Gene Andrusco, nephew of former town band director Walter Andrusco, will be holding an organizational meeting on Aug. 29 in efforts to reinstate the old community band in Fort Frances.
“It kind of petered away and there was no instrumentation left,” he explained, citing the last time the town band played was in 1979.
“If we get enough people who are interested, we might be able to do it,” added Andrusco.
Andrusco explained the band played weekly concerts in the park during the summer and always played in the Canada Day parade here and July 4 parade in International Falls, Mn.
“I’m participating in a concert band down south where I’ve been living for many years, so I thought it would nice to start one up here, see if it would succeed,” said Andrusco, who is now retired and will be moving back to Fort Frances.
He stressed anyone—no matter their age or where they reside—is welcome to come out to the meeting, as long as they have some experience playing a concert band instrument.
“It will be for fun and to provide some entertainment,” he indicated. “For people who have played instruments before and want to get back into playing, now’s their chance.
“We’re not going to be professional, of course, but we’re just going to try and have fun and make some music,” remarked Andrusco.
The meeting will help Andrusco see how many people are interested and what instruments people play, to gauge whether he has the instrumentation needed to move ahead with reactivating the band.
He expects about 30 people would be required to have the necessary instrumentation.
“If we’re missing key elements—for example, if there is nobody who plays tuba—it will be hard to have the band. We need a smattering of all the instruments and I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to get it.”
Andrusco stressed members of the high school bands are more than welcome as well.
Unfortunately, those interested would need to have their own instruments or be able to borrow them, as the band wouldn’t have an account or start up budget to purchase instruments.
But if the interest is there, Andrusco noted he’d apply for some grants and believes they would be able to find some funding there.
He added he already has three or four boxes of band music that his uncle left for him, but he would like to buy a few new pieces to update the repertoire.
Andrusco explained the Fort Frances Town Band would be different than a community orchestra where string instruments are dominant and he hopes people will come out and show their interest.
The organizational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the conference room at the Memorial Sports Centre. Those who are unable to attend the meeting, but still interested in participating or would like more information, are asked to contact Andrusco at 807-274-4282.
