There is a wonderful chance to introduce your children to the joys of vocal and instrumental music when the Mercer County Symphonic Band presents “Strike Up the Band” at Kelsey Theater on the Mercer County College campus this Saturday, March 18, at 2 and 4 p.m.##M:[more]##
Under the direction of Lou Woodruff, the band performs a lively, interactive concert that gives children a chance to sing, and learn about music and musical instruments. They even get a chance to play their own percussion instrument that they are invited to take home as a souvenir.
“The children’s concerts have become very big events for the MCSB the past few years, so much so that we do two concerts to accommodate those who want to attend,” says Mike Davis, a percussionist from Plainsboro and the wind and percussion arranger for the High School South marching band. “While it is open to children of all ages, we like to see younger kids of elementary age come to see us, so that they too may get the bug to start playing an instrument in their own school systems.”
Davis, in his fourth season with the band, was raised Livingston, and graduated from high school there in 1971. His father was a drummer in his school band and part of a swing band back in the 1930s. Davis is a graduate of Montclair State College, Class of 1975, with a degree in music education, and received his master’s in educational administration and supervision from Seton Hall in 1980.
Over the years he played in the Bucks County band and the Hanover Wind Symphony in Morris County. Since 1974 he has played in the pit orchestras for musicals whenever possible — most recently at Washington Crossing State Park.
Davis is a music adjudicator with the United States Scholastic Band Association, the group that sanctions marching band competitions. He has worked with 12 marching bands since 1971.
“We moved from Mount Olive to Plainsboro in 1992 in the effort to find an excellent school system for our children,” he says. His wife Margaret is a nurse at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center.
“I had judged the West Windsor Plainsboro High School Marching Band all through the 1980s and early 90s in many competitions, so I knew the quality to be very good,” he says. “I called the band director, Tony Pappalardo, and asked him about the WW-P district in general.”
Their daughter Shannon is a graduate of High School South, Class of 2004, and is now a sophomore at East Carolina University in North Carolina. She received an academic honors award last semester, and is president of her 10-story dormitory. She is a member of the ECU symphonic band, and is the only non-percussion major invited to participate in the ECU percussion ensemble. She was a Pirate Marching Band drum major for two years.
Their son Brian, WW-PHS, Class of 1998, is in the U.S. Navy. He just left duty on board USS Rushmore in San Diego and is currently attending corpsman school in the Chicago area. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf in December, 2004; while en route he spent over a month in the Indian Ocean as part of the US tsunami relief effort. A tuba player, he was an active member of the Pirate Marching Band in high school.
In addition to his band duties, Mike Davis has been at Educational Testing Services for more than nine years, five as a consultant and just over four as an employee where he is a senior business analyst/project manager in the IT area. Prior to this job I worked in IT at a variety of companies starting in 1980 when I left full-time music teaching.
Other musicians from West Windsor and Plainsboro include Dave Halter, trombone; Brigitta Kagan, clarinet; Martin Timins, alto saxophone; Tony Travaglione, clarinet; Harriet Kaufman, saxophone; and John Roeder, tuba.
The Mercer County band celebrates its 26th season this year and is always looking for new members. There is no audition process. “Come one, come all is our motto!” says Davis. “If you play an instrument, or played one in the past, you are welcome aboard!”
Strike Up the Band, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, 609-584-9444. www.kelseytheatre.net. Mercer County Symphonic Band presents an all-new interactive kids concert where everyone gets to sing, play instruments, and learn about music and instruments. $8. 2 and 4 p.m.
