I told her I played the flute in High School, she immediately said “why aren’t you in the Community Band”. After a bit of arm twisting I agreed to come to a rehearsal.
I had not played with an organized group in almost 25 years and had not played more than a few notes in 20 years. I pulled my flute out of the closet and put it together. The Cork on the head joint was loose but it still worked and I could play a scale from memory. Remembering how to play it was like riding a bicycle, no problem. However remembering how to read music proved to be a bit more challenging, I pulled out my fingering chart and went to rehearsal a couple days later.
When I arrived at rehearsal there were about 30ish musicians there, other than Nancy I only knew one other person, Cecilia Bellinghiere, also from Boy Scouts. Nancy had a chair and stand ready for me, and when I sat down she handed me a folder of music. OMG! What did I get myself into? Lots and lots of lines and black dots, I was completely overwhelmed. I looked at Nancy and said “Middle line is a B, right?”.
One of the pieces we rehearsed that night was The Liberty Bell by John Phillip Sousa… lots of black dots were on the page. I must have had the ‘deer in the headlights’ look on my face, Nancy assured me I would recognize the tune. We began… the Monty Python Theme! And right where the Monty Python Theme stops and spits a raspberry the conductor, Don Cushman, stopped us. If I had only known these people like I do now I would have filled in the empty air with the classic raspberry.
I practiced often that spring, windows open, torturing my husband and neighbors. I remember after a week or so my husband comment that it’s starting to sound like music. YAY, it was coming back. I went to a few more rehearsals, performed in a parade, a concert, then summer break. During the break I sent my flute at a shop for a tune up.
Even though there was a near 25 year break all that knowledge was still there. The marches on little pieces of paper are harder to see than I remember, I have to blow up them to read the notes. Playing pieces I had memorized in high school was a little weird too. I would get to a part I still remembered then lose where I was on the music in front of me. Within a year I purchased a metal piccolo for parades, eventually becoming 2nd piccolo, and roping my husband into pulling the band on a trailer in the local parades. In 2012 we lost our primary piccolo player, Norma Foster, to cancer, I moved to her chair, I think about her often and always try to live up to her example.
It’s 2018, I have two jobs, a weekend ski pass, my husband and I spend most summer weekends in our RV, we fish, bicycle, and I have band. I’m the Librarian, Vice President, the JHCB Website Administrator, and a much better musician than I was in high school. As busy as my life is, I can not imagine my life without music, music is good for the soul. And the friends I have made in Community Band are like an extended family.
Did this make you reminisce about your years in High School or College Band? Do you miss a life with music in it? Why aren’t you in the Jackson Hole Community Band? Rehearsals are 7pm at the Center for the Arts, in the performing arts wing. Dust off your instrument and join us.
Halloween Concert 2017 Flute Section: Sammy Douville, Noah Osnos, Anna Senecal, Nancy Ninnemann , Holly Balogh, Julie Wilson
In 2018, you can give beginning August 1st until 5 pm on September 14th. We hope you can join us Saturday, September 8th, for Old Bill’s at the Jackson Town Square!
What is Old Bills?
We cannot thank you enough for your support!
Thank you from all of the Jackson Hole Community Band Members.
2018 – 2019 Season
Old Bills Fun Run
Oktoberfest
Halloween Concert
Tuba Christmas
Holiday Concert
Wyoming Special Olympics – 50 Years!
Spring Concert
Old West Days Parade
Independence Day Parade & Lions Club Breakfast Concert
Celebrate the Season with the Jackson Hole Community Band
The Jackson Hole Community Band is excited to present 2 festive holiday concerts, Sunday, December 10th in Star Valley and Saturday, December 16th in Jackson. We’ll play traditional favorites such as sleigh ride and Christmas festival plus new music including Minor Alterations and Secret Agent Santa.
Admission is free, we ask that concert goers bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the local food cupboards. The food items will stay in the respective communities.
2017 is the 44th anniversary for TubaChristmas and the 25th year in Jackson Hole! Saturday, December 9th, local and regional tuba, baritone horn, and euphonium musicians come from as far as Rock Springs to play Christmas music in Jackson Hole. This one hour concert is a treat not to be missed.
Join us – enjoy and celebrate!
Star Valley
Date: Sunday, December 10th
Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Star Valley High School, Afton, WY
Please bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the local food cupboard.
Jackson
Date: Saturday, December 16th
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Center for the Arts Center Theater, Jackson, WY
Please bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the local food cupboard.
Tuba Christmas
Date: Saturday, December 9th
Time: 12:00 PM
Place: National Museum of Wildlife Art
Musician Info:
Registration: 9:00 am, Center for the Arts, 240 South Glenwood
