From staff reports
NEW BETHLEHEM – Eli Terwilliger, a five-year member of the Redbank Valley School District’s music faculty, will have a redefined role for the next school term.
But he wants to go beyond the normal school duty assignments of teaching school students during the school term. He envisions merging those students with band alumni of the past, and not just from Redbank Valley, into a summer intergenerational contingent of concert band instrumentalists to address his multi-faceted goals.
He is now ready to see if he can recruit, retain and inspire fledgling musicians at the same time he seeks to help the area regain its legacy as a community that produced not only musicians but also a sense of unity through the universal language of music.
These goals can be addressed through the medium of instrumental music, and he wants former band participants of yesteryear to serve as inspirations and role models and unofficial “teachers” for school district-age musicians who can gain motivation and keep their skills sharp over the summer.
Students make progress on their instruments during the school year, but when the fall semester begins, Terwilliger has found he has to reteach concepts for the first month of school. By having a venue where students can play, their chops’ and their fingers will stay sharp for the next school year.
Redbank Valley has the reputation for turning out solid musicians and instrumental music ensembles of various compositions. Terwilliger believes he can once more create that atmosphere if band alumni will dust off their instruments and elect to help students while making music together.
Among the achievers who used their musical skills learned at Redbank Valley as a launching pad for a career in music is Dr. Roger Tabler, a 1986 RVHS graduate who began his band experience in elementary school and has gone beyond teaching the subject in the Mt. Lebanon School District in suburban Pittsburgh. He founded and continues to serve as music director and conductor for the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra which attracts young musicians from school districts throughout the region.
Students in larger areas who want to excel in their musical skills often study privately with professional musicians or educators who teach individual lessons outside their normal duties. In rural area it is often difficult to find accomplished music educators or performers available and interested in teaching private music lessons.
A number of young musicians in Tabler’s youth orchestra study privately, often with highly-skilled performers from such organizations as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra or from faculty members of music education programs at various colleges and universities in the Pittsburgh region.
Terwilliger has had the opportunity to observe Tabler to get ideas on becoming a better band teacher. Terwilliger decided starting a community band would not only benefit New Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, it would help influence a positive growth in the music programs at Redbank Valley.
Terwilliger is hoping for at least 40 or 50 musicians who will play with the students this summer, and to have a full auditorium for their concert scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 14.
He currently has more than 30 prospective participants signed up for the summer program, which begins rehearsals at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 6, in the high school band room.
Invitations to several former music-teaching colleagues have been extended, and Terwilliger is hopeful of having participation from some of them.
For the musicians of yesteryear who have parted with their instruments, Terwilliger has some instruments people can use. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Anyone wishing to contact Terwilliger about enrolling or obtaining additional information may contact him at eli.terwilliger@gmail.com