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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000015.txt from 2005/09

From: "Ronald Bukoff" <rbukoff@-----.edu>
Subj: [DR-L] The SMCB, Hurricane Katrina, and Raheim (longish)
Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:40:25 -0400

Dear DoubleReeders:
I thought I would share the following story I wrote this past Sunday. I
have already sent it to a couple of other lists to which I belong, and the
response has been overwhelming. I hope you enjoy it. It is about a
community band concert in which I played my oboe.
Sincerely, --Ron Bukoff--

**********************************************
This is a true story about the Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band’s
concert to entertain evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and how the band was,
in turn, inspired by one little boy.

Shreveport, Louisiana, is located in the northwest corner of the state,
eighteen miles from Texas, sixty-five miles from Arkansas, and one hundred
miles from Oklahoma, in a region of Louisiana known as “The Sportsman’s
Paradise.” It is separated from Bossier City by the Red River--of “Red
River Valley” fame--and the metropolitan complex has about a half-million
residents. Shreveport is the home of the American Rose Society, the
Louisiana State Fair, the Independence Bowl, the Louisiana Hayride (which
propelled Hank Williams, Sr., Kitty Wells, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley,
among many, to fame and fortune), and the Shreveport Metropolitan Concert
Band.

The SMCB is a community band just like hundreds of others across the U.S.
of A. It numbers about seventy-odd players in age from fifteen to
octogenarians, and its members represent a thorough mix of the community:
students, teachers, college professors, lawyers, secretaries, service men
and women (active and retired), housewives, mechanics, retirees, etc. The
musicians are from Shreveport, Bossier City (home to Barksdale Air Force
Base), and all points of the compass. One couple drives nearly an
hour-and-a-half from Texas to play with the band. The musical skills range
from professional to . . . Well, lets just say we are united by a love for
music and a shared desire to give something back to the community we love.

Shreveport was not hit by Hurricane Katrina; we received little wind and
no rain. We were lucky. However, the community has welcomed thousands of
evacuees from down south. They are housed at Louisiana State University at
Shreveport (LSUS), Centenary College, Southern University, the Hirsch
Coliseum, the CenturyTel Center, many local churches, and in private
homes. The community has opened its doors and pocketbooks to the evacuees.
After all, they are our neighbors and now, part of our extended family.
Many proclaim they will remain here and they have enrolled their children
in our schools. We encounter them in our stores, libraries, hospitals, and
parks, and we listen to their stories.

The SMCB had just completed a fourteen-concert series of summertime
programs at area parks and retirement communities, and was enjoying a
three-week hiatus before resuming rehearsals for the upcoming concert
season. However, Katrina changed everything overnight. Like you, we have
been glued to our televisions and radios listening to the horrific news
from New Orleans, Biloxi, etc. And we have been busy volunteering time,
donating money, and purchasing supplies for the survivors and evacuees,
who began arriving in town before Katrina came ashore. One concerned band
member, Bob Kennedy, a retired high school teacher, had the brilliant idea
to give a concert for the evacuees at LSUS, the “home” for the SMCB. The
intent of the concert was not to raise money or awareness, there has been
plenty of that, but just to entertain.

The band was quickly polled--thank goodness for the Internet--and all that
could perform agreed to a Sunday afternoon concert on September 4 at 3
p.m. outside the gymnasium at LSUS where approximately seven hundred
evacuees are currently living. We set up near a series of large tents
housing the dogs and cats of the evacuees, and we could hear barking (of
approval?) from the tents. About one hundred people attended the concert,
and they were spread out in front of the band sitting in the shade of
trees and under large tents. It was 96 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity
level of 40%, a relatively cool and pleasant day for late summer in
Louisiana.

The concert began normally with the national anthem followed by Dragon’s
“America, The Beautiful.” Children were running around playing and adults
were sitting and standing about. It quickly became apparent that one young
child was completely captivated by the band. He was holding a stick about
a foot in length and was unselfconsciously conducting the band avidly
following the movements of our director, Allen Swilley. Band members
pointed out the child to Allen, who stepped down from the podium to talk
to him and to invite him up to conduct. The boy accepted and after a few
brief instructions, he solo-directed Sousa’s “Semper Fidelis.” This little
boy concentrated on his baton movements (loaned by Allen), was musical in
his expressions, remained evenly on the beat, and ended with the band. It
was impressive and the child received an ovation from the ensemble. He
said his name was Raheim and readily admitted his arms were tired.

Raheim remained near the podium for the next few pieces, concentrating on
improving his newly-acquired skills. An audience member went into the
gymnasium to find Raheim’s mother who came out in time to see him finish
another piece with the band. She was overwhelmed and said Raheim was one
of five children--a sixth is on the way--and no one in the family had ever
demonstrated any sort of musical talent. She was near tears, but beamed
with pride. Raheim also helped our director on the podium with Sousa’s
“Washington Post” and the many-tuned “Instant Swing Concert.” With the
latter, Raheim concentrated on following the many tempo changes. He
obviously loved the music, worked hard to do his very best, and thoroughly
charmed the band and the audience. He was awarded with an official SMCB
cap. This concert by the SMCB became Raheim’s concert, and we would have
had it no other way. For nine year-old Raheim Dimes, an evacuee from New
Orleans, an entirely new world of music has just opened up for him. No one
can predict what will happen to Raheim and his family, but we have
provided him with a gift of music, and he, in turn, has inspired us with
the greater gift of hope. Thank you, Raheim.

Respectfully written by Ron Bukoff, oboist and English horn player with
the Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band. For those of you that know me, I
play bassoon professionally, but I enjoy my forays into the oboe world,
also.

--
Director, Hurley Music Library
Associate Professor of Music
Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport
318-869-5247 (office)
318-869-5248 (fax)

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