Arts & Entertainment
STRUTTING THEIR BEST STUFF BY BEV YAWORSKI
Curt Jantzen, musician, founder and director of the Delta Music Makers Concert Band.
Photos: Bev Yaworski
M
usic has been a life-long passionate pursuit for Curt Jantzen, musician, founder and director of the Delta Music Makers Concert Band. He has led this band for over 25 years on a journey into both stimulating musical pieces and enchanting popular repertoire that has entertained appreciative audiences at successful concerts internationally. When choosing music for the band, he emphasizes: “It’s important that the music be interesting for the audience. I feel it should include music styles that are audience-friendly.” Curt and his wife Jhandie started the Delta Music Makers Concert Band in a modest way in 1983 by advertising for an “adult beginner band, for adults with no musical experience where they could learn how to play an instrument and find out how to read music.” Through their efforts over the years, the group grew from 15 members to a full concert band of over 50 musicians, now wellrespected throughout B.C. Today, band members range in age from their teens to their 80s. Their ever-changing concert repertoire can typically include Broadway show tunes, folk music, marches, jazz, waltzes and more – some of which have been recorded on three CDs. Performing as many as 15 concerts a year, the band rehearses weekly at Delta Secondary School in Ladner. Curt is quick to add that, although he is director, the band is also skilfully supported by Assistant Director Margaret Behenna. In addition, volunteers are vital to the band’s ongoing success. “The commitment in our group is amazing,” says Curt, “particularly in these times when everyone is so busy with so many demands on their time. Our group is very social.
They organize garage sales, picnics and other events. We are also known as ‘the band that travels’ – as we have performed concerts in New York, the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Austria and many Canadian locations.” Curt officially retired in 2003, after 33 years in public education, where he was a music teacher in schools at all levels. He was also Fine Arts Coordinator for the Surrey School District, supervising music, art, and drama K-12, having completed a Bachelor of Music Education and a Masters of Educational Ad-
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MAY 2012
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