Lakeshore Pom Pon Squad to Perform at final band concerts of season

Picture Coming soon!

In picture Front Row left to right: Kristen Huff, Regan McGrath, Amber Knuth, Lauren Olson, Carrie Fodo, Amy Carroll, Michelle Dangler, Ashley Hoover, Amanda Sleder.

Back row left to right: Sarah Rabbers, Kari Bender, Stephanie Zmyslo, Emily Weber, Samanth McGough, Janae Riley and Aimee Hurdle

The final set of St. Joseph Municipal Band concerts will feature Gary Cooper as trombone soloist, the St. Joseph Municipal Band Woodwind Quintet, a composer conducting his own new arrangement for band and the special performances of the Lakeshore Pom Pon Squad.

To open the final concerts of the season, director Dr. Moely has chosen a Sousa March entitled "Golden Jubilee," which Sousa composed to commemorate his 50 years as a conductor. He labored over the march for more than five month, which was unusual for the march king, but it is considered one of his best marches.

The concert then features Gary Cooper, trombone sections leader who will perform "Trombone Concepts," by Christiensen and Mark McDunn.

GARY COOPER attended Lake Michigan College, Indiana University of South Bend, and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Cooper has played with the Michigan Opera Orchestra, the South Bend and Kalamazoo Symphonies, and the Chicago Civic Symphony. He has performed as a soloist with Southwestern Michigan Symphony, Elkhart Symphony, St Joseph Municipal Band, Chicago Civic Symphony and sang in the Chicago Symphony Chorus. Cooper performs in a chamber vocal group called Opus Nine. He is Artist in Residence in the St. Joseph and Lakeshore Public Schools. Cooper also teaches at the CARE Arts Center for the Salvation Army and provides private lessons. He is an active clinician and soloist throughout the Midwest

The entire trombone section will perform one of the famous trombone smears "Lassus Trombone" written by Henry Fillmore.

The Municipal Band Woodwind Quintet will perform three compositions in this final concert. Members of the WOODWIND QUINTET are: Charlotte Burch, flute, who has been a member of the St. Joseph Municipal Band for eight years. She is a native of central Ohio where she began playing flute in the 5th grade. She attended Ohio State University. Charlotte currently resides in Bridgman and is the Controller for Perry Ballard Incorporated. She has played flute and piccolo in various ensembles and is a member of the Southshore Concert Band. Dixie Detgen, oboe, is a retired band director from the Buchanan Community Schools. She currently consults in her business, Detgen Seminars and Clinics. This is her forty-fifth season with the St. Joseph Municipal Band. She also plays in the Southold Wind Ensemble and plays organ and directs the choir at the First United Methodist Church in Buchanan. Dave Ratajik, has performed in a number of municipal bands and various wind ensembles, and also as a soloist in area churches. Following a 35 year career in public education as a teacher and principal, he is currently an educational consultant working with school districts throughout Michigan and Department of Defense overseas schools. Stacie Detgen, French horn, holds degrees from Michigan State University and VanderCook College of Music. This fall she will begin her fourteenth year of teaching, the last eight in Charlotte. This is her twenty-second year as a member of the St. Joseph Municipal Band and she also currently plays in the Capitol Area Brass Quintet in the Lansing area. Lisa Bubar, bassoon, teaches private lessons and assists with the band program at Lake Michigan Catholic Schools. She is the bassoonist with the Lake Effect Wind Quintet and Andrews University Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Players, as well as coordinator and vocalist with The Chapel worship team in St. Joseph.

Jerry Lacke, Principal Tuba of the band will guest conduct his new arrangement "Skylark," by Hoagey Carmichael.

This is followed by the Lakeshore Pom Pon who will perform three routines 1) "What a Feeling"

2) at 3:30 p.m. "Jungle Love"–Senior Kick line; at 7:30 p.m. "Going Out of My Head" and 3) "Celebration"

The major work heard then will be Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture." This will be followed by the traditional last number of each season, the John Philip Sousa "Stars and Stripes Forever."

The season’s last concerts close with the traditional "Stars and Stripes Forever." Instead of the usual encore, the band closes with the strains of "Auld Lang Syne," with the director expressing thoughts about the season past as well as looking forward to the season ahead.

Conductor of the band Dr. Donald Moely said, "On behalf of the band, I want to sincerely thank St. Joseph Mayor Mary Goff, Manager Frank Walsh, the City commissioners, and the taxpayers of St. Joseph for their leadership and support of the St. Joseph Municipal Band. We’d also acknowledge once again, even with the unusually hot weather this summer, the capacity audiences have been terrific. The fact that they continue to come to the John E. N. Howard Band Shell and enjoy our performances week after week throughout the summer attests to their sincerely and support. Our musicians always are excited to see the wonderfully receptive, attentive and deeply appreciative audiences each concert. I deeply appreciate the musicians, the dedication and fantastic talent they share each week in our rehearsals and concerts. I feel privileged and honored to conduct them, serve the community in this way."