The President's Corner
February 2003
Incredible! — the one, single word, which most completely encompasses my feelings as I pen my first “President’s Message.” I use the word encompass because there is no one defining emotion, yet a competing array of fears, joys, trepidations and elation. What you, the members of WASBE, have entrusted to me is undoubtedly the single greatest honor of my life, and almost certainly the one that will pose my biggest challenge. My thoughts now drift to how I arrived at this point.
The year was 1986 and I was off to rehearsal when I received a phone call from Frank Battisti asking if I would assist him with the “Repertoire” sessions for the WASBE Conference in Boston (the following year). How could I say no to Frank Battisti (actually I’ve never learned how to say no to Frank), and the rest was an incredible turn of events. Instead of being a delegate to the conference, I was now working side by side with Frank, Lee Crissman, John Paynter, Mike Bankhead and many others who were “pulling it all together”. Then came Kerkrade (1989) and another repertoire session with Frank and I met more of my new WASBE family. Manchester (1991) became additionally significant when (then) President-Elect Leif Jansson, asked me to consider the position of WASBE Secretary. And now I take over as President, having served as your secretary and on the “executive” for eleven wonderful years.
Now, after only a few short weeks, I am quickly acquiring a great admiration for all those who have held the presidency of WASBE. Each has brought with them an indelible stamp that has helped shape this organization. You cannot call into question anyone’s loyalty if they have served as a President, officer or council member. These men and women deserve our most sincere appreciation and respect. One can only imagine the great sacrifices that have been given in the name of servitude to an organization dedicated to nurturing the musical element we lovingly call the wind band. While we have engaged in philosophical disagreements from time to time, we owe these servants of WASBE an enormous debt of gratitude for all they have given to further the cause of this great organization. However, each President has undoubtedly thought what I am thinking now: where do we go from here? From time to time I hear the question, “What is a WASBE?” Rather than define and quantify the organization, might it be more productive and accurate to define or describe what a member of WASBE is? It’s my belief that a member of WASBE quite likely fits into one or more of the following categories:
- You have a love of the wind band and all or some of its ancillary units. Already in 1918, Percy Grainger began to realize the potential of the wind band when he wrote, “....in certain realms of musical expressiveness the wind band has no rival.” Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Paul Hindemith, Karel Husa, Vincent Persichetti, Warren Benson and many other important composers embraced the term wind band and have become enamoured by its sonorities and fallen prey to its enormous musical possibilities. Naemi Jervi, Leonard Slatkin, Denis Wick, Simon Rattle, Edo DeWaart and other great conductors have stepped out from under their comfortable orchestral blankets to engage the wind band repertoire. And now each WASBE member can turn to find over 1100 kindred spirits from 52 countries who share those interests as well.
- You want to do what you do – better. Simply by joining this organization you have already admitted to yourself, somebody out there is doing what I do better and I want to know who and how. I personally have made myself a nuisance at many a WASBE clinic or conference simply because of my incessant curiosity. I know that I can do my job better and I am fully aware that there are methods, practices, ideas and tenets that far outshine my own. I want to be a better teacher, conductor, musician and I am not content to simply get all my information from those in my immediate locale. I want a global perspective and I want to “steal” information from all those I come in contact with to incorporate freshness into my own musical life. If you qualify under this heading, then you are probably involved or have been involved in a WASBE committee, publication, section, clinic or conference. You faithfully read the quarterly Newsletter and digest each yearly Journal. You have joined an international family that respects different cultures while being nurtured by a commonality of respect and love for the wind band(s).
- You are curious about other countries and their wind band heritage and culture. It is so easy for all of us to nest in our own corners of the globe but a WASBE member feels uneasy about life in that bubble. We often hear the phrase that the world is shrinking. In WASBE, the world is not shrinking; it’s just that our curiosity is expanding. Most of you are aware of the marvellous writings of David Whitwell on the history of the wind band. I use his book(s) as text for my graduate classes however their pages came to life following my initiation into WASBE. I’ve seen the early court and civic band instruments in Germany; I’ve heard the original tattoos of Austria; I’ve witnessed the historic Spanish town bands and the Palaces in Switzerland where the nobility routinely entertained Harmoniemusik. I’ve been to the birthplace of the Longy Band and the Eastman Wind Ensemble and now this summer we will experience the proud heritage of the Scandinavians. I have listened to performances on authentic early European instruments, some unique civil war instruments from the United States, Alpen Horns from Switzerland, gong drums from Asia and even some “Camel” horns from Kazakhstan. My curiosity led me to WASBE and WASBE continues to lead me on to many more exciting adventures that will continue to enrich my life.
So, what is a WASBE? Does it really need specific parameters or, can it grow and evolve around the categories (above) of musicians and friends of music who truly have and will become WASBE? Although I was not there in 1980 when several learned individuals gave birth to this organization, I cannot imagine that any one of them had a vision that eventually we would become exclusive. Rather I profess that we become more inclusive. Can we be everything to everybody? Undoubtedly not, but we can be of significance to many and we can accomplish great things. We must accept our destiny as the leading organization for wind bands throughout the world. We are 22 years old and one can only hope that many of the growing pains are behind us. You are WASBE, I am WASBE and the time has come for us to accept our charge to lead, not follow. To develop, not stagnate. To break new frontiers and not to idle in our own safe havens. I am going to constantly demand from the executive and the council solutions, not excuses. This office humbles me but I will not shy away from my responsibilities to each and every member. I truly love this organization and it will be my great honor to serve as your President. May I now ask that you get involved and join this ever-expanding crusade to “promote the wind band as a serious and meaningful medium of musical expression”.
Respectfully submitted
Dennis L. Johnson
President