Lafayette Citizens Band Upbeat Newsletter Spring, 2014 "Music that brings the community together every summer. " She Didn't Choose the Saxophone, the Saxophone Chose Her By Brenda Hohman eth Purkhiser, lead saxophonist with the Lafayette Citizens Band, grew up in Monticello, Indiana and began playing saxophone when she was 10 years old. The saxophone really chose her since her older brother had played and she received his instrument. She valued her parents' contributions to the expense of an instrument so much that she practiced at least 30 minutes every day without fail which I suppose is a little bit unusual for a child. As a teenager, she saved her money from part time jobs to attend the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, a prestigious music camp for high school students, and later auditioned for the president of the camp and received a scholarship to attend for a second summer. The Selmer family, who bought the original saxophone company directly from Adoph Sax himself, funded the scholarship, spending almost exactly the same amount of money she had spent on the Selmer sax she plays today. Beth credits Interlochen with her subsequent success with three years in the Indiana All-State Bands, the McDonald's All- American Band, and with getting into the Indiana University School of Music, where she studied with world-renowned saxophonist, Eugene Rousseau. Dr. Rousseau offered her a coveted teaching assistant position in his music studio if she stayed at Indiana University for graduate school, but Beth decided to widen her horizons and accept an assistantship and full scholarship to Arizona State University for a Master's in Saxophone Performance instead. She made it through graduate school despite a bad bicycle/car accident that forced a performance hiatus and almost ended her playing career. Because of damage to her jaw, she was advised to quit playing at that point, but chose to keep playing and just accept the fact that her chosen profession was going to be a bit painful. After grad school, Beth came back to Indiana to set up her own Woodwind Music Studio in Lafayette and has remained here for the past 20 plus years. In addition to teaching private lessons, she is also the saxophone and clarinet instructor at Wabash College. Beth is the saxophonist/clarinetist and (continued on page 2)
Lafayette Citizens Band Board of Directors And Staff Officers Joe Newlin, President Dr. Keith Adams, Vice President E. Linda Jeffries, Secretary Brian Dalder, Treasurer Board Members At-Large Margaret Bertucci Matt Conaway Ishbah Cox Lewis Day Bob DeBonte Michael Eddy Bailey Hertweck Paula Jones Dr. Pam Nave Bob Modlin Joe Newlin Beth Purkhiser Tom Schmidt Ex-Officio Sheila Klinker Tony Roswarski The Saxophone Chose Her... (continued from page 1) bass clarinetist with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and has been playing as lead saxophone with the Lafayette Citizens Band for about 20 years. She does quite a bit of volunteer work for the Lafayette Citizens Band serving on the board of directors for the past three years as Performance Chairperson and Public Relations Chairperson. She communicates with local media about the band's performance schedule and schedules the new Pre-concert series of concerts which we started two years ago. Additionally, she works behind the scenes at rehearsals organizing the payroll and managing the shirts for the band. Beth plays other music events occasionally with the Big Swing Band or The Gentlemen of Note, and occasionally performs solo literature for the Tippecanoe Chamber Music Society. Her biggest supporters over the years have been her parents, Barb and Don Purkhiser who came to many of her concerts. Sadly, her dad passed away last year and she misses seeing him as he sat with her mom in the audience waiting for her to play. Barb Purkhiser still attends her daughter's concerts. "Despite the pain," Beth says she "would do it all over again," her life in music. Beth will be the featured Pre-concert soloist on June 19th at 6:30pm at. Staff William D. Kisinger, Musical Director Brenda Hohman, Executive Director Beth Purkhiser, Payroll Manager Please see the calendar included in this newsletter for a complete list of Pre-concerts being held in June at 6:30 pm before the regular concerts which begin at, except for July 4th (8:00 pm) and Labor Day (7:00 pm). Newsletter Editor Brenda Hohman Page 2
A Message from Our Executive Director, Brenda Hohman reelings, Lafayette Citizens Band friends and patrons. As I begin my 6th band concert season with the Lafayette Citizens Band, I am ever grateful for all of the people who make up band, audience and board of directors and volunteers. We are truly blessed. My job makes me focus on the nitty gritty of running the band like paying bills, daily mail, correspondence and countless "little" things that must get done. My favorite time of year is the summer when the band is playing and I can feel the sunshine on my face and hear Stars and Stripes Forever once again. I am a clarinet player and have been asked why I don't play with the band. The answer is that I love being behind the scenes and I love knowing that the things I do make a difference to a successful band season. I did take clarinet lessons with Sharron Howard, a Section Leader in the band, a couple of years ago and that was fun but I like passing out programs, setting up the water cooler, and other supportive tasks. Another important thing I do is help with the fundraising. I want to thank our President, Joe Newlin, for leading our advertisement campaign for our program books. This year we had a banner year and raised the most money ever from advertisers in our Program Book!! Joe followed up with local businesses and our board members who volunteered their time to get advertisements. You will see new advertisers this year, so please patronize their businesses and tell them that you saw their ads in our program book. We splurged and published extra pictures of the band and audience in the program book this year, too, since the campaign went so well. I hope you like it. We received a wonderful donation this year from the Mayor of Lafayette, Tony Roswarski. We told him that our chairs were getting old and in bad shape so he purchased 100 new chairs for the band to use this year!! Thank you, Mayor!! Last, but far from least, you, our audience members and donors have come through with your individual donations mailed to the band office. Your gifts represent about 20-25% of our annual operating budget, so thank you and keep them coming if you haven't this year yet. We will recognize you in the program insert at each concert. Enjoy the 2014 concert season, I'll see you at every Thursday!! Page 3
Welcome New Board Members Dr. Keith Adams Matt Conaway Bailey Hertweck Dr. Pam Nave If you are interested in serving on the board of directors, contact the band office at 765-423-2263 (leave message) or email: band@lafayettecitizensband.org. We will get you an application. Our board members serve 3-year terms and each board member serves on 2 committees. Elections are held in September but a board candidate can be elected at other times of the year. All board members help with fundraising and make a personal donation to the band according to his or her individual means. Sun Visors and White Band Shirts Lafayette Citizens Band will be selling sun visors with the band's logo embroidered on them at each concert this year. We will also be selling white logo shirts. This is to raise additional funds and to raise awareness of the band by getting the logo out in circulation. If the visors and shirts sell out, then we will order more. We will have a table set up on with volunteers to handle the sales. If you know in advance that you would like to purchase these items, send an email to band@lafayettecitizensband.org and we will make arrangements with you for pick up. Page 4
Monday, May 26 Memorial Day Thursday, May 29 High School Night Thursday, June 5 The West Side Jazzers...6:30pm Thursday, June 12 Al Jones' Riverboat Ramblers...6:30pm Thursday, June 19 Beth Purkhiser, Saxophone...6:30pm City Appreciation Night Thursday, June 26 The Gotten Combo, Caitlin Gotten, Vocalist 6:30pm Friday, July 4 8:00pm Stars and Stripes Concert Yes, I want to help the Lafayette Citizens Band continue to contribute to the quality of life in Lafayette. Enclosed is my check payable to Lafayette Citizens Band D $25 Family D $50 Friend D $100 Patron D $250 Sponsor D $500Maestro D $1,000 Superstar D Other $ Name do not list my name In your programs Address D Please Thursday, July 10 Thursday, July 17 Thursday, July 24 Thursday, July 31 Email Address Mail to: 216 N. 4th Street, Suite 201, Lafayette, In 47901 LCB is a 501 ( c ) 3 tax-empt nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Thursday, August 7 Monday, September 1 7:00pm Labor Day Guest Band Page 5