A Night of Music and Memories

  • By Curtis Robert Tyree
  • February 21, 2012
  • 358
                        
A Night of Music and Memories By Curtis Robert Tyree Summary: The Dover High Steel Band celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its program during its annual “Pantasia,” with an alumni performance that brought back previous members of the steel drum band for a special performance. Article: “It’s hard to believe that over twenty years ago we had our first practice of the Dover High Steel Band,” said steel band director Joan Wenzel. “We met in the morning one day in the basement of the high school and by the end of the rehearsal the students had learned a simple rhythm. And thanks to the dedication of the school, the district, the students and parents our program is still going on more than two decades later.” On Sunday February 19 more than 750 people packed Dover High School auditorium to enjoy the twentieth anniversary of the Dover High Steel Band program during the groups annual“Pantasia.” Before the concert a DVD was shown that chronicled the nineteen previous concerts. On stage was also a quilt presented to Wenzel earlier, the quilt was made of the shirts from previous Pantasia programs. The special guest for the night was Tom Miller, faculty member of the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, Colorado, recording artist and steel drum music composer and publisher. Before the performance and during its intermission raffle tickets were sold to help raise money for the repair and maintenance of the steel drums, up for grabs was an Apple iPad 2, donated by Dr. Drew Yosick of Town and Country Veterinary Clinic, Inc along with a Kindle Fire, purchased by the students of the Dover High Steel Band. “I remember our group’s first public performance, it was on the sidewalk of the Canal Dover Festival, just set on the side and not really paid much attention,” said Wenzel. “Except that nestled in one of our drums was a small dog, and the owner was standing there and thought that it was an empty canister for cigarettes. I remember thinking at that point, ‘we have a long way to go.’” One of the numbers performed was “Amazing Grace,” which was arranged by Dover High Steel Band alumni Josh Quillen. “It was an honor to have my song performed and to take part in the performance as well” said Quillen. “It was a favorite of my dad, who passed away. He spent a lot of time helping the steel band while brother Zach and I were in the band, driving the band truck to our performances. But tonight was also special because I was able to perform with friend from high school, and we hadn’t performed together since we graduated, which for me was in 1998. So to be able to perform with them again was special. “The steel band had a profound impact on me, today I still play the steel drums as part of my profession as a professional percussion artists. It is great to see the steel band program continue and to see how much larger the program has become.” “It was great to see such a large turnout,” said Eric Benjamin, conductor of the Tuscarawas County Philharmonic, who came for the performance. “It is nice to have such strong support for music programs within our county, be it a high school performance such as this or the philharmonic.” “It was great to see the interest in the steel band alumni, and as you can see there was a large interest in doing it,” said Wenzel. “It was great to be with them again, and it was important for our current students to see where the program they’re in now came from, who helped to make Dover High Steel Band possible all those years ago. But it was also great for people to see that the true success of the steel drum band was that there are still kids performing in the program twenty years on.”


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