Posted by Terry White on November 9, 2006 | No Comments
From today’s Alaska Star:
Family band plays tune members of all ages can enjoy
Article and photo by AMY M. ARMSTRONG
If the idea of family members playing in a band together really blows your trumpet, you might want to check out Saturday night’s no-charge 7 p.m. concert at the Grace Brethren Church in Birchwood.
On tap is the Ed Singer Family Band – a 30-member group now in its sixth year of offering area families an opportunity to make music together.
“Some of our members have been playing their instruments for decades,” said Ed Singer, the band’s maestro. “And others have been playing for only a few short months.”
With members ranging from 11 to 60, Singer said the band offers an opportunity somewhat uncommon in traditional musical performance groups with individuals of similar experience and talent levels grouped together.
“This gives less experienced players the chance to sit next to a more experienced player and really learn in the process,” Singer said.
He is a 34-year veteran public school music teacher now marking his 26th straight year teaching at Central Middle School in Anchorage.
He saw a great lack of venues where family members could play together.
“This band is such a marvelous opportunity for kids to play with their parents,” Singer said. “I select music that reflects as much variety as possible.”
His wife, Debbie, is a former public school and private school music teacher. She’s been playing the flute for 43 years.
She enjoys the family dynamic the band offers.
“Here you have grandpas playing next to their grandchildren,” Debbie said. “It is just a rare and wonderful experience to have the generations interact together. There is such a need for more of that in our society today.”
While it isn’t the main focus of the band, the Singers also saw a need for home school students – their own daughter, Katherine, being one of them – to play in a group and have the experience of presenting a performance.
“If this wasn’t something we could do together as a family, we probably wouldn’t be able to do it,” Debbie said.
Katherine, an accomplished pianist, worked as the band secretary and played percussion until she got her braces off about a year ago and could start learning to play the French horn.
For other band members, Monday night practices are an opportunity to pick up a childhood hobby.
Brian Trimble of Eagle River played the bassoon in high school.
Then he took what he calls a 30-year hiatus until Singer loaned him a bassoon so he could join the family band.
“I told him I was a former bassoon player and he encouraged me to pick it back up,” Trimble said.
Turns out he rekindled his love for the instrument.
“I just fell back in love with the bassoon, and now I get to jam with the clarinets,” he said. “It is one thing to practice at home all by myself. It’s just not the same as getting together with others to make music. That just brings a very special kind of joy.”
For Kathy Houser, also of Eagle River, the family band gives her the chance to put her 35 years of clarinet playing alongside the efforts of her daughter, Victoria, a ninth grade student still mastering the instrument.
Her older daughter, Stephanie, a 22-year-old music major at the University of Alaska Anchorage, tags along for Monday night family band practices.
“It is something that I can do with my kids and that means a lot to me,” Houser said. “I like that we are making memories together for down the road and developing music appreciation at the same time.”
For Saturday night’s performance, Singer said he chose music that reflects a variety of styles.
“Of course we will have a march,” he said. “You always have a march.”
With a nod to Veteran’s Day, Singer said the concert program will include the national anthem.
Other selections slated for performance include “Rudimental Regiment” – a British-style march; “Bach Fugue in B Minor,” “A Medieval Christmas” and “Appalachian Trail” as arranged by John Kinyon, “Summon the Heroes” by John Williams and “The Mansions of the Lord” by Nick Glennie-Smith.
The Grace Brethren Church is located at the corner of S. Birchwood Loop Road and Birchtree Road.
