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Member Name: |
Brad Willard |
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Year Joined Community Band: |
I am a charter member of the community band starting
from the first rehearsal, conducted by Bob Hobday in 1988 |
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Spouse / Sig Other, Children: |
Roxanne/Rachel/Amelia |
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Work / Profession (if retired, former): |
Engineer with Xerox
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Personal Pursuits:
(such as: sports/recreation, volunteer work,
hobbies, crafts, family activities, special accomplishments) |
Other than music, my primary recreation is working on
house projects.
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Music Background:
(such as: your start, experience, education,
mentor, inspiration, interesting or humorous personal story,
accomplishments) |
I started on clarinet in
the 6th grade in Lewisville, Texas and played in the concert
band all through high school. I finished my high school career at Honeoye
Falls-Lima when we moved back north in 1979. I also played in the HF-L
musical Lil’ Abner, and was drum major for the HF-L marching band. At
Clarkson University, I continued to make noise on my chosen instrument in
the pep band for the hockey team. I eventually decided that the clarinet
was not loud enough for pep band and switched to tenor sax, which is what
I was playing when HFCCB was started. I returned to my Honeoye Falls
roots when Mark Borden asked me to play bass clarinet for the HF-L musical
“Flower Drum Song” in 1987. This began a long run of playing HF-L pits on
various instruments. Around that time, I also joined Perinton Community
Band on Alto sax, where I eventually picked up a hot girl in the sax
section.
At that time, I also
started a weekly jam session as a vehicle to learn how to play jazz. This
included other HFCCB charter members, Ken Schaible and Ray Wartinger. Ray
still occasionally attends the jam sessions, some 18 years later. Out of
the jam sessions I picked up various instruments, including Soprano, Alto,
Tenor and Bari Saxes (all of which I have played at various times in the
community band). In addition, I ended up teaching myself electric bass
when I experienced a paucity of bass players. In addition to playing in
the Jam sessions, bass has come in handy for the occasional musical and
periodic appearance in the community band.
When the hot sax player
from PCB gave birth to our first daughter, I took a hiatus from community
band for a number of years to do kid duty on Thursday nights, continuing
my playing mostly on bass in my weekly jam session, and the John Hopf Band
(CD’s remain on sale – contact me if you need your own copy of the “Funky
Noodle”). I returned to the band a few years ago when Roxanne and I
started trading off concerts.
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Other Bands Play(ed) With: |
Perinton Concert Band, Fairport&Pittsford Fire Dept.
bands, Nazareth Jazz Ensemble, Brad’s Weekly Jam Session (aka, Good
Intentions, 10 Forward, The Second Story Blues Band,,,) Various Pit Bands
for HF-L, Avon, Livonia and East Rochester High Schools, Livonia Theater
Guild and Brighton Theater Guild. Mountain Rise UCC House Band, The John
Hopf Band. |
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What you most enjoy, or find especially
fulfilling, about being a part of Community Band: |
The best part of community band for me is clearly the
opportunity to sit next to Ray and enjoy his unique wit. After that, I
take great pleasure in any opportunity to play loud. |
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Of the music we play, is there a type or piece
that is your favorite: |
The pieces I enjoy most are the ones with the Horn
cues… |
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