Community band celebrates decade of fun
JACKSON TWP — Jean Forti admits her musical abilities won't get her name on a program at Carnegie Hall.
But for 10 weeks of every year, she pours all her free time and energy into her alto saxophone for one performance with the Harmony-Zelienople Community Band.
"I get to be part of something bigger," said Forti, 45, of Zelienople. "You're surrounded by all these people, and it all comes together."
The band was formed a decade ago by Susan Van Arsdale, a Seneca Valley elementary music teacher.
Adult education classes were offered by the district at the time, and teachers were encouraged to create or teach different courses for the program.
"I had a desire to see people who once played instruments in high school get their instruments out again and start playing," Van Arsdale said. "The first year we had 22 brave people show up."
Those people paid about $35 for the 10-week course, she said.
About 50 people watched the first concert, which was performed on a tiny stage at Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School in Zelienople.
Last year, 800 people filed into the much larger auditorium in the intermediate high school, and Van Arsdale expects at least that many for the 10th anniversary concert, scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the same location.
Like the original American colonies, 13 charter band members still perform with the group, including Forti, a professor of human resources management at La Roche College in Allegheny County.
A "late bloomer," Forti said she played the alto sax in high school and for one semester in the University of Dayton marching band.
Ten years ago, she saw an advertisement for community band members and called for information.
"I thought 'What the heck: I own a saxophone,' and that's all I needed to check it out," Forti said.
The group starts to rehearse every January and holds the concert 10 weeks later.The 96 members of this year's band come from all walks of life, including medicine, engineering and banking. Some are college students, some are stay-at-home parents and others are retired."We allow the children of band members to play, so often you see families sitting on stage together," Van Arsdale said.This year's concert will include music from the movie "The Incredibles," swing music, a rendition of "Danny Boy" by the flute section and special appearances by a group of Seneca Valley High School Irish dancers and the Slippery Rock University Steel Drum Band."Sue has a knack for picking a great range of music that's fun," said Carol Zimmerman, 50, of Harmony, another charter band member.Zimmerman, an actuary for the federal government, played the clarinet in high school.Van Arsdale, Zimmerman's former classmate, called her to participate in the community band when it was forming."At that point, the clarinet had been in the closet since college," Zimmerman said. "Getting it out reminded me just how much fun it was."The group is so much fun for members that Van Arsdale's father, Glenn Webster, a percussionist, travels each year from Charlotte, N.C., to play."So I get to direct my dad, which is kind of neat," Van Arsdale said. "We invite him to come up and join us because he likes to play, and he says the folks here are some of the nicest he's ever met."Director Van Arsdale's encouragement also motivates people to return every year, Forti said."Sue is just a delight to work under," she said, encouraging players to practice hard sections instead of yelling about wrong notes."That kind of person inspires you to just do it," Forti said. "You really want to do a good job for the group."
<B>WHAT: </B>Harmony-Zelienople Community Band 10th anniversary concert<B>WHEN: </B>2 p.m. Sunday<B>WHERE:</B>Seneca Valley Intermediate High School auditorium, 124 Seneca School Road, </B>Jackson Township<B>COST: </B>Free
