What started with a simple lunch conversation between two dedicated Batavians has blossomed into a vibrant source of music and community spirit. In 2013, former Louise White teacher and longtime community advocate Linda Schielke, and retired Batavia High School (BHS) band director John Heath, established the Batavia Community Band. Now, over a decade later, the group has grown from a handful of musicians to over 55 active members, many with deep ties to Bulldog Nation.

🌟 An Idea Born from Civic Need

Linda, fresh into retirement and having served as the mayor’s wife for years, noticed a consistent need at city events. "I thought so often that the event would be so enriched by band music," she recalls. With high school schedules making student participation limited, she recognized a gap. After calling up John, the two met for lunch and decided "this town needs a band!"

Their extensive backgrounds in education and community service directly shaped the band's structure and success. John brought his wealth of experience from directing and playing in other community bands, coupled with his decades as the BHS band director. He also saw the potential of the already-built Peg Bond Band Shell. There would be a place for the community band to perform.

Linda, a former sixth-grade teacher and administrator, stepped into the critical role of manager. Her skills, shaped by her background in education, were essential in organizing the group.

John highlights the influence of her background: "Linda’s phenomenal interest and influences along with her communication skills alleviate things that I have to do... She holds us all together. So those skills that she had as an educator and administrator, she's brought those to helping to develop the community band."

"The definition of why we exist on the city's website is we exist to provide background music for city events, and that is true today," John shares, reflecting the band's original civic purpose.

While civic events remain the core mission, the band has expanded its repertoire through popular River Walk concerts in September and October. These allow them to play "show tunes and movie themes and fun stuff like that that we ordinarily don't get to do."

🥁 From Dream to Drum Roll

The founders wasted no time. Just six weeks after their first lunch in October 2013, they held their debut concert for the Celebration of Lights in November.

"I remember being happy if there were 15-16 people coming to rehearsals," John says of the early days. "This year, we have averaged around 55 people."

The band’s master list of interested individuals has swelled to almost 200 over the years. Overcoming early challenges like finding performers, a lack of funding, advertising, and equipment required resourcefulness and community generosity. John secured music literature by sometimes borrowing from neighboring schools.

Linda is quick to credit John’s unwavering commitment: "If it wasn't for John's flexibility and willingness to do all this, there'd be no band."

They also gratefully acknowledge support from the City of Batavia, which provides a rehearsal space, chairs to use, and storage. Crucially, BHS alum and original band member, Jeff Matter, provides the necessary percussion equipment, on loan from his Music Matters School.

💛 Bulldog Nation Connection

The presence of BHS alumni and parents is central to the band's identity and success. "It’s like 31 people that are in the band that have connections to BHS!" John notes. These connections include John's former students, parents of alumni, and individuals who played under former BHS directors like Mike Stiers, Elwood Willey, and others. John, who taught many of the current members, sees the band as a family.

"I like to think of the band as a family and that the alumni from BHS obviously are really strong members of that family because they kind of keep the heart of the community alive in our group," John reflects.

Linda also emphasizes the value of the supportive atmosphere.

For many, the opportunity to play under John Heath’s direction again was the main draw. Laurie Lundborg (flute) of the community band explained her motivation: "When I heard that John Heath would be conducting the band, I had to join. I saw how he was as a director to one of my children and how he was able to bring each band member to a higher level of performance, regardless of the level at which he or she began."

Fellow band member Heather Frawley Graham echoes this powerful sentiment: "My favorite part of being a part of the program IS Mr. Heath... The moment I heard about the community band I was excited to try and join, the second I heard he was the director there was going to be nothing stopping me from doing everything I had to do to be under his direction again."

Heather compared the community experience to her youth: "Playing with the community band compares to being EXACTLY the same as high school since Mr. Heath was my director back then. The only difference in band now is that he isn't as harsh on us in the community band as he was on us in high school. Everything else is the exact same." She concluded with high praise: "Mr. Heath bleeds music notes and has it running through his veins. His love for music is still the same if not more intense than it used to be."

🏆 Community Impact and Personal Joy

The band's presence is felt across Batavia, from the VFW, Celebration of Lights event, Fourth of July concert, the Flag Day Ceremony, to their recent performance at a Fermi Lab ribbon cutting. The park district and city staff are very supportive. Mayor Jeff Schielke constantly highlights them and emphasizes the value of the community band in his Batavian articles or when speaking to a group.

Their biggest moment of external recognition was the Spirit of Batavia Award from the Chamber of Commerce in 2021. For John, however, the reward is more intrinsic: "The moment success comes for me is when one of the musicians learns their music and they perform their music and they're happy with their performance."

The true reward is often the community within the group itself. Linda shares a favorite quote from members: "They love Thursday nights (practice nights) because it's the one night of the week they do something for themselves..." Laurie Lundborg confirms the atmosphere: "My favorite thing about our band is the interesting cross-section of people that participate. We have people of different ages and backgrounds, and it’s so much fun to be a part of it.” She also summarized the mental health benefits: "Playing in this group allows me to forget about stress for a few hours each week."

🎺 Dust Off Your Instrument!

For anyone considering joining, the message is one of encouragement and low commitment. There are no fees to join or penalties for missing rehearsals. "Bring the rust and all!" Linda encourages.

The personal stories from members serve as powerful invitations. Heather Frawley Graham describes the return to her instrument: "Being a part of the band has meant the world to me. After I was done playing in college, I didn't know what to do with music... so my poor instruments sat in the back of my closets slowly collecting dust... Not playing for all these years, I have always felt like a piece of me was missing. Now I feel like myself again!"

Similarly, Laurie Lundborg rediscovered a core part of her identity: "Being able to play in a group under the direction of Mr. Heath has been an amazing experience. I missed playing in an ensemble and this group has reawakened a part of me that was dormant for many years due to career and child-raising. It is the perfect speed for me, and it has been wonderful to see our band progress to be able to handle more challenging music." She acknowledges the reality of returning: "I might not be as technically proficient as I was in high school, but the joy of music makes up for it."

John offers a simple, compelling analogy to all former musicians: "In grade school, did you learn that two and two are 4? Yes. Do you still know that two and two are 4? It’s still there because you learned it really well. That’s the same way you learned to play your instrument. You're not going to lose it. You just might be a little rusty."

The Batavia Community Band is truly a passion project designed for people to reconnect with their love of music. As the band looks to the future, it continues to honor the musical tradition of Batavia, inviting all who share their passion—alumni and friends alike—to join in the harmony. 

For further information, please email the band at [email protected]

This November, make sure to catch their final two performances before the year reaches its crescendo!

• Veteran’s Day Program at Batavia VFW on Tuesday, November 11th at 11:00am
• Celebration of Lights on the Batavia Riverwalk on Sunday, November 30th at 5:00pm