Community
Amy Mengarelli and her son, Gunner, unpack their trumpets.
Lindsey Chambers puts a new reed in her clarinet as her fiancé Jack Milzarek sets up the percussion section.
Newly retired music professor Bob Kehle sits down next to this year’s Pittsburg State University drum major Omar Trujillo, who used to be one of his students and now is a fellow trombone player.
They’re here as part of Pittsburg Community Band, a group formed last year by Cooper Neil and Andrew Chybowski, with help from Delani Vogrin.
At 7 p.m. on Thursday, the band will perform in a shared concert with the Pittsburg State University Wind Ensemble at the Bicknell Center. It is free and open to the public.
Neil and Vogrin are both PSU grads who teach instrumental music and direct bands at Pittsburg High School and Pittsburg Community Middle School; Chybowski is an associate professor in the PSU Music Department.
“We want to provide an opportunity for music hobbyists, music students, and adults who haven't picked up their instrument in awhile,” said Neil. "The ultimate goal is to have a great time making music together!”
Chambers and Milzarek, both PSU grads who became band directors in the Riverton, Kansas, and Mt. Vernon, Missouri, school districts, said being in the Community Band allows them the chance to do what brings them joy.
"It lets us step away from the podium and get to perform again," Lindsey said, "and we get to do it together."
Similarly, Bob and Susan Laushman, also a PSU grad, spend their days teaching music to others: Susan as the vocal music director at PHS and Bob as the percussion teacher at PCMS and PHS.
“We enjoy doing this together because we talk music all the time at home, so being able to actually perform music together is a lot of fun,” Bob said. “I’ve played drums since I was in third grade, and as long as I’m physically able I want to keep doing it.”
Several members of the band dug out instruments they haven’t played in years and they’re loving it — like Amy Mengarelli, who works in the school district’s Transportation Department.
“It’s fun to do this with my son,” Amy said of her participation with Gunner, who graduated from PHS in May. “I played in the band at PSU when I was here in 1992, and it’s nice to pick it up again."
Gunner enjoys performing with musicians beyond his classmates in school.
“I enjoy being with a diverse mix of people from many walks of life,” he said.
Husband and wife Jake Letner and Sean Gilmore do, too.
“I’ve been playing euphonium since sixth grade, and this is a good way for me to stay connected to my instrument and also to the community,” said Sean, a speech therapist in Labette County.
Jake hadn't played his tuba in a decade.
“It was a good way to get back into it,” said Jake, a city administrator in Columbus. “This is a fun group, a fun time.”
For Pitt State employees Allison and Andrew Oullette and their child, Gwen, it’s a family affair: Allison plays flute, Andrew plays percussion, and Gwen, who is a student at PHS, plays oboe.
"I spent a lot of time when I was in high school playing in band and I really miss it,” Allison said. “I’m glad to have this as a way to reminisce and express myself in music as I used to.”
And Neil’s own mother, Margaret Neil, a retired teacher, is in the percussion section — for the first time in her life.
“Since retirement, I’m always looking for new challenges — and here is one led by my son and Dr. Chybowski. I’m a vocalist and have a violin background,” she said. “Being in the percussion section fits the bill! Challenge accepted!
Interested?
The Pittsburg Community Band performs four concerts each year, typically after rehearsing a few hours on Sunday afternoons for about six weeks. There are no fees, and it is open to anyone interested. For more information, contact Cooper Neil or Andrew Chybowski
