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By Steve Flairty
Northern Kentucky Tribune

In Nicholasville and Wilmore, the Jessamine Community Band (JCB) is bringing both music to the ears and to the hearts of people in their area. One person called it the county’s “hidden gem.” It might well serve as a blueprint for establishing community bands across the state.

The band had an introductory meeting on February 4, 2023, and now has 45 members. It all started when Alyson Merrell began inviting people to be part of an alumni band for a West Jessamine High School football game. Two former band teachers in the Jessamine County Schools, Tim Johnson and Alan Jacobus, quickly gained interest and became leaders of the initiative.

At the first meeting, eight showed up.

“Shortly after that, we decided that it would maybe be better to try to do a community band versus just an alumni band for West Jessamine,” said Tim. It began to grow rapidly when it was opened up to those outside the alumni group, and Tim and Alan took on conducting responsibilities for JCB.

At the point of having about 25 members, they were ready to perform before an audience. “Our first performance was at the Wilmore Festival of the Fourth in 2023,” said Tim. “At first, the instrumentation was a little spotty just because there not many people.” Since then, JCB has played at several concerts at Wilmore’s Asbury University. That included a Christmas celebration and a March concert featuring a variety of marching tunes.” The group received a boost when Asbury offered the use of their band room to rehearse.

“That was huge for us,” he said. “Having a consistent place to rehearse as well as access to other instruments was critical. At this point, we are starting our preparations for a Veterans Day program.” By then, he expects to have 50 members, ranging from high school students to folks who are in their 70s. What they have in common, he said, is “the love of music… (and we) have a lot of fun along the way.”

Alan Jacobus, who has returned to Jessamine County where he started his teaching career in Jessamine County 50 years ago, counts Tim Johnson as one of his prized former students currently in the JCB, and that is exhilarating.

“Now I find myself back ‘on the podium’ in another great adventure,” Alan said. “Being able to co-direct this group with Tim is ‘icing on the cake.’ I think the group has grown so quickly because people are excited about playing again, and they are telling others about how exciting it is and generating a lot of buzz in the central Kentucky area. It is gratifying to work with adults from many walks of life and ability levels and seeing them come together and work for a common goal and purpose… to make beautiful music and find great joy in doing that.”

A while back, retired first grade teacher Robin Moss got the hankering to learn how to play the flute. “I took three semesters of lessons, then with encouragement from my teacher and others, got up the nerve to try playing with the band,” she said. Though it’s challenging and requires practice between rehearsals, it’s also, she noted, “fun, therapeutic, rewarding, and there is just something special about joining with others to make music. Everyone is there voluntarily because music has an important place in our hearts.”

Ben Vagase shared that he was “hot and heavy” into playing music in his high school days and a few years afterward. “So much that I got burned out and kind of shelved it for a while. Eventually the desire to play again came up, but this time because I wanted to, not because someone told me to.”

Today, Ben, now in his thirties, is excited to be a part of the band. “I needed to get playing music with other people back into my life. I even purchased a Bari sax to fill the need for the group, and it has since become my primary instrument.”

Ben, a self-employed welder, fabricator, and carpenter, has also met new friends and enhanced the friendships he already had. “As we all get closer, we try to do stuff together,” he said. “The thing that stands out to me about this ensemble is that it really feels like a family. It’s comfortable. It’s fun.”

Nicholasville minister Max Vanderpool needed “something during the wintertime that was a life-giving thing not related to ministry.” Joining the JCB was the answer. “I played in bands until I was a young adult, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it,” he said. “There’s something unique about playing in a band, and it’s more than just playing music.”

One of those unique things, Max said, is learning of interesting things about those playing in his saxophone section. “One of them restores ‘hot wheels’ cars from the ‘60s and ‘’70s,” he said, giggling.

He also shared some advice for those considering starting their own community band. “Clearly, the reason this worked in the beginning was that you had two conductors and five key people at the very beginning who were just utterly committed to it.”

For more information, visit the Jessamine Community Band Facebook Page, or email Jessamineband@gmail.com.

Steve Flairty is a teacher, public speaker and an author of seven books: a biography of Kentucky Afield host Tim Farmer and six in the Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes series, including a kids’ version. Steve’s “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #5,” was released in 2019. Steve is a senior correspondent for Kentucky Monthly, a weekly NKyTribune columnist and a former member of the Kentucky Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. Contact him at sflairty2001@yahoo.com or visit his Facebook page, “Kentucky in Common: Word Sketches in Tribute.”