The Town and Country Band is tuning up for a new season and looking for new members. The multi-generational band is in need of low brass, percussion, saxophone and French horn players, but all instrumentalists are welcome.
There are no auditions and a friendly welcome is just about guaranteed. “We play simply because we love music and hope that we bring joy to others,” longtime member Peg Semke said as a spokesperson for the band.
The band was formed 17 years ago and has played all over west central Iowa, at the Boone Municipal Band Festival, and even at the Iowa State Fair. Rehearsals at Mondays at 7 pm in the band room at the Paton-Churdan school.
“Many of us had not played our instruments for a number of years before taking them up again. So even if you are ‘rusty,’ come join us. You will be surprised at how quickly the skill will come back. It is very rewarding and keeps the mind sharp,” Semke said.
Saxophone player Jill Lamoureux echoed that. “I hadn’t played my saxophone in 11 years when Wayne Lautner talked me into joining the band. Wayne brought some sheet music to my house. We had a mini jam session, if that’s what you call it when you play the ‘Colonel Bogey March’,” Lamoureux said.
“When I showed up at that very first band practice, someone said, ‘You must be the new sax player.’ That always struck me funny because it made me seem a little more accomplished than I was, but I’ve been there ever since. It’s crazy all the minor things that you forget about – some of the more unusual time signatures, rhythms, and musical terminology. But after a couple months of practice and playing with others it all comes back to you. That’s true whether it’s been 11 years or much longer since you’ve played,” she added.
Lamoureux is among the band members who have had the opportunity to play in the same band as their children. Her daughters Regan (now 9th grade) and Kassie (7th grade) have both played in the band. “It’s been a lot of fun to sit beside them, listen to them play, and learn right along beside them. It’s a testament to our school district’s music department that kids as young as middle school can come into a room full of adult musicians and share their talents. Kids and adults, alike, are always welcome and greatly appreciated,” Lamoureux said.
Some band members, like Ruth Consier and Ron DeBok, have even invited their grandchildren to play along.
Mark Rasmussen is a relative newcomer to the group, having gotten out his trombone after 30 years away from it. He said before going to a rehearsal he played through the scales he remembered, and he was able to retrieve an old method book and brush up a bit. “It was my love of music that drew me to the band. There’s something about the physical act of singing, and it’s the same when you’re playing an instrument,” he said.
“The band was very welcoming, and very tolerant of my playing,” Rasmussen added.
According to Rasmussen, “Playing in the Town and Country Band isn’t about recreating your high school days, but about doing something you enjoy.”
Victoria “Snowy” Chargo will direct the band this summer. She first played with the band as an 8-year-old, sitting through rehearsals while her mother, Tori Riley, played flute. Years before Chargo started band at J-S, percussionists Janice Tilley and the late Sally White pressed her into duty playing the jingle bells for Christmas concerts.
Chargo will graduate from the University of Northern Iowa in May and will be the director of bands at Audubon. She occasionally directed the band last summer.
She credits the band in part for her decision to become a school music teacher. “I’ve seen the joy members of the Town and Country Band find in their playing, and I want to be able to instill in my students that making music is a lifetime activity,” she said. “I’m honored and excited to be directing my good friends this summer, and making new friends. We’ll have a lot of fun together.”
The usual summer schedule includes a pair of Memorial Day programs, the Bell Tower Festival, the Greene County Fair, Paton Fun Day, Lincoln Highway Days in Grand Junction and other events as invited.
To make it easier for people who have been separated from their instruments over the years, the band accepts donated used instruments to share. Donated instruments, particularly saxophones, would be greatly appreciated.
Persons who want more information, are interested in joining the band, or who have an instrument to donate can call Wayne Lautner at 515-370-1555.
