HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-06-17, Page 3Wednesday, June 17, 2015 • Huron Expositor 3
Marco Vigliotti/Huron Expositor
Co -directors of the Seaforth All -Girls Marching Band Heather Dawe and Charlie Kalbfleisch met up for an interview last week. Also pictured, members of the band practice outside Seaforth Public School.
Seaforth All -Girls Marching Band seeks new recruits
Marco Vigliotti
Huron Expositor
Heather Dawe can speak
from firsthand experience
when she says membership
in this long-running band
sparks a lifelong love affair
with music.
In her role as co -band
director with the Seaforth
All -Girls Marching Band, she
has seen countless young
women embrace their pas-
sion for song as they partici-
pate in various parades
across the region.
"I like to be involved in the
band because I've seen how
this type of institution can
change lives," Dawe said in
an interview held prior to
one of the practices of the
band, which has been in
operation for over 60 years.
She credits her co -band
director Charlie Kalbfleisch,
who she has known since
she was a young child grow-
ing up in nearby Varna, for
inspiring her to first get
involved with the group,
which is always looking to
attract new members to its
ranks.
And as a former member
herself, she praises the band
for embedding her with a
love of song that led her to
become a music teacher at
Seaforth Public School.
"I'm a music teacher today
and in large part that's due to
Charlie and him sharing his
talents with me and teaching
me all kinds of instruments
and giving me the opportu-
nity to travel," Dawe said. "I
wouldn't have a lot of those
opportunities without the
band."
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music skills and the oppor-
tunity to perform in high
profile, marquee events,
such as the Toronto Santa
Claus parade, are just some
of the many benefits of band
membership, she added.
While marching bands
may conjure thoughts of
somewhat repetitive perfor-
mances of "Stars and Stripes
Forever;' the Seaforth group
boasts a more colorful song-
book featuring classic rock
and roll tunes from the likes
of the Beach Boys and the
Beatles.
"We play rock and roll in
the march," Kalbfleisch said
as he joined to Dawe at the
school. "That's very different
than the traditional band
going down playing John
Phillip Sousa"
Once a 100 -person strong
ensemble, the band now
totals about 30 girls who hail
from all over Huron County,
including Seaforth, Clinton
and Goderich.
Kalbfleisch says the group
is looking to "rebound" and
rebuild its ranks, calling 50
an ideal membership level.
"50 is where we should be.
When you do a parade if you
have 50 kids and 10 are away,
we're okay," he explained.
"But if you have 30 and 10 are
away...it's tough."
The band, Kalbfleisch
says, is supported financially
by fundraising efforts and
fees generated from per-
forming in parades.
In one year alone, the
band racked up roughly
$16,000 from parade perfor-
mances, he says.
Despite the hefty cost of its
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instruments - the band has
about $100,000 in equip-
ment alone - there is no cost
to join the group, with mem-
bership open to all girls
between the ages of 12 and
18.
As well, Dawe is organiz-
ing a three-day, two -night
trip for the band to Camp
Kintail in Goderich later this
summer.
The cost of the trip will be
subsidized by the band,
which will pay the entire fees
for families who are unable
to pay the reduced rate.
"We'll practice together
and do some music work
there too...but it's a chance
to socialize and build our
team together," Dawe said of
the get-together. "They'll get
to do high ropes courses,
they get to run around in the
bush, they get to go kayaking
and paddle -boarding - all
kinds of fun things that
aren't music related."
Those interested in joining
are encouraged to contact
Dawe at heatdawe@
fc.amdsb.ca or Kalbfleisch at
519-565-2244.
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