Dowagiac’s new Band Director, Benjamin VanRoekel, 2019 Southwestern Michigan College graduate and tenor saxophonist from Paw Paw, capped his first band camp Aug. 10 previewing this fall’s halftime show.

VanRoekel’s Chieftain Marching Band performed selections from John Williams-themed “A Night at the Movies.”

VanRoekel, a veteran of Western Michigan University’s Bronco Marching Band, said of Williams as his musicians took Chris Taylor-Alumni Field, “He’s an incredibly prolific composer with a career spanning seven decades. (With 54), he’s the second-most nominated person for Academy Awards after Walt Disney. We’re playing a ‘Star Wars’ compilation. Second is themes from ‘Jurassic Park.’ Later in the season our closer will be a mashup of ‘Jaws’ and ‘Superman.’

“There are a few reasons why this show was chosen,” he said. “First, the music of John Williams is very teachable. It isn't too incredibly challenging to put together with a smaller band, especially because of how recognizable the melodies are. They also still sound great despite being easier arrangements.

“Second, since they are so recognizable, it's sure to be a football crowd pleaser as well as for the competitive audiences. I want the band to be able to elevate the experience at football games as well as perform well in our own competitions. And finally, I just really like Williams and movies he’s written for!”

“Yes! I'm definitely stepping into a program that is rebuilding,” VanRoekel said of the band’s two-dozen members, including five seniors. “The band is still here and wants to play, and I'm taking advantage of that. I am teaching 6th-12th grade bands. From what I know, there is a lot of interest in band at the middle school. This first year, I am not going to be focusing as much on recruitment explicitly.

“Instead, my plan is to make the bands look and sound as good as possible. When younger students see and hear the older kids having a good time playing rewarding music, the band program will grow naturally. The camaraderie and enthusiasm are what I want to build more than anything this year.”

When he arrived at SMC in Fall 2017, he enrolled in pre-engineering.

“After being in Dr. (Jonathan) Korzun’s bands for a semester, I decided pretty quickly I wanted to change to music” and pursue jazz studies to become a professional performer. He also tutored for the Carole Tate Teaching and Learning Center.

“When I got to WMU, I did a year of the jazz studies program before realizing the performer's life was not for me. Since I had just worked with my first summer band camp and was still tutoring at SMC, I decided to interview for the music education program. I was accepted, and in my first music-ed class felt much more at home. Despite this, I still really enjoy performing!”

At Western, VanRoekel was part of the Bronco Marching Band, a couple jazz combos, a saxophone quartet, the Jazz Lab Band, the University Concert Band, the University Symphonic Band and the University Wind Symphony.

“I did my final semester as an internship at Watervliet Public Schools with Jennifer Hollandsworth, getting experience actually implementing lessons and teaching in the classroom.”

Her husband, SMC Director of Bands Mark Hollandsworth, alerted VanRoekel to the Dowagiac posting, urging him to apply.

“He thought it would be a good fit for me. I'm glad I did, because so far the experience has been great.”

SMC connections abound. Jazz Ensemble tenor saxophonist Seth Kalina of Cassopolis heads to Michigan State University to study jazz performance.

Gavin Sehy, who worked with the drum line, runs cross country for Zac Sartori’s Roadrunners from Kalamazoo Hackett.

DUHS Choir Director Hunter Schuur (SMC 2015) also helped mentor and instruct, as did Calie Blaske from Niles/Eastern Michigan University with the color guard.

Drum Major Calvin Diamond is already a familiar face on campus singing in choirs and acting at Beckwith Theatre-ETS summer camps.

The band demonstrated “march off” or “elimination block,” removing musicians until one remains.

“It’s something we've done at various other schools I've worked with,” he said. “The idea is for students to become aware of their technique through competition with their bandmates. It's very challenging, since every detail is scrutinized. ‘Naked marching’ I stole from the Bronco Marching Band. When you are in straight lines from the stands to the back of the field, you are exposed. Any little slip-up is immediately recognizable.”

Paw Paw “had a very similar program to Dowagiac. The band I was part of had 50-70 members. We did a show at football games and went to a few scholastic marching competitions.

“Outside of marching band, it was also a single-director program with jazz band as a class like here. It has grown a lot since I graduated. They have two directors now as well as a considerably larger band. My former director is still there and now we get to work together! It's pretty surreal.”

Amy Gronda, after 29 years building middle and high school programs, in 2021 was recognized as Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association “Teacher of the Year.”

VanRoekel said his first band camp went “about as well as I could have hoped. We started at 8 a.m. each day with various rehearsals until 6 p.m. The band rehearsed marching for 39 hours, music for 10.”