Free show, open to the public Feb. 24

Contributed photo
The Boston Brass consists of, L-R: Domingo Pagliuca on trombone, Chris Castellanos horns, William Russell on tuba, Jeff Conner and Jose Sibaja on trumpet.

By Robert Williams

Editor

Internationally renowned brass quintet Boston Brass is returning to Frazee for a free show on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., at the high school.

The group first visited Frazee in 2022.

Boston Brass, left to right, Chris Castellanos, Jose Sibaja, Jeff Conner, William Russell and Domingo Pagliuca rehearse at the Frazee-Vergas High School gymnasium during their first visit four years ago.

During the day, Boston Brass will work with the ninth grade and 10-12th grade concert and symphonic bands grouped together for the last half of the school day.

The concert will be a mix of the school bands on their own and collaborations with the Boston Brass in the first act and the visitors will play the entirety of the second half of the show.

“I, personally, like coming to these places,” said Chris Castellanos, Boston Brass french horn player during the 2002 visit. “First of all, it’s a place I wouldn’t normally get to see and it’s beautiful here. Second, just meeting the people and talking to students who are not in a big city where they can go check out a big orchestra or see bands play. It’s really cool to come here and be working with students.”

Frazee High School band director Brian Selander directs the varsity band during a work session during the last session with the Boston Brass in April of 2022.

The group’s stop in Frazee is made possible by a grant from the Lakes Region Arts Council (LRAC) and through a connection between Band Director Brian Selander and Connor Challey is the Director of Athletic Bands and Tuba Instructor at North Dakota State University, who helped set up the initial visit.

Boston Brass will be playing with the NDSU wind symphony later in the week. For the second visit the group reached out to Selander.

“They said we are going to be in the area and we’ve already collaborated with you; we know you and your program so we’d love to come back and do it again,” said Selander. “To me, that was a once in a lifetime thing. I didn’t think we were going to get to do it again, at least not so soon.”

Playing with professional musicians can have a lasting impact on young players, something Selander shares with his students.

“I keep telling the kids this is like playing a basketball game with Anthony Edwards or some professional athlete,” Selander said. “This isn’t something that everybody gets to do and the fact that you not only get to say that you’ve done this, you have the memory of it and they’re going to provide feedback to you that you can use as musicians later on.”

During the 2002 visit, Castellanos shared his story that he was not born the greatest musician and how it took hard work with his nose to the grindstone and working hard to get better. 

“It can be done; everybody has got to start somewhere,” said Selander.

No current students got to play with Boston Brass during the 2002 visit as they were all eighth graders and under, but they did get to be a part of the production.

“I let the junior high kids come in and watch the rehearsal and get to listen; those seventh and eighth graders are now my juniors and seniors,” Selander said. 

Boston Brass has created a working relationship with the NDSU musical department and are in the area more frequently, but the LRAC grant plays an integral part in bringing them to Frazee to perform.

In earning the grant, Selander shared the impact the band makes on a small community, along with the school and students, during their visit.

“One of the reasons we got the grant, I made the precedence of why I want this is for the opportunity for our community who don’t get a chance to go to Fargo or Minneapolis, or where these groups are performing…bring it here for them,” said Selander. “It’s a crucial thing to see the arts flourishing and to get to do it here for free; I think it’s a pretty special thing.”

Selander also noted how the community supports the school’s music department in so many ways.

“This is a cool way we can give back for all the support over the years,” he said.

Boston Brass has traveled the world visiting 30 different countries and has played to audiences in all 50 states. Though the band regularly concertizes as a quintet, Boston Brass also performs with orchestras, concert and marching bands, organists, and jazz bands, and regularly collaborates with composers to create new works for the brass canon.

“I hope the students understand the magnitude of what they’re about to do,” Selander said.

See Boston Brass perform with the high school bands Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., at the high school gymnasium.