Dr. Paul Droste...
Paul Droste first marched in the Ohio State University Marching Band in 1954, as a euphonium player, returning as a graduate assistant in 1961 for one year. In 1966-68, he served as an instructor in the School of Music and as assistant director of the marching band. However, in Spring of 1970, he was summoned from Tucson, Arizona, in the midst of taking his doctoral exams, to interview for the position of director. Under his lengthy tenure, the OSUMB experienced many changes, including expansion in size and the admission of women.
Paul retired as Director of the OSU Marching Band in 1983. In 1984, he formed the Brass Band of Columbus - calling upon a collection of highly skilled brass musicians as its charter members. In short order, the BBC was quickly propelled it into the upper ranks of not only nationally, but also internationally known brass bands.
Dr. Droste retired as Director of the BBC in 2004 and passed the baton to current director Tim Jameson in 2005. While not at the podium on a weekly basis, he is far from absent and is now our number one audience member and assumes a key role on the BBC Board of Directors. In 2007, the band honored him by recording "Gifted Leadership" - a CD dedicated to Paul. Since retirement Paul has been far from idle - from functioning as Director of TBDBITL Alumni Band and the newly founded Ohio Brass Band (comprised of BBC members, Central Ohio Brass Band members, Scioto Valley Brass Band members, & other musicians.which recently enjoyed a very successful and fun tour of Great Britain. (Download the Brass Band Connection October 2008 issue [pdf] for a related article).
Paul E. Bierley
Paul Bierley was a charter member of the BBC, but there is much more to the story of this great man who has provided a musical legacy of immense magnitude:
"Paul Edmund Bierley of Westerville, Ohio, is
the world’s leading authority on John Philip
Sousa. Paul is a historian, musician, scholar,
lecturer and an aeronautical engineer. A 1953
graduate of The Ohio State University with a
bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering,
Bierley worked as an engineer for North American
Aviation.
Following his retirement from
the engineering field, he devoted his time to
pursuing his love of music, especially the life
and works of John Philip Sousa. A lifelong
musician, he played tuba with the Columbus
Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1980, and
with the Detroit Concert Band from 1973 to
1993. Paul performed with the Brass Band of
Columbus from 1984 to 1995.
Bierley has
written and is still writing definitive books on
Sousa, considered to be the most important
figure in the development of the band tradition
in the United States. Bierley also formed his
own publishing house, Integrity Press, to make
available books about band music and musicians
that might not find publishers elsewhere."
The author of the above, BBC Cornetist and Newsletter Editor John Watkins, is joined by BBC director, Tim Jameson, and Dr. Paul
Droste, for a question
and answer session with Mr. Bierley to ask
what motivated the author and “how he did it”
for his intensive research on John Philip Sousa. John shared the incredible conversation in a series of two newsletter articles that can be viewed via convenient downloadable PDF:
In addition to the many accomplishments and activities referenced above, Mr. Bierley also was a member of Arthur Fielder's World Symphony Orchestra (1971), and he has been honored with membership in the American Band Master's Association and received ASCAP's 1986 Deems Taylor Award along with various other citations. With his son, John Bierley, a cornetist who also played with the BBC for a while, he played in the Village Brass Quintet for nearly two decades. Other BBC members who played in the quintet included Tim Jameson, Eric Aho, Pete Baker, Todd Cunningham amongst several others who sat in with the group on occasion
In addition to his two volumes on the life and music of John Phillip Sousa, Mr. Bierley edited The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music, and contributed to many other publications and articles.
At an October 2, 2005 BBC Concert at The Southern Theatre, not only were guests treated to the music of James Curnow, but also a special awards presentation
was made to Mr. Paul E. Bierley (in the photo above left: middle) - Mr. Bierley received the Dr. Paul E. Droste
Founder’s Award and the honor of Emeritus BBC membership.
Jules Duga...
Jules J. Duga was a Charter Member of the BBC, and played with the band for 23 years. Jules was presented with the Founder's Award and Emeritus BBC membership at the BBC Silver Celbebration Gala.
Jules has a long career in music, having been principal tubist with the Wheeling (WV) and Columbus (OH) Symphony Orchestras. He was “first call” tubist, playing for all major music events in both communities, appearing with the travelling companies of The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, Showboat, South Pacific, The King and I, and other musicals, and with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was instructor in tuba at Capital University Conservatory of Music.
Jules earned a PhD in physics from The Ohio State University, and spent a long working career that included research on the development of new materials for electronic and medical device applications, science policy, and technology development programs in India and Mexico. He has earned an international reputation as a leading authority on research spending, and has been a consultant for the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences and the Congressional Research Service. He was inducted into the State of Ohio Senior Citizen Hall of Fame, and is an Honorary Member of the United States Air Force Band.
Ray Spillman...
Ray Spillman was a founding charter member of the BBC from 1984. He played BBb Bass and assumed a prominent role in the band during his tenure as its Business Manager for the first 20 years of the BBCs existence.
Ray received his BA and MA in Music Education from The University of Northern
Colorado. He played professionally as a free-lance musician in New York
City and surrounding east coast area. Ray has retired from OSU School of
Music as instrument repairman, and until fairly recently, was self-employed with his
instrument repair business. He has been
involved in Music Education as a teacher and provider of services to educators
for over 40 years.
Ray was presented the Paul E.
Droste Founders award at the annual Trinity
Seminary BBC concert held June 17,
2008 at Capital University. He also was an instrument repairman
and a tuba virtuoso. Ray continued
playing tuba with the band up to and beyond
Droste’s retirement, only having to
“warm down” due to health concerns. Ray
continues to enjoy retirement and supports
the band by attending concert, and all in the BBC look forward to those opportunities to reconnect with someone who contributed so much to the organization and is a friend to all.
Les Susi...
As a founding charter member of the BBC, Les Susi functioned in major administrative roles for band operations for the first 20 years of its existence. He enjoyed a lengthy tenure as Associate Conductor of the BBC under Dr. Paul Droste and occupied a major role in the Solo Cornet section.
Adjacent photo: L-R, BBC Director Tim Jameson, Les Susi and former Band Chairperson Lisa Galvin on the occasion of presenting the 2005-2006 Dr. Paul Droste Founder's Award to Les.
As a trumpet player, Susi joined the musicians union at age 14. Over the years, he played in the Chuck Selby, Henry & Ray Cincione, Don Crawford, Francis Carl, Ned Mapes, and Doc Everhart bands, as well as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He served as conductor and music director of the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, and was co-founder and co-conductor of Columbus Concert Band. For many years, he taught in the Columbus Public School system, notably at Whetstone High School.
During his legendary days as a prominent Central Ohio musician, Les was found performing beyond his BBC role in such local venues as the Gayety Theater, Club Alexander, The Dugout, Palm Garden, Gloria, Riviera, Deshler-Wallick ,The Neil House, Southern and Virginia Hotel - most locations now a part of Columbus history.
William Weltzheimer...
The
Brass Band of Columbus lost one of its biggest fans and a member of our
Executive Board when William Weltzheimer passed away on March 10, 2007 after a lengthy illness. Bill
and his wife Carolyn have followed the band closely for many years, being
nearly permanent fixtures in the front row at virtually every BBC
performance, regardless of how far away we were. Bill’s illness was about the only thing that kept them away
in the last few months of his life, and sometimes even that did not stop
him.
In
addition to their faithful concert attendance, the Weltzheimers were also
very generous financial supporters of the band, regularly contributing at
our highest recognition level, the Maestro level. Bill’s support and wisdom on our Executive Board will be greatly
missed; however, we are delighted that Carolyn has now assumed a role on our Board of Directors.
On June 12, 2006 the Brass Band of Columbus conferred the Dr. Paul E. Droste Founder’s Award posthumously to
Bill, along with Emeritus Membership. These new titles will be added to one our
band bestowed upon him long ago – that being a member of our family.
Adjacent photo: (L-R) Director Tim Jameson, Dr. Paul Droste, Carolyn Weltzheimer, and Lisa Galvin
