West Holmes brass band provides holiday musical delight

  • By Dave Mast
  • January 4, 2010
  • 682
                        
Millersburg and Berlin were alive with the sound of music the week before Christmas, and it wasn’t from the sound of carolers belting out Christmas tunes, but rather the brass sounds of tubas, trombones, baritones — the low-end brass instruments. From former West Holmes band members who have graduated, to current band members, down to the West Holmes Middle School (WHMS), the brass section of West Holmes High School’s band lined up for performances in Rodhe’s IGA and at the pavilion at the square of Berlin. The goal of the group was simple: help spread some holiday cheer. Under the leadership of West Holmes band director Brian Dodd and WHMS band director Mike Pacula, the brass section took center stage to perform numerous Christmas tunes, much to the delight of those who took time to stop and listen. The brass section has traveled to Rockefeller Center in New York and to Chicago to perform over the years, but this local Christmas performance is one which allows the lower brass players, a section of the band which is often relegated to back-up and beat music, to strut their stuff for the folks in Holmes County. “People think low brass and most of them think of the oompah-loompah background music,” said Dodd. “This is something special for the kids to experience that’s a little out of the norm for them. We have tried to have these performances outside, and the brass instruments project well in colder weather.” Should the weather turn too cold, Dodd said that playing an instrument with a metal mouthpiece would be akin to kissing the old flagpole, a tradition which would routinely see youngsters with their lips stuck to the icy metal. Dodd added that the low brass performances harken back to days of yore, when the Salvation Army had bands that would travel the nation. Now in its second year on the performance schedule for the West Holmes band, Dodd is hoping to create a scenario in which they will have more than just the West Holmes band members playing. What he would like to see is the entire county, and anyone who enjoys playing low brass instruments, to participate. This year he invited members of the Hiland High School brass section to join in the fun. He hopes that the tradition will gain momentum until the band is much larger. “We only have one practice, so it’s not like it is very time consuming,” said Dodd. “Much of what we’re doing here today is sight reading. Everyone kind of reads on their own, and picks it up as we go. First and foremost, we want everyone who participates to have a good time and enjoy being together and performing. We also want to entertain everyone during the Christmas season with what we hope will be some excellent music. Basically, what we are doing is performing Christmas carols, only we are doing it with instruments instead of voices. It’s a fun way for the kids to do something unique.”


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