Once Upon A Time . . . .
The Story of the North Suburban Symphonic Band
By Kathy Wikowski, NSSB Board of Directors
Once upon a time in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, in the spring of
1992 to be exact, Warren Mercer, Band Director at North Hills Senior
High School, retired after 32 years of daily band rehearsals, football
seasons, marching band festivals, concerts, Carnegie Awards,
commissioned works and many, many students. It all went by so
fast! He wasn't ready to hang up his baton and thought about what
he could do since he still enjoyed teaching and conducting.
Former students and family encouraged him to start a community band,
since the North Hills didn't have one. It had a community
orchestra, and several small bands here and there, but no community
BAND. In September, 1992 an article appeared in the North Hills
News Record inviting "amateur and professional players" to attend a
rehearsal at the North Allegheny Intermediate School for the "North
Suburban Community Band." 80 musicians showed up! There was
hardly room in the band room for everyone! It was
wonderful! The first concert was in November, 1992 at Warren
Mercer's church's fellowship hall where both the audience and the band
sat on the same floor level on folding chairs. And that's how it
all started.
In the first year, the name was changed to what it is today and the
NSSB is now in its 17th season. The personnel have changed,
conductors have come and gone, and sadly, we lost Warren Mercer to
cancer in April of 2007 but his idea of a community band where everyone
who is an interested musician is welcome is still going strong and we
now have about 75 members in the group. Carl T. Iezzi took over
the podium in 2002, and Sean Desguin was appointed the Assistant
Director a few years later.
In August, 1996 the NSSB received its 501(c)(3) status as a Non-Profit
and in 1997 received its first grant from the Pennsylvania Council on
the Arts. The Band has received grants each year since 1997 from
various grant organizations including the GPAC (Greater Pittsburgh Arts
Alliance), DCED (Department of Community and Economic Development) and
in 2008 we were pleased to be able to put the RAD (Allegheny Regional
Asset District) "sun" logo ("RAD Works Here") on our concert programs
as the result of a grant received in January of 2008. The grants have
been used to buy music, pay for guest soloists, purchase music stands
(for our move to the Masonic Center) and percussion equipment. In
September, 2006 the NSSB fulfilled a long-term goal of finding a
permanent home, after years of rehearsing and performing in two
different schools. The NSSB now performs and rehearses at The
Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center located on Cemetery Lane in the North
Hills. This is a beautiful facility, which includes a 500-seat
auditorium.
The NSSB has played with many talented and well-known soloists over the
years, however the true success of the band continues to be the
volunteer musicians who bring their considerable talents to the
band. We welcome musicians of all abilities and encourage high
school students to participate in a community band experience and we do
not and never will require auditions, as our Board and Conductor feel
strongly that a community band is open to everyone who is interested in
participating. An important part of the NSSB's Mission Statement
reads in part: "The NSSB will contribute to the audience appreciation
of wind band literature through the medium of public concerts,
encourage the young people in the area school districts towards the
benefits of participation in musical organizations in both school and
community and above all, maintain and expand the role of the community
band in America."
The NSSB meets every Monday evening at the Masonic Center at 7:30 PM
for a two-hour rehearsal from September through May. Four
concerts are presented each season on Sunday afternoons at 3:00
PM. We now have added the North Suburban "Big Band" Jazz Band
(NSBB) under the baton of Carl Iezzi that performs each summer in July
at St. John's Lutheran Church on Cumberland Road in the North Hills and
also a Dixieland Band under the baton of Sean Desquin, which travels to
various venues, in addition to a brass ensemble and woodwind
ensemble.
It has been quite a trip down memory lane for me to write this article
for the SWBPPA Newsletter, as I was one of the Founding Members of the
NSSB, and only one of three that are left in the present membership
from the original group. I also knew Warren Mercer from the 5th
grade when I first took French Horn lessons from him, until his death
in 2007. He left a wonderful legacy for us to carry on because no
matter what happens in the world, music never goes out of style, never
gets old, and always brings a smile to everyone's face. That is
what makes it all worthwhile.
Kathy Wikowski, President
NSSB Board of Directors
P.S. We have a great web site developed by one of our baritone players
with more information on the NSSB - take a look!
www.nssband.org