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Wednesday, March 28, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER C3 Musical life does exist after high school (C ontinued from p age C 1) % OU a T £ iJn uitE ci to "In order to do a good showing, you have to have a very dedicated and thorough group; and we are dedicated and thorough." Holmberg says the O W O 's high score at the festival not only represented a pat on the back for the musicians, it demonstrated to high school students that there is life in music after high school. However, unlike high school bands, most musicians in a community band have families and day jobs, making it difficult for them to co-ordinate schedules and accum ulate resources that would allow them to travel to another city for the nationals. "We only found out at the end of February and it's at the end of M ay.. .Right now we are hoping to go and take advantage of this oppor tunity, but w e're not sure w e'll be able to go," she says. "We're doing some fund-raising." One of the band's major fundraisers each year is its spring concert at the Oakville Cen tre for the Performing Arts, usually in midApril. However, since Easter falls at that time, this year's concert will be held on Sat urday, May 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 and are available through the Oakville Centre box office at 130 Navy St., 815-2021. Not only has the confidence level of the band escalated since its win at the music festi val, its new conductor has given the musicians a new sparkle and enthusiasm. In fact, Holm berg, an eight-year veteran with the orchestra, attributes the OW O's recent success to music director Chris Arthurs and his suggestion that the orchestra enter the recent music festival. "H e's very positive and has a lot of good ideas...A nd competitions for bands seem to be on the rise now. The CNE is opening its band shell to have a band festival - the first time in many years. So, w e're playing in that," she says, adding, "A lot of people are getting more and more into concert band music and enjoying it more. The hard thing is letting people know that there are good groups out there to join." And, she adds, concert band music is diverse; it's not just a series of marches, as many people mistakenly believe. The OWO plays everything from marches to Mozart, big band to Broadway, with music that appeals to adults and children alike. And to prove the popularity of its repertoire, Holmberg cites the popularity of the OW O's annual concerts in Coronation Park every Tuesday evening in July that attract up to 250 spectators. "We extended it last year to include the first two Tuesdays in August. And that is becoming popular," she says. "And we don't charge for that. We just have someone collect donations - a tooney for a tune." Hopefully audience members will see their way clear to dig a bit deeper into their pockets this year, since, for the first time, the orchestra will have to pay for the use of the bandshell. Holmberg doesn't really expect the audience to cover the added costs, but she is disappointed that the band is facing yet another price hike. "They've started charging for every venue in town now. And we used to get 100% waved," she says. "It's really hard, because our advertising for it costs about $700 and now to play on the stage will cost $750." Sources of revenue for the OWO include the $75 annual membership fee from each musician in the orchestra, a few private gigs, a number of town events which gamer about $100 each, a collaborative effort with a Toronto theatre company in which the OWO sells tickets to the company's dress rehearsal and, of course, the annual concert at the Oakville Centre. Its major expenses include the conductor's salary, advertising costs, and buying new music. Now the OWO will have the added expense of the bandshell this summer. How ever, it has decided to relinquish its spot in the Waterfront Festival in the future because each musician is required to buy a Waterfront button, which means the orchestra's costs would exceed its honorarium. ""We can't afford it. So we don't play in that anymore, which is a shame," says Holm berg, adding that she hopes Midnight Mad ness will not follow Waterfront's example. "They've been really, really good so far...In order to get known and be seen, you have to play a lot of gigs. A lot of people associate community groups with free or charity, but music costs a lot of money." Despite the OW O's few financial set-backs, its members are enthusiastic about the orches tra's future and are confident that their recent ly hired conductor will take them to new heights. They are also learning novel ways of doing things by exchanging ideas with other community bands and organizations. "Right now w e're working with Glen Abbey United Church to put together a com bined fund-raising concert...w ill split the proceeds. We are looking for win/win oppor tunities with other groups or other partner ships in town." The OWO, which made its first public appearance as the White Oak militia band in the mid-1800s, has evolved over the years, and is, according to Holmberg, "the longest continuously operating band in Canada." As it continues to operate, Holmberg says the orchestra is always looking for musicians who play "the more unique instruments" tuba, bass clarinet, e-flat clarinet, bassoon, euphonium. And. she adds, when musicians join the OWO, they tend to stay. "A lot of people have been with us for 10 to 15 years...It's not a strict band, that we don't have any fun; but it's dedicated to fur thering our own m usical education and enhancing our own enjoyment of our own playing," she explains. "When you're playing a piece and it all comes together, there's noth- the 35th Annual AKVILLE O CIETY RT Oakville Galleries in Centennial Square, 120 Navy St. April 7 at 7:30 p.m., doors open 6:30 p.m. tor preview and Silent Auction bids. an Suznmcj oj~ Sxcitzm znt & ^ n A z x t a b m iE n t as you add to your corporate & private art collections from some of these artists: Robert Bateman: limited edition litho, Timber Wolf portrait Erica Barrett: oil · Micheline Likas: pottery Dawn Angela Seeley: oil-coloured black & white photograph The late Tom Chatfield: acrylic · Joyce Kellock: oil Jack Reid: watercolour · Michael Young: stone sculpture Arlene Saunders: watercolour · Karen Walker: oil Marguerite Broten: stoneware · Joe Smith: watercolour Lilah Lewis Irving: acrylic · Susan Blackadar: mixed media Diane Avery: watercolour · Gail E. K. Mowat: acrylic Peri Jolley: mixed media mono print, AND OVER 70 MORE. FREE a d m is s io n · R e fre s h m e n ts SILENT AND LIVE AUCTION Preview showing: March 31 to April 7 during main Centennial Library hours. For more info call: 827-5711 www.oakville-art-society.com Photo by Barrie Erskine A close look at Joanne Phoenix on flute. ing like it. You get goose bumps." The orchestra is also looking for more sheet music - some for the entire orchestra, some for a break-away group of about 15 musicians who play at smaller gigs. "We can't use the full band scores; we have to build a library of music that would be appropriate for that," says Holmberg. "We don't have the funds to put together some thing." Consequently, the executive has put together some sponsorship packages, offering different advantages to companies that are willing to donate $5,000. $1,000 or $300. For more information on the OWO or on becoming a sponsor, contact Holmberg at 338-8114. 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