Kingman Concert Band History
Marian Craig submits the following history of the Kingman Concert Band:
"I'd been asking Les Krause for several months (more like harassing him) if he would conduct a band. I told him if he would conduct then I would take care of every other aspect, which was how I ended up doing it all. Finally he agreed to do it."
"So, on a cold night in December 1998 I asked the people below to meet with me to talk about the fledgling band, and to garner support and ideas. We met in the Kingman Library. Les Krause, Julie Porter-Hickok, Gail Fruhling, and I were present. I'd asked Bill Mauer to join us as well because of his experience as chair of the Orchestra Board, but he couldn't make the meeting. Gail Fruhling was asked because she was the music teacher at the Jr. High School where I hoped we could practice, and Julie was invited because she's always full of good ideas."
"Julie actually came up with the name "Kingman Concert Band" because I originally thought it would be Kingman Community Band. Julie said she would be interested in being an assistant conductor, but that never came to pass."
"I'd already thought I would partner with the Parks Department as a sponsor, and Darel Fruhwirth did not hesitate one moment when I asked him. It was their sponsorship that enabled us to secure the band room at the Jr. High School."
"At the meeting, we decided to begin rehearsal early in March, 1999, which we did. The Downtown Merchant's Association asked us to play for the Cinco de Mayo celebration so our first round of donations was spent on Spanish music."
"The very first check we received was from West Coast Netting. I was sure happy to see that check arrive! Shortly after that we received a donation from the JayCees, then others followed."
"The first "rehearsal" was attended only by Les, Bill Mauer, me, and Ione Kondelis. Too few to play, so we kind of talked and encouraged each other to bring more friends the next week. Ione brought her husband to play trumpet, I brought my sister to play bass drum. One day I passed Mary Boettger in Wal-Mart and told her we'd started this band and asked if she knew anyone who played an instrument. She said her husband, Steve, played drums but she wasn't sure he'd be interested. She asked him, and he joined us! That was a godsend, believe me. Vanita (alto sax) was also with us from about the 2nd rehearsal or so. I'm not really sure when Ingrid and Art joined us - not sure if they were at the Cinco de Mayo celebration or not."
"It was about that time that Les told me he goes to Montana for summers, so I had to find another director. Julie Porter-Hickok couldn't do it as she had very little extra time. (In fact she didn't play with us until 2001.) Gail Fruhling couldn't do it. They recommended I call Tom Boone, so I did. He agreed to read through some things with us over the summer, as I expected Les to return in the fall. So, Tom did conduct us during our first summer, and I'm sure he'll tell you we were pretty raw. I don't think he realized how very new we were at the time - less than 6 months old. I remember Art and Ingrid being with us by then, and they'd brought their son Allyn to a few rehearsals. Somewhere in this time I think Dave (the clarinet player) joined us also, although he may have been at Cinco de Mayo. You'll need to ask them."
"Later on that year I attended a Legal Libraries conference in Kingman where the keynote speaker was Frank Gordon. He was reminiscing about the old days in Kingman and mentioned as a child they would go to the courthouse on Sunday afternoons to listen to the band play. They played from the 2nd floor balcony, and people would bring picnic baskets, blankets, etc. and make an afternoon of it, his point being such was the entertainment of Kingman at the time. From the audience I was hearing we weren't the first community band in Kingman, but I never got around to doing any research on the band from Frank Gordon's childhood."
Subsequent research by band member Tom Goldie at the Mohave Museum of History and Arts turned up this article from the July 10th, 1920 edition of the Mohave County Miner. It seems likely that the band Frank Gordon remembered was this one. The text is reproduced here:
Kingman's New Band Makes Initial Bow
The [Knights of Pythias] Band made its initial bow to the public the evening of July 5, 1920, with its advertised concert and in so doing, done itself proud, at least when the consideration is given that the band was just a trifle over a month old. One of the most attentive and appreciative crowds that it was ever a pleasure to cater to, filled "The Park" to overflowing during the rendition of the following program:
FIRST PART
- Les Debutantes, Arrangement March Militaire.
- Rosy Lips, valse Movement
- Il Troubadore, Serenade Andante.
- The Brook.
- Carnival Merry-Go-Round (Arrangement by J.J. Baker, Director).
INTERMISSION
SECOND PART
- Tenor Solo, selected. Mr. F. Martin, accompanied by Violin and piano.
- National Emblem, March. Bagley. Band.
- Larghetto from "Lucia". Donizetti. Horn Trio and Piano.
- Andante and Waltz Fragment. Selected Band
- Star Spangled Banner. Keys
Professor J.J. Baker, who has been schooling the members of the band during its short existence, is to be highly commended for his excellent work, for his efforts have been untiring and had it not been so, it is certain that they would not have progressed as far as it is apprarent that they have. The efforts of Captain Lear Staten are also very much appreciated as all business affairs and management have found a resting place upon his shoulders and he has been found "not wanting." The future plan of the band and its management is to hammer away and arrive at the highest possible plane of music for the benefit of the community and its members and to that end all will notice that the practices of the band members is as ardent now as when preparing to appear for the first time.
A band is one of the greatest assets that any town may possess and we believe that the efforts of the band and the present good work of our ball team will do much toward the creation of pleasures and amusements for our future. We know that the band is going to receive the unanimous support of all of our townspeople, for the proof was evidenced by the manner in which they responded by attendance to the dance given by the band, following the concert, this same evening. The dance was enjoyed by all as well as augmenting the band treasury by a sum in excess of $200.
