2005
John Powell, Band Historian
During the first board meeting of 2005, Jim Fox was selected to be the musical director of the concert band. Jon Patton now lives near Rockport, Indiana, and plans to start a community band at that town. Jim Fox will become his ex-officio replacement on the board. The board approved and the band members endorsed the idea of purchasing a trailer to carry up to 18 players in parades. A policy statement is being drafted regarding donations that are made to the band.
On February 19, 2005, the Little Old Dam Band played in the lobby of the Centre as people entered to attend The Big Show. Many people stopped to hear the band and delayed the start of the Big Show, a fundraiser for ARC.
In a letter dated February 21, 2005, we learned that through the volunteer efforts of Jeff Middleton CINERGY has granted $397.60 to the Old Dam Community Band.
On February 26, 2005. the Little Old Dam Band played for the Willow Park retirement home . A good audience of about 50 people enjoyed the show.
March 8, 2005, The Little Old Dam Band played for the “Youth First” fund-raising auction on the campus of the University of Evansville. The band played while a silent auction was in progress.
March 12, 2005, the Little Old Dam Band Played at the Tri-State Athletic Club during a fund-raiser for the Hands On Discovery Children's Museum and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The band played the “Star Spangled Banner” to open the program and then entertained with Dixieland and Irish tunes.
From the files of Warrick County historian, Kay Lant, we see another picture of an early 20th century Newburgh band.
Newburgh Band July 4, 19??
(Year of Birth in Parens)
Kneeling: Sam Purdue (1896), Edward Folz (1875), George Morris (1871), Henry -----. , Leslie Fuquay (1891) Second Row: Albert R. Burns Back Row:Otto Kuebler (1877), Wm. Vonderscher (1881), Geo. Goldbach, Henry Law, Norman Brizius (1886), Orville Abshire (1892), Smith Abshire (1860), Fred Koehler (1870), Henry Reiher and Alpha Abshire (1882)
On April 9, 2005, the Little Old Dam band played for the start of the
MS Walk in the Civic Center area of Evansville. They played “Hit The
Road Jack” as the walkers began their trek. Over $3,500 were raised
for the charity.
At the band board meeting on April 16, two new members were chosen to
fill vacancies. Tracy McConnell and Carl Zimmerman were chosen to
replace Jim Bolte and Tina Patton who have resigned. Wayne Fiester
presented a band policy manual for comment. It was adopted after a few,
minor changes. The board also approved a plan for purchasing liability
insurance and proposed a Christmas concert during that meeting.
May 6, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played in Newburgh at the corner
of State and Jennings to entertain a small but appreciative crowd of
shoppers and music lovers on this first Friday of May.
May 8, 2005. The annual spring concert was a success as over 125 people
enjoyed the music of five bands throughout the afternoon in Old Dam
Park. The Rhein Valley Brass opened the program followed by a combined
band of Owensboro and Old Dam Community Band members. Some Owensboro
musicians then played with the Old Dam Band for their hour of music.
The Reitz High School Jazz Band then entertained for one hour. The
combo called De Ja Vu concluded the spring concert with selections of
big band tunes.
May 14, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played at River Oaks nursing home
at Princeton, Indiana, to entertain Dan's mother in-law and her fellow
residents.
May 21, 2005 The band board met to discuss several issues. Dan Schultz
announced that the band trailer is ready to be used. Tracy McConnell
and Carl Zimmerman were introduced as new members of the board. The
board approved a Member Handbook designed by Wayne Fiester. Other
issues before the board were new uniforms, a recruiting poster and
liability insurance. During the afternoon, the band played in downtown Newburgh as part of the Newburgh In Bloom program. The Newburgh Arts Committee thanked the band for its fine contribution to the successful day.
May 28, 2005 was a busy day for the Old Dam Concert band as it played
for the Memorial Day service at Rose Hill cemetery in the morning and at
a Strawberry Festival at the Presbyterian Church in Newburgh later in
the afternoon. The Dixieland combo also played at the Strawberry
Festival. The church committee for the festival sent a written
appreciation for their work to the band.
June 4, 2005 This was a busy day for the Little Old Dam Band as it
first played for the annual Newburgh Community Day sponsored by Union
Federal Bank. For this 90 minute show, the band initiated the parade
trailer. It was used as a bandstand in the bank parking lot. In the
afternoon, the band played for the annual Weber Family Reunion at
Audubon Park in Henderson, Kentucky. Over 100 Webers and their kin
enjoyed the music Both of these venues contributed to the Old Dam
Community Band fund.
June 10, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played at the Rolling Hills
Country Club for a fund raiser for supporting sports at Castle High
School. The band played for one hour while patrons enjoyed
hors-d'ouvres and participated in a silent auction.
June 11, 2005 The new band trailer began its career in the annual
Newburgh summer Fest Parade. Eighteen members of the band rode the
trailer while others marched through Newburgh. On the trailer were
Wayne Fiester, Hugh Whitaker, Steve Pitt, Tracy McConnell, Pat King,
Kathy Parker, Frank Book, Anna Hartig Rick Williams, Mike Reising, Carl
Zimmerman, Mary Williams, Virgil Miller, Terry Bailey, Janet Pride, Bill
Haas, Ted Gore and Nance Fiester. Dan Schultz marched with the trailer
and played his tuba. Jim Fox led the band from the towing vehicle that
was driven by Jim Sermersheim.
June 18, 2005 The monthly board meeting resulted in the board choosing
new shirts for the concert band. Navy blue shirts with the band logo
over the left breast was chosen to propose the the band membership.
June 29, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band provided a concert to celebrate
Independence Day at the Solarbron Pointe Retirement Community. The
concert was very well received by the residents of the Solarbron Pointe
and the nearby neighborhood.
July 1, The Warrick County Supplement for the Evansville Courier and Press
newspaper featured a nice article about the band, and featured the trip
to Newburgh, England in 2004 by the Little Old Dam Band.
On July 1, 2005, the Warrick edition of the Evansville Courier contained
a story about the trip to Newburgh, England, by the Little Old Dam Band
in June 2004.
July 4, 2005 The annual Independence Day concert at Newburgh was
interrupted by reports of an impending thunderstorm. The band stopped
playing at 8:10 so the fireworks display could be presented before the
rains began. The crowd enjoyed the 70 minutes of music and was glad to
see the equipment and supplies stowed away before the rain started.
August 9, 2005 David Bennion, one of our hosts in Newburgh, England,
arrived to visit Newburgh, Indiana.
August 18, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band performed at the Lakeside
Manor Retirement home. The band played for 90 minutes as the residents
enjoyed an ice cream social and the concert of familiar old songs.
August 27, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band performed for the 2005 Frog
Follies at the Vanderburgh County 4H Fairgrounds. The Frog Follies has
annually shown hundreds of street rods for 31 years . This was the
first time that a concert was performed during the show.
September 1, 2005 Dan Schultz and Wayne Fiester have been developing a
plan for a band stand to be erected in the Lock and Dam Park in
Newburgh. Designs of existing band shells were considered. Meanwhile,
concerts have been presented under a tent at the proposed site. When
the town of Newburgh chose to move the city hall to the downtown library
building there was no doubt that the land in the park would be available.
The Boonville Standard newspaper dated September 1, 2005, tells that,
when the idea of a band stand was presented to the town council, a
committee was formed to consider building a larger arts center as well
as a performance center in the park. It is hoped that the larger
committee will make the expanded performance center a reality.
September 10, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played at a rest stop to
entertain the riders in a Newburgh bicycle tour conducted as a fund
raiser for the Kiwanis Club. The band squeezed onto the parade trailer
and played Dixieland tunes as the bike riders rested for a moment before
continuing the tour.This was the first Little Band performance for trumpet
player Janet Pirtie.
September 11, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band presented the annual
Fall Fest on this date. The Bend In The River Brass Band opened the
program at 4 PM. The final two hours of the concert featured a band
consisting of players from the Owensboro Community band conducted by
Steve O'Neal and the Old Dam Community Band under the leadership of Dr.
Jim Fox. An audience of 30 to 40 people enjoyed the program.
September 17, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band again played a two hour
concert for the “Arts In The Park” program presented by the Evansville
Art Guild. A good crowd enjoyed the music as they strolled among the
various displays of arts and crafts in the Willard Library Park.
Charles Dewig's son, Ben, was among the six tuba players as he was
enjoying a ten day leave after Marine Corps boot camp.
Following the concert, the band board of directors met in the Willard
Library meeting room. The board voted to accept the plan for new navy
blue uniforms for the band. Wayne Fiester will proceed to implement the
plan to order shirts and caps.
September 24, 2005 The Little Old Dam band played for the annual old
car show and picnic at the Rathbone home in Evansville. The residents
and visitors enjoyed a program of Dixieland style tunes.
October 8, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played for the Heart Walk at
the event plaza of the Casino Aztar. Over 700 persons walked up to
three miles to raise money for the American Heart Association.
Survivors of heart disease, including our Hugh Whittaker, wore red caps
for this event.
October 8, 2005 Fifteen members of the The Old Dam Community Band
boarded the trailer to participate in the 84th annual parade of the West
Side Nut Club Fall Festival. It was a chilly evening on West
Franklin Street in Evansville but everyone had a good time. On the
trailer were Dave McGill, Wayne Fiester, Steve Pitt, Frank Book, Dave
Emery, Tracy McConnell, Terri Schultz, Jeff Middleton, Mike Reising,
Bryan Hartig, Mark Taylor, Terry Bailey, Ted Gore, Jim Hadley and Bill
Haas with Jim Fox conducting from the Navigator which was driven by Jim
Sermersheim
October 9, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band entertained the Evansville
Rotary Club at Wesselman Park. The “Heritage Fest” was a multicultural
family picnic. Following the 90 minute concert, the band members enjoyed
a picnic lunch.
October 15, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band performed for the Red Hat
Society on two cruises on the “Spirit of Jefferson” boat. Over 150
ladies danced and sang to the band's music. Hugh Whittaker taught them
how to dance “Ballin' The Jack” as everyone enjoyed the beautiful day
for a cruise on the Ohio River.
October 16, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band performed at the start of the
Alzheimers Memory Walk at the University of Southern Indiana. Over 700
persons showed their support for the Alzheimers Association by helping
them raise over $15,000 for research. Jo Shuttleworth accompanied the band for these gigs. She is the resident of Newburgh, England, who hosted Wayne Fiester and Frank Book when the band played there in June of 2004.
October 23, 2005 The annual business meeting, lunch and concert was
held on this date at the lock and dam building. During the business
meeting, John Powell was re-elected to fill the post of historian and
Gene Van Stone was voted into the office of band treasurer. President
Dan Schultz summarized the status of the band and outlined the future plans.
October 29, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played at the Atria nursing
home for a good and appreciative crowd.
November 5, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band entertained a dining room full
of residents at the Parkview Care Center in Evansville.
November 6, 2005 At about two AM, a tornado passed through Southwestern
Indiana. The homes of four members of the Old Dam Community Band were destroyed. The affected musicians were Don Ellis, Wayne Fiester, Bryan Hartig and Bryant Taylor. They all escaped serious injury.
November 12, 2005 The Little Old Dam Band played at the 50th wedding
anniversary party for Bill and Ann Haas. The dinner party was held at
the Germania Mannerchoir in Evansville.
November 19 & 20, 2005 The Junior League of Evansville was entertained
by the Little Old Dam Band on Nov. 19 and the Old Dam Community Band on
Nov. 20 as they held their annual Holiday Mart at The Centre in
Evansville. A large crowd of shoppers enjoyed the music. Over 40
merchants participated in this event that raises money for the Junior
League's charitable work.
December 2, 2005 The Old Dam Band played at the annual “Chestnuts
Roasting Over An Open Fire” event in Newburgh to begin the season there.
Twenty players braved the 30 degree temperature.
December 4, 2005 The Big Old Dam Band played Christmas music at Santa Land.
December 10, 2005 The Old Dam Community Band played for the “Dickens on
Main Street” event in Evansville. Due to the cold weather, the band
chose to play inside the old DeJongs Store building instead of on an
outdoor stage. The music was heard on Main Street via speakers through
the area. Dickens On Main Street was a fund raiser for Impact Christian
Impact Health Care Center.
December 11, 2005 The Old Dam Band presented the first annual Christmas
concert at the Presbyterian Church in Newburgh. The concert was recorded
with the following
"The Old Dam Community Band" (part 1)Do You Hear What I hear What I Hear?
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
Sleigh Ride
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Carol of the Bells
Jingle Bells Fantasy
A Fresh Aire Christmas
"The Newburgh Presbyterian Chancel Choir"
Directed by Dr. Jim Fox Piano Accompaniment by Gay Baker
Will You Make Room?,
Advent Prayer
Going to Bethlehem
"The Old Dam Community Band" part 2
March of the Little Tin Soldiers
Feliz Navidad (excerpt from Calypso Christmas)
Jingle Bell Rock ,
White Christmas
Row 1 Dr. Jim Fox, Pat King, Tracy McConnell, Michelle Lansdale
Row 2 Rose Hartig, David Emery, Mary Ann Decker, Mary Williams, Terri
Schultz, Nance Fiester, Janet Pirtle
Row 3 Frank Book, Rick Williams, Mark Taylor, Mike Filippi,
Row 4 Mike Reising, Bill Wallace, Bryan Hartig, Virgil Miller, Charles
Dewig,
SUMMARY 2005 This was a busy year for both of the Old Dam Band
ensembles as the big band performed seventeen times and the Little Old
Dam Band played eighteen times.
In November, the Little Old Dam Band presented its one hundredth show
since its beginning four years ago.
The conductor for the concert band this year was Dr. James Fox. One of
his goals was to have each section play in harmony and at a compatible
sound level with the rest of the band. He pointed out that a band is
the place to demonstrate mature musicianship to improve the overall
sound of the organization. Through the initiative of band president Dan Schultz, a trailer was purchased and modified for use by the band in parades. Eighteen players are seated in the trailer while others may march along side in a parade.
Vice president Wayne Fiester researched the market place and found new
uniforms for the band. The first annual Christmas concert inaugurated
the use of the navy blue shirts and caps.