Sweet Sounds of Success

The Delta Music Makers Community Band is a unique success story that began with a small night-school beginner group in January 1983.

Curt Jantzen, a high school band director at the time, had been asked many times by friends and acquaintances to teach them how to plan a band instrument.

In response Jantzen began the Continuing Education Course in 1983 called “Beginner Band for Adults.”  The struggling participants began to revel in their newfound skills, and inspired Jantzen to begin three other beginner adult groups between 1983 and 1986.  As the music level increased experienced players began to augment the ranks of beginners and eventually all the groups were melded together to form the current 55-piece adult community band, the Delta Music Makers.

The band has performed frequently in Delta, giving annual concerts at Diefenbaker Park, Memorial Park, the Ladner Market, the Delta Hospital’s Extended Care Facility and of course, the Christmas concert at the Ladner Community Center in conjunction with the Delta Concert Band and the Delta Choral Society.  Other occasional Delta performances include sunshine Hills Park summer concert, Ladner Private Hospital Canada Day celebrations, a “Save Delta Hospital” rally at Seaquam Secondary and various other community events.

The next planned musical outing is a Father’s Day morning extravaganza at the Lions Club Breakfast at Centennial Beach on Sunday June 15.  Mayor Lois Jackson will be on hand to officially open the Lions club playground facility near Cammidge House at Centennial Beach.

Over the years the band has developed an organizational structure consisting of a board of directors from which is selected a smaller executive.  The board makes policy decisions regarding funding, fund-raising, purchase of equipment and supplies, band activities, public image, and membership development.  Jantzen makes decisions regarding eh music and works closely with the Board in all other initiatives.  The Delta Music Makers Society has recently obtained charitable status with Revenue Canada and is able to give tax receipts for donations. 

The rehearsals are still held under the auspices of Continuing Education, due to the advantage of using the Delta secondary school’s band facility.  Each members signs up for a night-school course every 10 or 12 weeks for a total of about 38 rehearsals per year, always on Tuesday evenings, thanks to Delta Secondary music director Margaret Behenna who allows use of her band room and equipment.

The Delta Music Makers not only performs locally, but they also travel!  Jantzen’s idea of performing at Disneyland California in 1988 was laughable to these new musicians, who still thought of themselves as beginners.  In spite of their fears, they passed the audition and were welcomed at Disneyland in July of 1988, part of a two week California performance tour.  Since then, the members have done multiple musical tours of Whistler, Vancouver Island, the BC Interior and the North Cascades as well as major tours to Disneyworld in Florida in 1991, the Canyonlands of Utah and Arizona in 1996 and all over Europe. 

It is important to note that all travel is funded by members themselves.  Mr.Jantzen suggests a major tour every three years and the members arrange vacation time from work and pary for the tour themselves.  The band members are already saving for the next major tour: the Maritime Provinces of Canada in August of 2005.  Also in the near future, the Delta Music Makers is planning to organize a “Ladner Bandfest” where community bands from all over B.C. will be invited to perform on stages in and around downtown Ladner.