New band features talented musicians young and old

Music lovers wishing for something new this holiday season can take heed of a newly formed band - Heartland Pops - a group of musicians dedicated to offering a professional and exciting sound for its audiences.

The 50-member (and growing) organization will bring Highlands County concert entertainment that is a "cut above" any other group, according to Heartland Pops secretary/bassoonist Marti Wandelt.

The Heartland Pops will mirror the format of the Boston Pops to perform a variety of musical selections, ranging from show tunes, marches, light classical selections, ballads and feature vocal and instrumental soloists from the community.

The band features experienced musicians and talented high school students.

Frank Stephens readied his French horn for Monday night's practice in the Avon Park High Band Room. He was a principal player with the Indianapolis Philharmonic and later played in a brass quintet in Detroit.

"We've just started. It's been seven or eight rehearsals is all we've had and these are people who love music and want to do it right," he said. "They want to rehearse; they want to do the best they can.

"We are not going to be professional, but we are going to be as professional as we can be."

Many of the Heartland Pops members are retired music educators and several are local music educators in Highlands County.

Avon Park High Band Director Anthony Jones serves as the band's director, with members including Sebring High Band Director Colorado Paniagua and Avon Park Middle School Band Director Kevin Collier.

LaDonna Vaughn, a retired music teacher from Ohio, said, "I am pleased to be playing clarinet with the new Heartland Pops because it is a local band that will be playing for the community the year around."

After playing in an area community band, French horn player David Carmolli said he was "ecstatic" when this group was organized.

"It gave us an opportunity to start working with some good music such as Andrew Lloyd Weber's 'Phantom of the Opera,' and bringing in soloists that bring another dimension to the group," he said.

"We have great key musicians in all of the sections so it gives body to that particular section, because they can read the music and follow the conductor and so forth, and its being filled out with very capable other musicians who are interested in better music," Carmolli said. "The younger ones, some of them need help and we are not afraid to put the pressure on them."

Sebring High ninth-grader and oboist Lauren Wright said she is not intimidated by the experienced musicians.

"It's really helping with my sight reading," she said about playing and practicing with the band.

After only six rehearsals, The Heartland Pops premiered with a patriotic concert (in tribute to Veterans Day) on Nov. 15 at St. John United Methodist Church in Sebring.

"We played to a full house and the concert was very well received with several standing ovations," Wandelt said.

As the band's funds increase, one goal is to provide scholarship assistance to local music students and to help with financial support to the local school music programs, which are suffering from a lack of funds for music, equipment and instruments, she said.

Heartland Pops will be joined in concert by the Heartland Community Orchestra and the 50-member Heartland Community Orchestra Chorus at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Emmanuel United Church of Christ on Hammock Road for an evening of traditional Christmas music titled "Holiday Celebration." Admission is $8.

The finale of the concert will bring the combined groups together in presenting the "Hallelujah Chorus."

Heartland Pops president and percussionist Steve Newell said, "We have a good conductor who likes to rehearse, therefore we are playing better quality music, which in turn makes better performances and that's what we are after."

For more information, contact Wandelt or Newell at 314-8877.