Island Life Continued from page 5
Laverne. “It was $7,000. And I said, 'Is that all?' So they told me, ‘OK, Laverne, then you raise the money.’ So I did. And that’s why I became president.” With Laverne as president and Bill as treasurer, BIG Arts flourished. “People on Sanibel were so eager to have art lessons, lecturers, and concerts,” says Laverne. “They were overflowing with ideas, but they were also very generous.” Through these donations, BIG Arts expanded to include a display space, called the Phillips Gallery, and a 400-seat performance space, called Schein Hall. Laverne helped to form the first-ever Sanibel Community Band (now with almost 50 members), and a Community Chorus with more than 80 singers. They also recently took over operations at the Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater. On any given day at BIG Arts, you can find people painting and sculpting, attending lectures, practicing tap dancing, learning a foreign language, or even attending a symphony concert. As an honorary board member, Laverne says she relishes her role as cheerleader for BIG Arts. “I've always said you need the arts to feed the soul,” she says. “You have a career to feed the family, but the arts feed the soul." ■ BIG ARTS watercolor by Lee Horton
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Shell Point Life | April 2011
Steve Mondora
Sanibel Community Band —
A Community In Concent Since the early 20th century, Sanibel Island has played host to all kinds of people, from presidents and poets to tourists and travelers. But in its rich history, Sanibel seemed to be missing one thing – a community band. Laverne Phillips (Rosemont) wanted to change that. Eight years ago, she enlisted the help of her Sanibel neighbor, Don Knowland, to start a community band in conjunction with her organization, BIG Arts. “I had been a high school band director in Indiana,” said Don. “But I was retired! I didn’t know if I wanted to do this again. But Laverne was very persuasive!” After word spread around the island, Don held his first rehearsal with a half dozen players. “I asked my wife, ‘What did I get myself into?’ We had people who had not touched an instrument in nearly 30 years. But we just kept asking people, and the band grew and grew.” Longtime Sanibel resident Don Modrall (Eagles Preserve) was one of the early members of the band. He started playing saxophone at age six. “I had to pay for it myself by mowing lawns,” he recalled. But his horn had long been in storage. The Sanibel Community Band inspired him to bring it out again and refurbish it. “I read about the band in the newspaper,” said Don, “and so I just showed up one Monday night. The rest is history! I’ve been playing with them ever since.”
Steve Mondora (Parkwood), a trumpet player, shared a similar story. “After I retired I wanted to get involved in music again, but I didn't have the discipline to get back in shape on my own. I met Don Knowland and he invited me to play with his band, which was very small at the time. They certainly enabled me to get back in shape musically.” Steve went on to successfully audition for the Gulf Coast Symphony, which plays shows at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts