“I try to get in front of the young kids and tell them to just be open minded and to check it out,” explains Madison Junior High Band Director Shawn Bentz, now 5 years on the job. “I tell them to talk to other kids who have been in band, and open their minds to different kinds of music. So many kids get into a kind of musical rut listening to only one style of music, and I just ask them to broaden their horizons. Bottom line … band is fun! I don’t think I’ve ever had a kid who tried it and didn’t ultimately really enjoy the experience.

“You know, Madison has a legacy as a powerful band school going back decades,” Bentz continues. “But when I got here five years ago, it seemed like some of that had faded a bit. Band wasn’t as cool anymore with the kids, is how it felt. Maybe it was looked down on. I’m not sure the reasons, perhaps the explosion of other options kids have now for extracurricular activities. I mean, there’s even a fishing club now, among many others.

“But I have to say, I see those attitudes turning around a bit. Band is cool again, it seems like. I instruct three years of kids, from 6th through 8th grade, and I feel like if we can get them involved at that early stage and let them see just how rewarding and fun it can be to master an instrument and be a part of a large ensemble, I think it will make a difference in the long run.

“I mean, I’m a living example of the impact band can have on a person. I started playing trumpet in the 5th grade, I played all through high school, I majored in music at IU and got a masters at University of Missouri. I still play my trumpet every chance I get … and it’s still an important and evolving part of my life.

“In fact, a couple days a week I get to school early and set up with my horn out in the halls where the kids are coming in to start their day. I have a pre-recorded backing track I play on a little speaker, and then I just improvise and play jazz trumpet for the kids as they go to their lockers and head to first period. It’s a great way to set a positive tone first thing in the morning, and it exposes the kids to some different genres of music they may not be familiar with.

“We actually have a new music program at the Junior High that has been a real boost for the band. It’s called The Frequency Spot, and it’s a fully functional recording and music production studio that doubles as a classroom and hands-on learning center. I collaborate on pretty much a daily basis with the program leader, Jerry Navarro, our spaces are right next door to each other. It’s a real opportunity for my band kids to learn the production and recording side of things and Jerry’s kids to come in and practice recording and mixing our performances.

“I feel like the music programs at the Junior High are stronger than ever, and are really benefiting from the collaboration and wider options we are offering these days. I’m seeing the guitar player kids who might be more into forming a rock band, they’re gaining a better understanding of what the formal band kids are up to. And vice versa.

“We have this kind of magical musical soup that’s happening in our little corner of the building, and it’s very exciting. In my experience, every kid likes music, in some form or other. Now there are more ways than ever for them to get involved and make music a part of their lives.”

Hot Tip of the Week

Kind of a special Live Lunch this Friday at Lytle Park, with our friend Tim Brickley from Indianapolis, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tim is one of the most entertaining and lovely human beings you’ll ever have the pleasure of spending time with. I highly recommend you bring a lawn chair and a sack lunch for this free show … if it’s not pouring rain, like it has for the last … I can’t remember how long! (Show will move indoors to Red Bicycle Hall if it is raining.) Another show that will be fun this week is Shawn Lee at The Central on Saturday. Shawn is a free spirit guy who has been busking on our sidewalks lately, and he is quite good. Happy to see him scoring an indoor gig! Just look at our music calendar folks, it’s truly incredible to have so much music in a town our size. If you want it to stay this way, get out there and support it. Most of it is free!

Charlie Rohlfing is a retired advertising man and partner in The Red Bicycle Hall music venue. Look for his distinctive fedora bobbing above the crowd anywhere local live music is happening.

Music Events Schedule

Friday, May 29

Lytle Park – Live Lunch with Tim Brickley (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)

Vintage Lanes – Live Jazz (7-9 p.m.)

Mad Paddle Brewstillery – Five Piece Chicken Dinner (7 p.m.)

1st Street Saloon – Hot Licks Band (9 p.m.)

TailGators – DJ Scratchy Karaoke (9 p.m.-1 a.m.)

Rivertown Grill – The Januarys (9 p.m.-1 a.m.)

The Central – Ryan Wissinger

The Lighthouse – Jacob Head (6-9 p.m.)

Saturday, May 30

Mad Paddle Brewstillery – Justin Dwayne Chappell (8 p.m.)

The Lanier Lawn – The Back Porch Band (10 a.m.-Noon)

Thomas Family Winery – Fifth Seal (7 p.m.)

Riverboat Inn – Joe & Deano (7-10 p.m.)

Rivertown Grill – Rock Radio - (9 p.m.-1 a.m.)

The Central – Shawn Lee

The Lighthouse – Slick River Rockets (6-9 p.m.)

Sunday, May 31

The Lighthouse – Sean Weppler (2-5 p.m.)


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