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They Gather For Love Of Music

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By JENNIFER HOWELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 22, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - When Glenn Weatherly moved to Wesley Chapel from Michigan a year and a half ago, he began searching for a way he could participate in his favorite pastime: playing his trombone with other musicians.

He found established musical ensembles in Ybor City and Port Richey, but didn't find anything close to home. So the 41-year-old started the Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble last July.

"Being new here, and since there wasn't a group here, I thought it would be neat to see if I could start something," he said.
Weatherly says two to seven musicians show up for the weekly practice sessions from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays at Hyundai Wesley Chapel. The group plays a variety of music including jazz, classical and hymns.

For Weatherly, playing the music each week is a stress release. He had been a part of a small brass ensemble in Michigan before moving to Florida.

"It's a recreational outlet for me," he said. "I'm not an athlete. Music has always been my outlet."

This is a sentiment echoed by other musicians in the group. Making music has played a big role in their lives.

Louis Trotter, 79, has played the trumpet all his life, and that includes having played in the Army's 36th Infantry Regiment Band. The Wesley Chapel resident said he enjoys getting together with the other musicians and sharing music.

"I like the music, and I like the group," he said. "I like that it's a night out."

Although Wesley Chapel resident Bob Jasper, 68, has been playing the trumpet since he was about 8 years old, he said he got serious about playing after retiring in 1999.

He recommends joining a group to other musicians who are looking to play again, even if they are a little rusty.

The sound produced by multiple instruments in harmony makes the experience more enjoyable, he said.

"Musicians love to play, and they are always looking for opportunities to play with other people," Jasper said. "We like to have a lot of different instruments to create a nice sound. It makes it a lot more satisfying to play."

Jon Ralston, 51, of Land O' Lakes, plays the trombone, and says the more the merrier.

"It's always fun when there's more around rather than just playing with a CD," he said.

The sound produced by the two trumpets and two trombones fills a back room of the Hyundai dealership with warm, rich notes during the wind ensemble's meeting.

However, the musicians with their instruments fail to fill half of the space.

The group is looking for more musicians who play brass or woodwind instruments to join in.

The regulars at the meetings play brass instruments, but Weatherly says a tenor saxophone player used to come.

The wind ensemble was named in the hopes more musicians who play woodwind instruments would join.
Weatherly would like for the ensemble ultimately to volunteer to play in the community two or three times a year at places such as nursing homes or parks.

"It would give us something to work toward," he said.

For information on the Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble, contact Weatherly at trombonegww@juno.com or (813) 746-4821.

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