Mat-Su Concert Band reunites after more than two years

WASILLA — The Mat-Su Concert Band gathered inside Teeland Middle School for the first official rehearsal in over two-and-a-half years Monday, Aug 15.

“It feels good,” Mat-Su Concert Band conductor Gleo Huyck said.

According to board president Drewcilla Shumake, Teeland Middle School is the primary place the band rehearses. She said the reason why they had to wait so long to reunite was due to the fact that the Mat-Su Borough School District would not allow them in the facility without social distancing measures such as mandatory masks and creating their own air filtration system.

“There was no way we could adhere to those guidelines,” Shumake said. “So, we couldn’t have band.”

Shumake said the district finally loosened the restrictions, allowing the community band to get back together inside their usual rehearsal area. She said this band means so much to so many people. She said they usually have 700 to 800 spectators at their annual Christmas concert. This two-and-a-half-year hiatus was the longest break in the band’s history.

“This is a big deal. It’s been missed,” Shumake said.

According to Huyck, there are currently about 70 members in the band, and a third of them are new. He said it’s very encouraging to have so much interest.

“The band has a reputation. It attracts them,”

Huyck said that he started leading the band over a decade ago.

“It has come a long way since then,” Huyck said.

Lane Olson is the final charter member from the first days of the band in 1984. He said it was the only marching band in the state at the time. He said they draw musical talent all the way from Trapper Creek to Anchorage.

“We’ve got some outstanding musicians,” Olson said.

Olson said that he’s been playing music for over 54 years. He said the long break was hard on everyone, and tears of joy welled up in his eyes in the middle of practice. He said this band is like a second family to him and many others feel the same way.

“I missed my family these last two years,” Olson said. “We were going through band withdrawals. We’re sharing something we love. That’s why they’re here,”

The Mat-Su Concert Band’s first show of the season takes place Oct. 1 and it’s titled Strike up the Band Again. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. inside the Glenn Massay Theater. Anyone interested in joining the band is encouraged to reach out.

For tickets and more information, visit matsuconcertband.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com