Many community bands feature more of an adult group of members, but not Powell River Community Band. When the group comes together, 15-year-old musicians take seats next to 80-year-old bandmates, according to conductor Roy Carson.
The band, now in its 55th year, plays about three concerts a year in public, including an annual concert and on civic occasions such as Remembrance Day.
“We’re always there, showing up for this ceremony or that ceremony and giving concerts at festivals downtown,” said Carson. “We’re always out there.”
Carson said practices held every Thursday night are the real reason the band assembles on a regular basis. As a certified music teacher for School District 47, he is able to open the experience up to young people, he added.
“We have an agreement with the school district that the kids can receive credit for band class,” said Carson. “The kids who are showing up are the ones who are bitten by the music bug, and they have to keep playing. The learning experience is amazing.”
Carson said the band provides an environment where a member does not have to play better than the rest of the group, they just have to give it their best. The attitude toward why they are doing it is what counts, he added.
“In school there are other kids,” said Carson. “It’s distracting from the really important reasons for playing.”
When tuba player and community band president Dirk Van Hees first started playing in the band 10 years ago, most of its members were over the age of 50.
“It’s really nice to have a much better blend of ages,” said Van Hees.
Band member Grace Gould, 16, has been playing alto saxophone since joining the group two years ago. She said her enjoyment in participating comes from playing music with different ages of people.
“Some of them have been playing for five years, some have been playing for 50 years,” said Gould. “It’s cool to see all of the ages playing together.”
Van Hees was a trombone player for most of his life, but when he joined the band three of its members were already playing the instrument. Then director Walter Martella asked him if he could play tuba parts on the trombone.
“There’s not that big of a crossover between tuba and trombone,” said Van Hees.
For someone new to an instrument, Gould said it has been a valuable learning experience to sit next to others who know their instrument, or play multiple instruments, and can pass on that knowledge to her.
“I depend on them all the time because I haven’t been playing alto that long,” she said. “The music is really difficult, so I listen to the different parts and piece together where mine is and try to sight-read as much as I can.”
Carson said he does not make the repertoire easy. On certain occasions when he hands out a new piece of music some band members express hesitation about their ability to rise to the challenge on the page. But then there is the discovery that it can be played and the attitude changes, he added.
“We work hard,” said Carson. “I give them the challenges and at the end of the day people have to have some smiles and some joy in their lives. That has to be key, really.”
