Band features Euphonium Soloist, Guest Vocal soloist and Guest Conductor

The August 21 concert represents the 10th of 13 concerts performed at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the John E. N. Howard Band Shell in downtown St. Joseph.

Dr. Donald Moely, Municipal Band Director, announced the concert begins with a vigorous opening fanfare by Jack Stamp, "Gavorkna Fanfare." This is followed by a euphonium solo, "Rhapsody for Euphonium and Band," by James Curnow. The soloist will be Robert Rusk.

Robert Rusk is a native of South Bend who received his initial musical training in the public school instrumental music programs. While a student at John Adams Senior High, he was tubist with the South Bend and Elkhart Symphony orchestras. Mr. Rusk received his professional training in music in the Indiana University School of Music. His teacher there was the late William Bell, a former member of the John Philip Sousa band. His primary teacher however was the late Arnold Jacobs, tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 44 seasons. Concurrent with his senior year at I.U., he was a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Rusk was tubist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for 25 seasons and performed with the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County for 13 seasons. While in Milwaukee, he served on the music faculties of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Northwestern University and Lawrence College. He was previously a member of the St. Joe Municipal Band during the 1969--71 seasons as a result of auditioning for John Howard on both euphonium and baritone sax.

The band next features principal oboe of the band, Dixie Detgen, conducting the next two numbers on the program. She will conduct "Emblem of Unity" by J. J. Richards, and "Drums on the Village Green" by Philip Parker.

Dixie Detgen retired after teaching band for 29 years in the Buchanan Community Schools. She currently is the oboe instructor in the Salvation Army Arts and Education Program, plays organ at her church. She plays oboe with the Southhold Wind Ensemble (South Bend, IN) and is completing her 49th year with the St. Joseph Municipal Band. She owns her own business called Detgen Seminars and Clinics, which works with bands and directors throughout the state. She holds memberships in MENC, where she is a nationally registered teacher, and ASBDA, where she served on the Foundation Board. She is also a member of NBA, IDRS, MSBOA, AF of M, SAI, and was nominated to Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 1992. Mrs. Detgen was the MSBOA Band Teacher of the Year in 1996.

Next the concert features "Marches of Mancini", a composition highlighting several of the Mancini marches. The band then will feature a combo group in "Dixieland Jam," by Bob Bowden. The Dixie combo group consists of Carol Shelter, trumpet, of Baroda; David Ratajik, Clarinet, of Stevensville; Christopher Keech, Tenor Sax, of St. Joseph; Gary Cooper, Trombone, of Benton Harbor; Michael Shannon of Kalamazoo, and Ron Hull, Drums, of Elkhart.

A Sousa march entitled "The Gladiator March," will come next and this will be followed by the guest vocalist, Sarah Bauer, performing "Summertime," from ‘Porgy and Bess,’ by Gershwin. Miss Bauer is a member of the French horn section of the band, recently graduated from St. Joseph High School and will be a vocal music major at Michigan State University this fall.

The concert concludes with "Light Fantastic March", by the former 40 year veteran director of the famous Detroit Concert band, Leonard Smith.

The hour long Municipal Band concerts at the John E. N. Howard band shell are held each Sunday at 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. and continue through Sunday, September 4, followed by the 9:00 p.m. ‘Big Band’ concert. The season then concludes with the final set of concerts Monday, September 5, Labor Day.