Brownsburg Magazine June 2022

JUNE 2022

MAGAZINE

Follow the Leaders TRIO OF TALENT LEADS BHS BAND PROGRAM

HOT HAPPENINGS CHECK OUT ALL HENDRICKS COUNTY HAS TO OFFER THIS SUMMER AND FALL HENDRICKS COUNTY SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST

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6 IDEAS TO MAKE FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL THIS YEAR

Check Out All Hendricks County Has to Offer This Summer and Fall

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HENDRICKS COUNTY SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST

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FOLLOW THE LEADERS

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Trio of Talent Leads BHS Band Program

Glenn Timmis Celebrates 50 Years of Working the Indy 500 and Many Other Races

20

LIFE AFTER LOSS

Freelancer Writes About Grief, Healing and Moving On KEY CONTRIBUTORS ABIGAIL HAKE / AMY PAYNE / CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING / CURT MOSS CLAIRE-ANNE AIKMAN / DR. NATHAN PRAHLOW / FRED KURTZ / JAMIE HERGOTT

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IDEAS TO MAKE

Father’s Day SPECIAL THIS YEAR

Writer / Abigail Hake Photography Provided

It’s time to start thinking about all those wonderful fathers, grandpas and other father figures in your life. You know, the guys who make you laugh at their dad jokes, keep you going when times get tough, and love you as you are. Father’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate dads, and because they are so special and do so much for us day in and day out, here are some fun ideas to treat that fatherly figure in your life this year.

1

CREATE NEW MEMORIES

Pile the family into the car and head out to somewhere you know your dad loves.

Does your dad love being outdoors? Maybe take him to a state park and explore a new hiking trail. Does he love the beach? Maybe head to the closest beach or water park. Does he love movies? Pack up the car with snacks, food and fun, and head to the best drive-in you know. Spending quality time with your dad will make for some awesome new memories. Oh, and try to leave the electronics at home!

GET OUTTA HERE

Let dad have a minute and stay out of his way for a bit. We all know moms enjoy quiet time on Mother’s Day, so why not change the tune and let dads have some time to themselves too? You can send him away with a gift card to the hardware store or maybe to the movies if he doesn’t feel weird going by himself. Maybe even a voucher for a casino - many guys would enjoy that. Whatever you decide, just make sure to give him enough time to feel refreshed.

3

GRILL HIM

2

Grilling with a cold beer in hand has been a long-preferred pastime for many men (dads especially), for many, many years. There’s something about being able to say “Look at that steak” that gets them going. So why not “grill him” to find out if he needs a new grill or new grill tools? Grill him and find out what he needs or wants for his outdoor kitchen space.

While you are at it, ask him about his favorite food to grill. Surprise him with his favorite steaks, sides and some new tools - and if you feel good about grilling, surprise him with a fully grilled meal in his honor.

6 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022 / TownePost.com

HAVE A BALL

What dad isn’t a sports fan? Do a quick search for ball games happening near you. Even dads who prefer certain sports over others won’t turn down an opportunity to go to a sporting event. Baseball is an obvious favorite for this time of year, but you might even treat him to tickets to a game featuring his favorite sports team, even if it’s not happening on this Father’s Day.

BREAKFAST IN BED

Is this a thing for dads? If it isn’t, it should be. I mean, why not? Many dads enjoy sleeping in for sure, so get up early, let him sleep a little late, and then treat him with “I Heart Dad” pancakes, hearty bacon or sausage, a little bit of his favorite fruit, and maybe a Bloody Mary if tomato juice is his thing.

He’ll love it and he definitely won’t be expecting it.

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WRITE HIM A LETTER

Happy Father’s Day! Of all the great things you can do to celebrate your special man this Father’s Day, make sure it’s something he loves. If he loves hanging with you and the family, great. If he loves spending time alone, great. If he loves visiting his dad, great.

Whatever route you take this year, make sure it’s all about him. He’s going to love making memories with you, hearing from you, and/or bonding with you, no matter what you end up doing.

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Write something that tells this special man in your life how you feel about him. Tell him about all the things he’s done for you, how he’s made you into a better human, or even just how funny he is with his lame dad jokes. You could even try to write some new dad jokes for him, or better yet, about him!

Whatever you tell him you love about him, he will love and cherish in return. Even better, frame it - with people going back to the office, this would be a great new addition for him to hang up on the wall.

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HOT HAPPENINGS

CHECK OUT ALL HENDRICKS COUNTY HAS TO OFFER THIS SUMMER AND FALL Writer / Josh Duke Photography Provided

It truly is an exciting year for events in Hendricks County, with a NASCAR race returning, an international festival growing, and many of our traditional summer and fall favorites resuming after a crazy couple of years.

So, get your calendars ready or pick up your phones to block out these weekends for you and your family to enjoy. For simplicity’s sake, I have put them in chronological order.

Hendricks County Rib-Fest & BBQ When: June 25 Where: Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex, Danville Details: Even though organizers removed the balloons from the festival name, those hot-air favorites aren’t gone. Participants can expect the same fun and entertainment that has made this festival a local summer destination including great food from local barbecue vendors and nonprofit groups, children’s activities, live entertainment, and a balloon glow and fireworks show at the end of the night.

Hendricks County 4-H Fair When: July 17-23 Where: Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex, Danville Details: In my humble opinion, this is one of the best county fairs at one of the best fairgrounds in the state, and I have been to many others. You can expect usual fair favorites including exhibits, animals, carnival rides, fair food and demonstrations.

Organizers also do a good job of changing up the entertainment so that each year feels different and offers new surprises.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series When: July 29 Where: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway JUNE 2022

Park, Brownsburg Details: NASCAR will finally make its return to Hendricks County this year after a hiatus of more than 11 years. As a result, organizers expect this event to sell out quickly. Make sure to get your tickets soon for this historic event that will include a racing doubleheader. The ARCA Menards Series will kick off the night with the Reese’s 200, and then the NASCAR trucks will take center stage with 400 laps of racing.

North Salem Old Fashion Days When: September 3-5 Where: North Salem Details: This annual event takes over the entire small town of North Salem, transforming it into a three-day mecca of fun throughout Labor Day weekend.

Showcasing small-town Americana at its finest, this event features craft vendors, a large parade on Saturday morning, truck

JUNE 2022

and tractor pulls, a pizza-eating contest, and the popular bed races down Pearl Street on Monday, among many other activities.

Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals When: August 31-September 5 Where: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Brownsburg Details: The most prestigious drag-racing event in the world occurs every Labor Day weekend in Brownsburg. Stars of the National Hot Rod Association do battle to claim their sport’s top prize. But this isn’t just an event for racing enthusiasts - visitors get unprecedented access to the drivers and their crews, as every ticket is also a pit pass. The event also provides a memorable experience for families with interactive activities for the kids and so much more.

So, even if you aren’t a race fan, I encourage you to give this event a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Sunflower Festival When: Mid-September (final date TBA) Where: Beasley’s Orchard, Danville Details: The date of the Sunflower Festival always hinges on Mother Nature and the farm’s sunflower crop, as organizers want the fields to be at peak perfection. Pencil it in for mid-September for now, and check out our website’s events calendar for updates. This event allows visitors to explore seven acres of sunflowers at Beasley’s Orchard while also picking their own stems. Yard games are also on-site, and the festival provides a popular time and location for photography.

Hendricks County International Festival When: October 1 Where: Talon Stream Park, Plainfield Details: This family-friendly, educational event honors and celebrates various cultures throughout the world through demonstrations, live entertainment including traditional dancing from other countries, food tastings, interactive booths, and so much more. In its third year, this event continues to grow in popularity.

Heartland Apple Festival When: October 1-2 & 8-9 Where: Beasley’s Orchard, Danville Details: Always held on the first two

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

GLENN TIMMIS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF WORKING THE INDY 500 AND MANY OTHER RACES Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Fred Kurtz

Raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Glenn Timmis had what some might describe as the perfect childhood. Glenn’s dad traveled five days a week, but his next-door neighbor was Ernie Flowers, the right-fielder for the professional men’s fast-pitch softball team, the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. Across the street lived Harry Burden, a car salesman who did some race-car driving at the local level.

“Since dad was gone during the week, if Ernie wasn’t taking me to a ball game, Harry was taking me to a race,” says Glenn, now 84. Not surprisingly, Glenn developed an affinity for both sports but took a particular shine to the racetrack. In the 1940s his dad would take him to the Indianapolis 500 qualifications. He didn’t attend his first Indianapolis 500 race, however, until 1956 when he was a senior in high school. He attended 10 Indy 500 races as a spectator before he began working at the racetrack. In 1970 Glenn became an observer, a track official whose job entails standing next to the track wall with a headset and being the eyes and ears for race control.

volunteer organization.

“I was never paid a dime from USAC,” he says. “They gave us a meal ticket, but the cafeteria line was always too long to ever use it.”

He didn’t earn a wage at the Speedway until the Indy Racing League (IRL) took over in 1996, which later morphed into IndyCar in 2008. With the IRL, Glenn traveled to racetracks across the country including the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

“I saw some great racing there,” he says. “When that green flag dropped, you held your breath until the end of the race. That was a cool racetrack and different from Indy because you could see all the way around it.”

“Essentially you’re an extension of safety, making sure the track is clean and that no issues arise,” says Glenn, a Hendricks County resident.

He traveled to Japan seven times.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has 15 observer stations, usually with two to a station. Observers are not to be confused with spotters, who work for the race teams to keep their drivers informed of their surroundings during a race. In 1971 Glenn worked for the United States Auto Club (USAC), the sanctioning body at the time for the Speedway. When Glenn worked with the USAC, it was a

Unfortunately, it was destroyed by a tsunami several years ago.

“That racetrack was super unique,” he says. “It was essentially on top of a mountain. Honda chopped off the top of the mountain and built a racetrack. It was an engineering marvel.”

It’s hard for Glenn to single out a favorite race.

JUNE 2022

“I can’t tell you the number of races where the winner was a blink of an eye,” he says. “A lot of them, you could throw a blanket over a dozen cars that were so close they could have shaken hands with each other.”

In October of 2011, Glenn was working as an observer at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He found an open space at the fence so he moved down to have a better line of vision.

“I saw two cars start to get a little bit out of shape at the end of turn two, so I got on the headset and said, ‘I have two cars,’” Glenn recalls. Then two more. Ultimately, 15 cars were involved in a wreck.

“Then I saw a car in the air and said, ‘Oh, my god,’” Glenn says. “I stepped back away from the fence because I knew there would be flying debris.”

Tragically, Dan Weldon, the 2005 and 2011 Indy 500 champion, perished in the crash. Glenn and his colleagues picked up parts of race cars outside of the fence for nearly an hour.

Glenn’s wife Mary didn’t go to that race, but when she learned that it had been red-flagged due to a bad crash in turn two, she began calling Glenn to be sure he was OK. His daughter Kim recalls a handful of times when she was in a panic, not knowing if her father was hurt.

“There’s an element of danger in this job,” Glenn says. “You don’t take your eyes off of the track and you don’t turn your back on a race car. You don’t dare hesitate in this job. If you do, it could kill you and certainly could kill other people.”

After one of Glenn’s friends got killed before qualification day in 1973, he vowed not to get personally attached to the drivers, as it was too heart wrenching. He spoke to most of the drivers through marshaling the green and yellow flags during Indy qualifications for 29 years.

“If you ask Roger Penske, A.J. Foyt or Bobby Rahal if they know Glenn Timmis, they would say, ‘Who?’” Glenn says. “But if you ask them about the guy who handled those flags for qualifications, they would say, ‘Oh yes, I remember him well.’ ”

JUNE 2022

Though he loved his job, Glenn always promised himself that he wouldn’t be a 70-year-old observer. When he reached his 70s, however, he changed his tune. Then he claimed he wouldn’t be an 80-year-old observer…and yet there he was, still at it when he was 82. Ultimately, in 2020, he decided to hang it up after a 50-year career.

“I like round numbers, and 50 seemed like a good time to go,” he says. Of course, he had no way of knowing that a global pandemic would serve to make his last race so anticlimactic.

The 2020 race had no spectators in the stands, and the workers all had to wear masks. His family was certainly disappointed.

“I had big plans for dad’s retirement and it all went up in smoke,” Kim says.

As for Glenn’s feelings on retirement, he has mixed emotions.

“I did what was right for me,” he says. “I did what was right for the IndyCar Series, but the adjustment sucks. I could see the light coming. It was like I’d crossed a finish line and I told my wife, ‘Even good things come to an end,’ but I miss the heck out of it.”

On the plus side, last year was the first time Glenn got to watch

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the race in the stands with his family. He hasn’t missed a race since 1963. As anyone who has attended the Indy 500 can attest, the atmosphere on race day is electric.

“When you see those 11 rows of three cars coming at you, it’s hard to describe the rush,” Glenn says.

Glenn is a member of the Oldtimers, which is for former Indy 500 workers. Members are required to have worked 20 years at the Speedway to be eligible. Glenn helped get the late Arthur Carter (Indiana’s own Tuskegee Airman) into the club. In 2014 Glenn proudly served as guardian for Carter’s Honor Flight to

Washington, D.C. Now that he’s retired, Glenn confides that he sometimes feels irrelevant, but nothing could be further from the truth. He’s beloved by countless people who appreciate him for countless reasons.

“My dad is such a wonderful guy and I feel so lucky to have him as my dad,” Kim says. “I’ve always said that Glenn Timmis is the ultimate nice guy. He is as humble as they come, but he’s left such a mark on the many people he has met along the way.”

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MAGAZINE

LIFE AFTER LOSS

FREELANCE WRITER PENS BOOK ABOUT GRIEF, HEALING & MOVING ON

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

As a full-time freelance writer, Christy Heitger-Ewing is no stranger to sharing her true and authentic self with the world.

Ever since she was a child, she’s grown from writing short stories and comics to being published in more than 60 magazines and writing more than 2,500 magazine articles.

Heitger-Ewing, who regularly writes for Avon, Brownsburg, and Plainfield Magazines, recently published her 14th story for the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” collection, titled “Muted Joy.” It’s about one of life’s greatest pains - losing her mother.

“I’ve always been super transparent in my writing,” she says. “This story shares how I walked that path and started breathing, living and laughing again.”

When Heitger-Ewing first started freelance writing 18 years ago, she submitted article ideas to various magazines and anthologies, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” being one of them.

She was drawn to these publications because they are a collection of poignant stories written from personal life experiences, and it gave her an opportunity to share her life with others.

Many of her “Chicken Soup” stories center around her mother, Rozella, who was Heitger-Ewing’s biggest supporter in life.

“She was kind, gentle, generous and had the hugest heart,” she says. “Unfortunately, she also wrestled with clinical depression. Sadly, she lost that fight in April 2013. That’s when my world fell apart.”

After losing her mother to suicide, HeitgerEwing was plagued with agony, guilt, anger, JUNE 2022

sadness and confusion. The feelings were relentless, like the constant push and pull of ocean waves that cannot be contained. They were so overwhelming that she wasn’t sure she could bounce back from the pain.

Heitger-Ewing recognized that her mother’s generation did not speak of mental illness often. They especially did not share internal struggles with others. Her mother kept her pain to herself, and that is precisely why Heitger-Ewing has decided to write about anxiety and depression.

“It breaks my heart to think of her suffering in silence,” Heitger-Ewing says. “After she died, I became a huge mental health

awareness advocate and began volunteering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). In the past nine years I’ve written a great deal about depression, anxiety and suicide because I want others to know they are not alone, that there is help available, and that people care.”

In “Muted Joy” she tells the story of how hopeless, helpless and lifeless she felt after her mother’s death. She shares the pain and path she walked, and she also shares

the life-giving tools she used to heal from that pain. One of those tools was a support group at Hendricks Regional Health in Danville. She said the group was her lifeline through the first two years after her mother died.

“It was my safe place where I could go and be in the company of others who knew exactly how I was feeling without me having to explain it,” Heitger-Ewing says.

“Again, it comes back to sharing honest,

JUNE 2022

true, real feelings.”

Heitger-Ewing wants others to know they are not alone. She is passionate about sharing the hope she found in her path of grieving. She recognizes grief can be deep and gut-wrenching, the kind that physically hurts. She knows that pain well, but she wants to let those who are grieving know that the degree to which the pain incapacitates you will not last forever.

“When you are struggling to eat or sleep or think or function, it will not always be that way,” Heitger-Ewing says. “You can’t skip it, go around it or pretend like it’s not there, or you’ll prolong the pain. If, however, you let yourself feel your feelings, if you find proper support systems, if you utilize tools to help you process your grief, slowly that pain begins to subside.”

Besides her support group, Heitger-Ewing leans heavily on her other go-to tools, such as exercising, journaling and volunteering.

These have all aided her in slow healing from her loss.

She feels that her story is particularly poignant during this time in history because there has been a spike in anxiety and depression across all demographics since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Enduring a sustained trauma is so hard on us psychologically,” she says. “I want people to recognize that it’s understandable if they are struggling. I want them to not be afraid to seek help from a mental-health professional.”

Heitger-Ewing also has much to live for and knows that life goes on after loss. She and her husband Eric have two sons and four rescue cats. Her passion for running and writing, both of which she does daily, are activities that feed her soul. At the height of her heartache, running helped her tap into her emotions while also giving her a break from the daily grind of grief.

“Being out in nature and putting in some quiet miles as tears streamed down my face was extremely cathartic,” she says.

Her love for human-interest stories has led JUNE 2022

her to contribute to a number of local and national publications, always wanting her writing to “inspire hope and uplift weary souls,” she says. “I share the good, the bad, the ugly, but also the beautiful. I don’t like fake. What’s the point in that? When we share our authentic feelings, that’s how healing happens.”

Visit her author website at christyheitgerewing.com.

Hendricks Regional Health’s support group for survivors of suicide loss meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Sharon Samsell, bereavement and community support group coordinator, at 317-718-4360.

BACK AND NECK PAIN HOW YOUR DOCTOR CAN HELP

Writer / Dr. Nathan Prahlow, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

Back and neck pain seems to be a part of everyday life. It can originate from a variety of causes including sprains and fractures, dislocations, stress from overuse, obesity, infections, and disorders present at birth (congenital). It can cause mild to debilitating discomfort that impacts your ability to move or use your arms and legs.

Determining the cause of the pain and finding the right treatment option can help you get back to your normal activities.

A PHYSICIAN CAN HELP YOU DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PAIN.

Your spine has five sections of vertebrae the neck or cervical spine, the mid-back or thoracic spine, the lower back or lumbar spine, the base of the spine or sacrum, and the tailbone or coccyx. Pain generated from each area can have different causes. Some of the conditions that cause pain in these areas include muscle or ligament strain, disc

herniation and degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, spinal (or even some brain) tumors, torticollis and whiplash. To treat your back and neck pain, your physician must first determine the cause. They begin by using a combination of your medical history, a physical examination and basic diagnostic tests like X-rays. Once your physician determines the origin of your pain, they can work with you to develop the best treatment plan to address your specific condition and pain. This will often begin with physical therapy and may include medications.

as an electromyogram (EMG) to study nerve and muscle function, a myelogram to study your spinal cord, and nerve blocks to identify generators in the spine.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TREATMENT OPTIONS.

Your physician may prescribe a variety of medicines to reduce pain and inflammation of your spinal region. These can be taken orally, intravenously or by one of several pain management techniques. Physical and occupational therapy are utilized to restore you to pain-free movements and to strengthen your muscles. However, if regular medicines and physical therapy do TESTING MAY not improve your pain, your physician may BE NECESSARY. prescribe more advanced pain management Depending on your progress, your physician techniques. These include steroid injections, or neurosurgeon may use a variety of EMG-guided botulinum injections, and advanced tests to further look at your even implanted spinal cord stimulators and back and neck to diagnose the source of pain pumps. Surgery may also be an option your pain. These may include magnetic if recommended by your physician. resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. Sometimes even If you suffer from persistent back or neck more specialized tests may be obtained to pain, call your physician to learn about your better understand your condition, such options.

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HENDRICKS COUNTY SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST

Writer / Claire-Anne Aikman Photography Provided

The snow has stopped, and summer is upon us. This Hendricks County Summer 2022 Bucket List will help you have tons of inexpensive fun. I can’t wait to see you around!

• • • • • • • • •

Shop local at a farmer’s market Enjoy Rib Fest Tour the B&O Trail Attend an event at Lucas Oil Stadium Watch the fireworks on Independence Day Go camping Cheer on the local 4-H kids at the Hendricks County Fair Ride bikes on the Vandalia Trail Have a water balloon battle with friends and family

• Go on a picnic • Admire the fancy cars at a First Friday Cruise-In • Get stuffed to the gills at the Amo Fish Fry Festival • Enjoy nature on a morning bird hike at McCloud Nature Park • Stay up late and stargaze • Attend a Game Night at Gibbs Memorial Park • Attend a Movie in the Park event • Visit a splash pad Let me know your favorite ways to enjoy Hendricks County so I can include them in my next Bucket List!

Claire-Ann is a West Side Realtor helping people make Hendricks County their home. You can reach her at 317-345-6640 or thepointinrealestate@gmail.com

TownePost.com / JUNE 2022 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 25

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L to R: John Marque, Tracy Runyon & Chris Kaflik

Follow the Leaders TRIO OF TALENT LEADS BHS BAND PROGRAM

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Amy Payne & Curt Moss

When John Marque was a little boy, his mother, a music education major, noticed that her son had a talent for percussion.

“She encouraged me to study percussion early on in private lessons, and it was a very

quick love for me,” Marque says. When it came time to start considering a career, the decision seemed rather obvious.

band, percussion ensemble and marching band. His position is unique in that he gets to instruct the sixth-grade percussionists and team teach at the middle schools, which means he sees these kids from sixth grade until they leave for college.

“Music was definitely a subject that I excelled in naturally,” says Marque, who was hired on at Brownsburg High School (BHS) eight years ago to teach percussion to sixth- “I love seeing that growth in each student,” through 12th-graders in jazz band, concert Marque says.

TownePost.com / JUNE 2022 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 27

Tracy Runyon’s passion for band started in fifth grade when he picked up the alto saxophone. He credits his directors, Myron Snuffin and Joe Vrabec, along with his private teacher, Bob Cashner, for setting him on his path.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” he says.

When he reached high school, he practiced for hours and joined every summer and winter band program he could find, both locally and statewide. He immersed himself in all aspects of band because he enjoyed it all - marching band, jazz band, pep band and the guard.

Runyon, who just completed his 26th year working at BHS, says the most rewarding part of his job is when students realize their potential.

“When we reach the final destination of any performance, it’s fun to reflect on the journey,” Runyon says. “The light bulbs that I get to see come on grow bigger and stronger as we go along.”

Chris Kaflik began taking piano lessons starting at age 4. Though he was frustrated at first, once he improved, he started to enjoy playing. He took up band in sixth grade something he admits he liked but didn’t love. When he initially joined marching band in high school, he had a more visceral reaction.

“IT’S NOT THE PERFORMANCES OR THE COMPETITIONS THAT I LOVE. I ENJOY THE NITTY-GRITTY REHEARSALS. THAT’S WHERE WE SEE SOME OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES, EVEN IF IT’S ONE REPETITION OF A PART THAT’S 20 SECONDS LONG.” - CHRIS KAFLIK -

“I hated it at first and begged my mom to let me quit,” says Kaflik, who participated in football, wrestling, track and baseball.

Marching band didn’t feel the same as a sport at first, but after a while, he appreciated what it offered.

“It was very physical but required an artistry and precision I hadn’t experienced in other sports,” says Kaflik, who played baritone, euphonium and trombone. The quest to become excellent at every detail became a driving force for improvement. He started to love what they were playing in each ensemble - marching band, concert band, jazz band and others.

28 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022 / TownePost.com

“When music became a passion, that coupled with the love of teaching really pointed in one direction for me,” says Kaflik, who has been employed at BHS for six years. “I love the process of teaching the students from the ground level up to something excellent.”

Kaflik finds being a band director so rewarding because of the process itself.

In marching band, for example, he sees students who have never attempted any of the required skills. After a few months of working together, they are doing it at some of the highest levels in the country.

“It’s not the performances or the competitions that I love,” Kaflik says.

“I enjoy the nitty-gritty rehearsals.

That’s where we see some of the best performances, even if it’s one repetition of a part that’s 20 seconds long.”

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ago so life is certainly exciting these days,” Marque says.

evening can see that band takes a great deal of commitment from both students and directors.

“Being a band director isn’t a 9-to-5 job,” Kaflik says. “It’s a lifestyle.”

That commitment, however, pays big dividends.

“The students usually start playing an instrument when they’re 11 or 12,” Kaflik says. “The middle school directors have them playing at a high level within a couple years.

By the time they’re 15, 16 or 17, we’re putting on performances that are breathtaking.”

Two years ago the BHS band was selected to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to delay their participation by a year, and they marched in November of 2021. The experience was everything they hoped for and more.

“It was super unique, from the early morning rehearsals to the fast-paced nature of the parade during the morning,” Marque says.

“The kids were absolute professionals and represented themselves very well.”

The streets of New York were filled with thousands and thousands of people. This special performance brought a sense of community to the band.

“We could really feel the Town of Brownsburg supporting the program as we prepared for that trip and while we were there,” Kaflik says. “Social media was blowing up in support for us.”

The parade itself was unforgettable.

“You really had to step back and enjoy the moment,” Runyon says. “The smiles were priceless.”

While marching in the parade was a dream come true, the Brownsburg band directors have other dreams too. For instance, they would love for the wind ensemble to perform at the Indiana Music Educators Association conference and other large festivals and conferences in the future.

“We would love to see the marching band travel to other large parades in the United States or even internationally,” Kaflik says.

Runyon would like to continue to build the love of music and band at Brownsburg, and see the program continue to sustain growth and success.

“I want to see the band continue to perform in national events, both on and off TV,” he says.

Marque hopes to provide an environment of positivity and hard work for his students that translates nicely to the real world.

Marque met his wife Natalie on stage when they both were entertaining at the Indy 500.

“We’ve been playing together ever since,” Marque says. The couple, who plays in a band called GrooveSmash, have two sons, Christian, who loves gymnastics and his dog Roy, and Julian, who shares a Christmas Eve birthday with his mom.

“Julian just started to walk a few months 30 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022 / TownePost.com

Like Marque, Kaflik and his wife Noren also met through band. She was the color guard director at the school where he taught prior to BHS. She’s now an instructor for the BHS color guard. They have a son, Davison, who recently turned 1, and they have another boy on the way. The family has a miniature schnauzer named Rocky (after Rocky Balboa) and a border collie/husky mix named Rey (inspired by the character in “Star Wars”).

In his free time, Kaflik likes to run, golf, ski and cook. He and Noren also enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants and watching movies.

Runyon and his wife Kim have three grown children, Kaila, Braeton and Bret, all graduates of the BHS band program. They also have a dog name Adie. In his free time, Runyon likes to travel and spend time with his family.

Runyon is proud to announce that the Brownsburg band program received the 2021 Sudler Shield Award.

“This is the highest honor a school can receive in the marching activity,” Runyon says.

“We’re honored to have been chosen for this prestigious award.”

Any band director will tell you that bands foster a tremendous sense of camaraderie among members and their families.

“Band is a special family,” Runyon says.

“This is a place to belong for many students. It’s their niche.”

“In band, students rely on each other more so than any other activity I can think of,” Kaflik adds. “We don’t have a second-string player or alternate. Everybody in band is responsible for their own part and their spot. If they’re not in attendance or not refined on their parts, it has an impact on everybody else. When the band is strong, it’s because everybody worked together to get there.”

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