By Scott D. Johnston
For The Daily World
They will “Strike Up the Band” at 3 o’clock this Sunday afternoon in the Bishop Center at Grays Harbor College when the brand-new Grays Harbor Community Concert Band presents its debut public performance.
The band was created by GHC Director of Music Dr. William Dyer and is not limited to students. Its 37 members range in age from 12 to 70-something, coming to campus for rehearsals from throughout the county and as far away as Tenino.
According to the band’s director, Aberdeen native Tiffany Maki, they represent “all walks of life,” from a fifth-grader to physician, and a range of musical talent and skill from “rusty — some haven’t played much for several years,” to “practicing professionals who play several times a week.” What they have in common is a love of music. They simply “want to play their instruments and make music together,” she said.
Maki started playing the clarinet in the fifth grade at McDermoth Elementary School in Aberdeen.
“I have been a band geek my entire life. I love marches and I love symphonic concert band pieces,” she explained. At Miller Junior High, Bill Dyer was her music teacher, and again a few years later when she earned an associate degree in music at GHC.
Since then, she has been involved in Aberdeen High School musicals as piano player and music director for 15 years, was in the Aberdeen Elks Band, and plays and sings regularly with the Dukes of Swing. She commutes daily to Tumwater, where she works for the state’s Department of Social and Health Services.
“Almost a year ago, out of the blue,” Dyer sent her a message that “the college is looking to expand the music program and do some fun things … we would like to do a concert band and I was wondering if you’d be interested in directing that.” Maki was flattered, they worked out a plan, and since last March, “it’s just been a very involved, entertaining, fun process,” she enthused.
“It’s really a great thing for the community,” she said. Since the Aberdeen Elks Band called it quits about a dozen years ago, “there’s really nowhere else for all these musicians, when they graduate high school, there’s nowhere else for them to go play. That’s why we’ve got 37 people that want to do this!”
They’ve been rehearsing since September, and “I can hear the growth in what we call chops — in their skills. They feel like they’re starting to get it back and everybody’s enjoying that because they do get to play again.”
And it’s a bit of a family thing for her as well. Her sister, Heather Robarge, plays trombone in the band. Their dad, John Maki, plays tuba and may well be channeling “The Music Man” when he modestly takes his place as the one and only bass.
Maki said they’re all excited about their inaugural concert Sunday.
“We’ve got a great selection, a huge variety of music, plus a couple of surprises.” Two more concerts are tentatively scheduled, March 25 at the Raymond Theatre and June 20 back at the Bishop Center.
Tickets for Sunday’s event are $10 and are available online at www.ghc.edu/bishop and at the door. More information about the band can be found at www.facebook.com/GHcommunityconcertband.
