How Barbara Hunter’s passion for music shaped her life 10353" * 5 r 130' * -&
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
BarbHunter, director of the SeawayWinds Concert Band, has a love of music that truly runs deep. At 4 years of age, she started playing the piano, followed by !ute at age 8 and, "nally, the cornet by 9. While in high school, Hunter was a church organist and choir director and played trumpet. At age 16, she was trumpet soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony and South Bend Symphony. #e woman, originally fromSouth Bend, Indiana, is now a proud citizen of the area. “I love the history in the region,” she explained, smiling. “I live close to the Lost Villages and I simply "nd it fascinating what happened here. I never knew about what had transpired with the !ooding and all.” What led the cultured woman to become a “true Canadian” is her son. A mother of two, the woman and her "rst husband were faced with a tough decision. “When my youngest son was three months old, he became quite sick,” she indicated. “When we brought him to the doctors, they did some allergy tests on him.” She points to her own armand demons- trates just how small his limb was. She then proceeds to poke it in several di$erent areas. “#ey put a lot of needles in him,” she said. “#en all of a sudden, a part of his arm be- came bigger than a mosquito bite.” Her son was allergic to sand dust, which was quite common in the climate where the young family lived. “#e doctor told us that he wouldn’t be getting any better unless we moved,” indi- cated Hunter. “My ex-husband wanted to move to Montreal and so we did.” A graduate of Indiana University, the music expert had been a part of the Phoenix Arizona Symphony before accepting a spot as amusic teacher at theMontreal West High School. #e latter became the Royal West Academy. “It was a superb place,” Hunter admitted. “It was way ahead of its time.#ey introduced programs that went on to be adopted by a lot of other schools. It was a role model for other academies.” #e retired teacher also stressed that she taught many students that went on to have illustrious careers in music. “Tom Allen, a host with the CBC, was one of my students, along with TobieMiller, a Canadian recordist and singer,” she said. In all, Hunter spent 32 years teaching, amassing what she calls priceless expe- rience. But upon her retirement, in 1999, herself and her second husband decided to leave the busy city life and start a new life in Cornwall’s vicinity. Yet the retired teacher’s love of music wasn’t quenched. “When we "rst got here, I noticed that there wasn’t any concert band in the area,” she commented. “I really wanted to be a part of something, so I created the
Barb Hunter, pictured above with her trumpet as a member of the Ruby Tuesday Dixie Band. !e woman, originally from South Bend, Indiana, is now a proud citizen of the area.
principals amongst our ranks and even high school students.” Even though she’s retired, she stressed that being director of the prestigious band is somewhat of a fulltime commitment. “I don’t think I’d be able to do all that if I wouldn’t be retired,” she stated, all the while laughing. “It takes a lot of planning.” Hunter’s many duties include selecting the musical pieces that will be produced by the band, acquiring sponsors for the event as well as establishing when concerts will take place. faire ça », a expliquéMarc Renaud, l’entraî- neur-chef des Patriotes. « Dès notre première année, on voulait jouer contre des équipes locales. » En e$et, l’équipe faisait autrefois partie de la ligue de football du Conseil scolaire de dis- trict catholique de l’Est ontarien (CSDCEO). Celle-ci ne regroupait que quatre autres équipes, l’École secondaire catholique de Casselman, l’École secondaire catholique d’Embrun, l’École secondaire catholique L’Escale de Rockland et l’École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury.
Yet, although she loves the area, she still makes her way back to Arizona every win- ter, in order to take part in a professional ensemble. “I always want to practice. I sim- ply don’t want to stop.” In addition, she also takes part in the Maple Leaf Brass Band, located in Ottawa. But for Hunter, who proudly holds up a Seaway Winds Concert Band !yer, all the work is worth it, for it’s nothing more than motivation to stay on top.
Seaway Winds Concert Band in 2001.” Boasting around 40 extremely talented musicians, the band performs several dif- ferent pieces, from swing, to jazz and even blues. “#ere’s a lot of talent here,” pointed out the director. “#ere was a need to create an outlet for these musicians.” Interestingly enough, the band’s mem- bership is quite diverse and ranges from 13 year olds to an 81-year-old musician. “We have such a diverse group of people,” observed a smiling Hunter. “We have some
Des nouveaux adversaires pour les Patriotes
De plus, plusieurs des joueurs de l’équipe font aussi partie de la ligue de football mineur des Wildcats de Cornwall. « Un grand nombre de nos joueurs font partie des Wildcats et maintenant ils peuvent jouer contre leurs amis. » Lors de la "n de la saison, le vainqueur de la ligue locale fera face au gagnant de la ligue de Brockville. « Je pense que ce sera une ligue beau- coup plus saine », a fait remarquer M. Re- naud. « Nous sommes très enthousiastes. Nous pensons que ce sera très amusant. »
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
Les joueurs de l’équipe de football de l’École secondaire catholique La Cita- delle feront dorénavant face à des adver- saires locaux. L’équipe fait maintenant partie de la ligue de football Seaway Valley Football, qui regroupe les écoles Holy Trinity, St. Joseph, Cornwall Collegiate, St. Lawrence et Tagwi. « Ça fait cinq ans qu’on essaie de
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