A History of the Fort Wayne Area Community Band...
A quarter century ago a small teaser article in The NewsSentinel announced the forming of a community band and
invited interested parties to dig their horns from the depths
of their closets and under their beds, dust them off and
bring them to the Neff Hall auditorium at Indiana
University- Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) to be in a
concert band. Thirty-five musicians, many who had not
touched their instruments since their days in high school or
college bands showed up at that first rehearsal in
November 1979. The result was the Fort Wayne Area
Community Band.
The man who had the idea to start the ensemble and serve as its conductor for seven
years was Dr. William Schlacks, (1979-1985). As director of instrumental music at IPFW
he made it possible for the newly established band to practice every Tuesday night at
IPFW. Schlacks helped them establish an internal governing organization, elect officers
and a board of directors. This great organization gave its first concert just five months
later. Thank you Dr. Schlacks!
Dan Kulpa, charter member and three-term past president, says he always makes sure his schedule is
clear for Tuesday night rehearsals. "It's like Sunday is for church and Tuesday night is for band. We have
grown and progressed from a group of people who just played together to a real musical organization.
About 18 months before the band started I began playing my instrument after an 18-year hiatus. I
missed playing so I joined the Magnavox Band and when the Community Band started I was excited.
Music is important to me. I love this band!" "It's important for us now to attract younger players to
assure that this organization will go on forever."
Charter member and past president Vince LaBarbera says he's proud of the progress the ensemble has
made over the years and the fact that "there aren't many community bands around that can hold a
candle to us. I hadn't played my trumpet since graduating from Notre Dame in 1963. When I saw the
notice in the paper I thought it would be neat to play in a band again, and I was pretty sure there would
be a lot of players in the same boat who had not played for some time. It's a great source of enjoyment
and I've made a lot of good friends and feel that we provide something valuable to our community."
Bobbie Patterson and her husband, Kenton, who had been playing in a fife and drum corps were excited
when the Community Band started. "For me," says Bobbie, "it was a chance to play my flute again (she
had not played since her days in the Northrop High School band), and to play some challenging music
and… a good reason to get out of the house one night a week." She was part of the unofficial organizing
committee, helped write the band's constitution and by-laws and served on the board 13 years.
Kenton, a percussionist, joined the band, too, but dropped out for seven years to baby sit their two
youngsters. The band became a family activity for the Pattersons when their daughter, Joann, joined the
trombone section in 1993 and their son, Josh, in 1998 on baritone. For Bobbie, music has always been
her source of creativity. "It's always my constant, along with the people and the ‘after rehearsal get
together.’ I plan to play until the end," she added.
That first summer the group gave concerts in a number of neighborhood parks around Fort Wayne and
began preparing for a scheduled winter concert series in Neff Hall. A few years later the performance
site became the Performing Arts Center, then the Scottish Rite Auditorium and the Embassy Theatre. In
2007 the FWACB was given a more permanent home on the campus of IPFW in the Rhinehart Music
Center. And what a great place it is! Check the concert schedule page on this website and plan to attend
the band’s next concert.
From its inception, the FWACB has brought a high level of music to the surrounding communities,
playing during the Three Rivers Festival, The Foellinger Theater, The Embassy Theatre, The Civic Theatre
and at the Auer Auditorium on the campus of IPFW. The FWACB played in the Elkhart Festival of Bands
and performed its highly regarded Sousa-style concert for the Indiana State Music Educators Association
in Indianapolis with assistant director David Blackwell dressing in period band attire and assuming the
persona of "The March King" as he would have directed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The band
also plays for the annual graduation ceremonies of Ivy Tech State College and the University of St.
Francis.
Dr. George Cavanagh (1985-1998) took over the baton as director of bands at
IPFW when he replaced Dr. Schlacks who took a position at Muskingum
College in Muskingum, Ohio. He led the FWACB until his retirement in 1999.
David Cooke, principle trombonist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra and
conductor of the Community Orchestra, served as interim director of the IPFW
Wind Ensemble and the Community Band during the yearlong search for
Cavanagh's replacement.
Dr. Reed Thomas (1999-2004) was Cavanagh’s replacement and he brought the band to
new heights through his own love of music and challenging skills. Thomas left after four
great years to take a position at Middle Tennessee State College and Cooke was called
upon to lead the FWACB again during the search for a new director.
Dr. Gregg Gausline, (2004-2007) was that director who brought great excitement and
musicality to the band until he took a position with the University of Georgia.
David Blackwell, a retired band director from Wawasee Middle School in Syracuse,
IN became one of the long time associate directors for the band. He himself plays
a very hot jazz clarinet and has his own band called the Music Express. He also just
retired as president of the FWACB.
Susan Jehl, is director of Summit Middle School bands and assists with the
Homestead Marching Band who has several first place trophies from State
competitions. She has also been a long time associate conductor of the FWACB,
plays Tenor Sax for the band and is a board member.
2007 brought to the podium Dr. James Colonna, who received his doctorate of Musical Arts
degree from Michigan State University. As a trumpet performer, he performed with the 113th
Army Band, the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony, the Night Flight
and Jim Colonna Big Band, as well as numerous community events. The FWACB is proud to be
under the direction of Dr. Colonna with all the great talent he has to offer. In the summer of
2008 Dr. Colonna took a position with the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, WI.
Dr. Colonna’s move to Wisconsin brought Dr. Chad Nicholson to the podium in the fall of 2008. Dr.
Nicholson was the Associate Director of Bands at Colorado State University where he
conducted the Symphonic Band, assisted with athletic bands, and taught conducting.
Nicholson received a DM in wind conducting from Indiana University under the mentorship
of Ray Cramer and Stephen Pratt. While at Indiana University, he was a guest conductor
with the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band; additionally, he was an
instructor with the IU Marching Hundred. Nicholson also holds degrees from New Mexico
State University (MM/Conducting) and from the University of Oklahoma (BME). Dr.
Nicholson has much talent to bring to the FWACB for the new season.
Dr. Nicholson resigned as director of the FWACB in the summer of 2010 because of an enhanced
teaching load at IPFW.
Scott Humphries
Assistant Professor of Music at Manchester College
Director of Instrumental Studies and Music Education
Manchester Symphony Orchestra
Symphonic Band
Saxophone
Scott Humphries is a native of Alleghany County, Virginia. He received a Bachelor
of Music Education from James Madison University and a Master of Arts from
Virginia Tech. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Boston University. While in Virginia,
Mr. Humphries directed bands at both the middle school and high school levels He worked with the
Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra for ten years and taught as an adjunct lecturer for Dabney S.
Lancaster Community College.
He has presented research at the Virginia Music Educators Association Convention, the Music Educators
National Conference Convention, and has published research in the international journal Psychology of
Music. He is also a published composer of music for concert band and wind ensemble. His compositions
have been published by MSB Publishing and Stephen Melillo. Humphries is currently an assistant
professor at Manchester College in Indiana, where he is the Director of Instrumental Studies and Music
Education, conducts the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, MC Symphonic Band, and the saxophone
professor. Humphries was hired as director of the Fort Wayne Community Band in the fall of 2011. He is
a member of MENC, IMEA, CBDNA and the College Music Society. Humphries remains in demand as a
judge and clinician throughout the United States.
Dr. Ben Christy, dean of the IPFW School of Visual and Performing Arts, said "the Community Band and
IPFW enjoy a rich collaboration. The school is honored that this excellent ensemble is a Company-inResidence. It has not only been an organization for adult musicians from the community, but for
students who are unable to work the IPFW Wind Ensemble into their class schedule. We look forward to
our next 25 years of partnership with the band."
Approximately 80 musicians, students, music teachers and professionals from all walks of life attend
Tuesday night rehearsals at 7:30 in the Rhinehart Music Center’s practice room on the campus of
IPFW. The performance schedule for the band can be found under the Concert Schedule button on the
website. The FWACB is now famous for a variety of musical genres played in and around the Fort
Wayne Community. If you wish to join the FWACB as a musician show up at rehearsal time or contact:
[email protected]