Rochester youth band together to make music

“Making music makes us more human, and that, I think, is important, no matter what your age,” says Janine Yanisch. She is striking up one of Rochester’s youngest bands as the director of the First Players. The organization is supported by Rochester’s First Presbyterian Church and encourages young musicians to band together to perform in an ensemble.

First Players was started in 2000 after Jennifer Taylor, a musician who was then employed at First Presbyterian, suggested there was a need in the community for students younger than sixth grade to have a band experience. Based on Taylor’s suggestion, First Presbyterian set up the First Players, which offered lessons on band instruments and a beginning band experience. The program has grown now to include a concert band in addition to its beginning band.

Students can start participating with First Players as early as fourth grade. The program offers weekly lessons in addition to weekly rehearsals for students in both the beginning band and the concert band. First Players also offers a weeklong summer band camp. This year the camp will take place from 9 a.m. until noon on Aug. 21-25.

The First Players ensembles play a wide variety of music including everything from beautifully arranged classic repertoire pieces to pop music and movie soundtracks. They also learn jazz tunes by ear and work on improvising. At their next concert, they will even play three songs that First Players students wrote or arranged.

“While First Players is not a faith-based organization, it is supported by a loving congregation whose faith includes that art and creativity are filled with gifts from the Spirit,” says Yanisch. “Exercising these richly is one way of giving thanks in community.”

This year, the band also includes some First Presbyterian adult musicians and First Player parents who help within different sections of the band. “We learn and laugh together, young and old, and struggle, and make mistakes, and work every week to create beautiful music together,” says Yanisch. “Great learning takes place when you play an instrument.”

Currently about 19 students take part in First Players' beginning band and 23 in its more experienced concert band. Some students choose to play in both ensembles. “How cool is that?” asks Yanisch. “Young people wanting to make more music together.”

Being part of an ensemble adds a whole different dimension to learning and playing music, Yanish says. “It involves listening to all the parts around you and figuring out how your part fits in. It involves balancing your voice with others, tuning, interpreting the music to create what we think the composer intended, working together to create a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts. It’s life.”

When initially joining First Players, students have about a month of lessons to gain a strong foundation on their band instruments before they rehearse together as an ensemble. Then, students receive a 20-minute lesson and participate in a 45-minute band rehearsal each week. More advanced concert band students rehearse for 75 minutes each week and also have the option of taking a 20-minute lesson as well.

Yanisch has taught band for 35 years. “I try to take students wherever they are at, and to move them forward however I can,” she says. She also says she enjoys the support she receives from her colleagues at First Presbyterian including John Stender, the director of music, the First Players parents, and their informal board.

With the support of Music Mart, the program also holds a free annual Meet the Instrument Night where students get the chance to try out different band instruments and hear First Players demonstrating them. Yanisch says that the ideal time for students to join First Players is in the summer. For the general public, the beginning band, including lessons, has a yearly fee of $240 while the concert band’s weekly rehearsals have a $165 yearly fee.

Of course, it isn't all practice. Over the years, First Players ensembles have performed everywhere from the Festival of Trees to the Eagles Cancer Telethon. Upcoming performances include a performance at First Presbyterian, a Rochester Honkers game and the Rochesterfest Parade.

“In band we don’t deal with screens. We deal with the muse. We deal with each other as human beings. No one can do the practicing for us. It’s very hands on. How we communicate the ink on the page is totally up to us. The ink on a sheet of music is just ink,” says Yanisch. “We, as human beings are what makes that ink music.”

To learn more about the First Players, visit fpcrochester.org/first-players-band. .

Upcoming First Players performances include:

• Patio Performance at First Presbyterian Church, 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 24.
• Rochester Honkers game on 5 p.m. Sunday, June 11.
• Rochesterfest Parade on Saturday, June 24.