By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — A new director will hold the baton for McGill’s Community Band when the group embarks on its 29th concert season.
The baton has been passed to Kevin Mania from Joe Fagnant, who replaced original band director Dave McGillicuddy back in 2005.
McGill’s Community Band kicks off another summer of music this Thursday at 7 p.m. Concerts are held at the amphitheatre in Monument Park every Thursday through Aug. 14, with the final concert held Aug. 21 at the Houlton Community Arts Center.
Pioneer Times photo/Joseph Cyr
NEW DIRECTOR — Kevin Mania is stepping out from behind the drum kit to take the baton for McGills Community Band. The band will hold its first concert of the season Thursday at 7 p.m.
“We have been having a great time in rehearsals,” Mania said. “The band members have welcomed me as their director. I think it is important to listen to the band members and try to give them a comfortable yet productive rehearsal. I am really excited for this concert season.”
When McGill’s Community Band of Houlton was formed in 1985, it marked the fulfillment of McGillicuddy’s dream of forming a community band in town to showcase the musical talents of the local residents. With musicians from Houlton and surrounding towns, plus New Brunswick, Canada, and out-of- state visitors during the summer months, there were 55 members in the first band, in a variety of ages.
The band has ranged in size from 50-90 over the years. On any given week, there are about 70 musicians performing. It is widely regarded as one of the largest, if not the largest, community bands in the state. Houlton’s first town band was organized in 1911, according to Michael Clark, band manager, but at some point in time, that band ceased to exist until McGillicuddy brought it back.
Concerts were held in the open, with musicians exposed to the elements until 1998 when, with the help of the Houlton Rotary Club, an amphitheatre was built in the park. Rehearsals begin in March and if there are not enough adult musicians to fill out the band, current Houlton High School and occasionally junior high students, are recruited to the ranks.
This year, the band consists of just over 50 members, and enthusiasm is running high.
“Everyone has been working hard to learn all their music and they have had such a great attitude towards the change to a new director,” Mania said. “I played in the trombone and percussion section in the McGill’s band for six years so I got used to some of the standard songs that the group played.”
Mania has been teaching bands since 2002. His first job was a 5-8 grade program in Blue Hill. He then moved to Baileyville, teaching music to grades 5-12. In 2006, he was hired to teach grades 7-8 band in Houlton.
“I haven’t looked back since,” he said. “I first realized I wanted to go into music for a career in high school. My high school band teacher, Kirk Young, attended the University of a Maine, so I decided to follow in his footsteps. While at the University of Maine I played in virtually every music group that was offered at least once in my college days.”
Mania majored in music education with a concentration in percussion. Currently, in addition to his duties at Houlton High School, he also plays in the rock band “Wally and the Virginian.”
“We will be playing music from the Broadway hit ‘Wicked,’ ‘Shipping up to Boston,’ and a band standard ‘Kentucky 1800.’”
