Comox Valley鈥檚 community band is looking to increase its membership this spring. Some members have moved on, others have retired and our young musicians left last fall for university. The band needs trumpet, flute players and percussionists, but welcome any and all who have some previous experience playing an instrument. The time is ripe to pull out that old horn from deep in the closet, dust off the cobwebs and give it a blow. The community band is an unauditioned group with various skill levels that ranges in age from 20 to 92. Members come from all walks of life, many retired, some still working. So you鈥檙e recently retired, played an instrument in high school and would like to see if you鈥檝e still got the wind to make it whistle, check us out, sit in for a couple of weeks and see if community band fits your tempo. Besides, attending band once a week excuses you from the computer and the video screen. You may be a newcomer to the Valley. The concert band provides an instant connection to the community. Come once and meet 40 new best friends. It may be time to bring along a son or daughter musician while you rediscover your fingering. On one occasion, there were three generations of one family playing in the band together. And they carpooled. Director Patrick Hoenmans, a retired music educator, provides a relaxed, non-judgmental environment that caters to the differing levels of musicianship within the group. His patient style and unabashed love of the Saskatchewan Roughriders make him a natural target for all homegrown B.C. folks. Joining the Comox Valley Concert Band connects you with 115 years of instrumental music in the Valley. The first band was established in Cumberland in 1895. As then, the band still contributes to the events that shape our community. It plays at Remembrance Day services in Cumberland, Canada Day festivities in Courtenay and Summer Sounds in Comox. As well, the band performs two indoor concerts at the Florence Filberg Conference Hall each spring and fall. At $70 a year, the fees are reasonable and cover room rental, musical scores, as well as director鈥檚 honorarium. Where else could you receive musical instruction, mix with pleasant company and make beautiful music all for the price of $1.75 per two-hour rehearsal session? Research suggests that playing music keeps us young, challenges the brain and sets our feet to tapping. Just ask the folks older than 80 who form a strong contingent in this group. And there is something else about creating music 鈥� besides learning skills and technique, music encourages teamwork and precision and fosters a sense of well-being that comes from connecting with something larger than oneself. The Comox Valley Concert Band meets every Tuesday evening at 7:30 at Mark Isfeld Secondary School Band Room. An adult beginners鈥� band meets in the same venue on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. For more information, call band president Pat Jackson at 250-339-5091. 鈥� Comox Valley Community Band
