Musical Background: Saxophone, clarinet, piano, vocals, guitar, flute.
Performance experience includes: Waldport High School Band,
Waldport High School Choir, University of Oregon Contemporary Chorus, Music In May Honors Music Festival, Lincoln County Concert Band, Pacific Coast Wind Ensemble and the with Yachats Big Band since October 2007.
PROFESSIONAL/EXPERIENCE - Resident of Tidewater, Oregon - Gerry started playing guitar in 1963. Influenced by the Folk and Blues movement of the period. He received an Associate of Arts in Music from Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, OR in 1976.
Performance experience includes Jug Bands (New Jersey - 63/64), Blues
combos (New York - 66/67, San Antonio, Tx - 67/69), Studio work (San
Francisco 73, Vancouver, WA 82/91) Yachats Big Band 92/04, and solo
and accompanist work throughout his career.
Mr. Bellavita taught guitar and fretted string instruments from 1974 through 1986 in Portland, OR, and privately through 2004. Other than music work, Gerry is an Organization Development and Group Process consultant, trainer, and facilitator. His specialty areas
include Service Management, Teams in the Workplace, Non-Profit organizations,
and research related to Violence in the Workplace and Emergent Security
related issues.
EDUCATION - Most of my youth was spent in Oxnard and West Los Angeles in southern California. I graduated from University High School in Los Angeles and attended UCLA for two years. I had started playing the trombone in school, at about the 7th grade. My first two high school years were spent at Oxnard High School where I met my future wife, the love of my life, Pat, in the high school band. I also played in the UCLA band. After marriage, with family and work taking our full attention, the trombones found a quiet resting place in the closet.
PROFESSIONAL - My early work years were spent as a Psychiatric
Technician for six years while I was finishing college at San Jose State College.
After receiving teaching credentials and several special education credentials, I worked as a special education teacher and as a speech and language therapist for the next thirty-one years, with twenty six years spent working for the El Dorado County Office of Education in Placerville, California.
EXPERIENCE - Our sons all played instruments in the school bands, and after their graduations, Pat and I decided to explore our musical interests again.
That included playing in a local symphony for a number of years and several concert bands in Placerville and the Sacramento area. Upon retirement, with a move to the Oregon coast, it was expected that duets would be our probable musical activity.
That has not been the case as we have played in the Lincoln County
Concert Band which was recently joined with the Florence Community Band to form the Pacific Coast Wind Ensemble, as well as the Coast Brass
Quartet, the Florence Brass quintet, and for the last eleven years, the Yachats Big Band.
Playing swing or dance music was a new and exciting experience.
About three years ago I started playing the bass trombone which I enjoy tremendously. Being a part of the Yachats Big Band has been great fun, and it has provided many musical experiences that I never dreamed of having in my retirement. It is a great pleasure to watch the dancers and see the audience enjoying our YBB music.
Pat Chapman
EDUCATION - Oxnard High School Band, Oxnard, Ca.
All So. California High School Band
B.O.A. in Music and Fine Arts
FOR FUN
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Retired: Licensed Psychiatric Technician Camarillo/Agnew State Hospitals
PROFESSIONAL/EXPERIENCE - John worked as a chemist for the Dow Corporation.
In addition to the Yachats Big Band, He has played in the following musical groups:
Richard Jones
PROFESSIONAL/EXPERIENCE:
Played lead alto sax with Swing Shift, a Eugene-based big band from 1979 to 1998.
BIO - Richard is a retired librarian and music educator. Since moving to Florence, Richard has played in several musicals, in the community band, two ensembles, the Central Coast Chamber Orchestra, and been a "regular" sub with the Yachats Big Band.
Pete Lawson
EDUCATION - B.A. The Evergreen State College 1976, Ph.D. Idaho State
University 1986.
PROFESSIONAL/EXPERIENCE - Salmon ecologist and marine biologist for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Pete started trumpet in 1958 and played in concert bands and orchestras through high school and college. He then took 23 years off to persue a career first as an ornithologist, then in river ecology, and finally marine biology. Notable projects included flying
radio-controlled gliders to locate peregrine falcon eyries in Mexico
and several sampling expeditions on the MIddle Fork of the Salmon River in
Idaho. Pete's current research interest is wild coho salmon on the
Oregon Coast.
Shortly after moving to Oregon in 1987 Pete started playing trumpet
again and joined the Yachats Big Band at its inception. He has also
played in several local musical productions.
PROFESSIONAL/EXPERIENCE - I don't have any real credentials in music, I have always loved to sing.
My first solo was in kindergarten, and growing up, I sang in the church choir, and in high school. I currently sing with the, notorious "Polka Dots", and have been thrilled and fortunate to sing with the Yachats big band. It is truly my favorite kind of music.
Kate Miller
EDUCATION - minored in Theater Arts at De Anza College.
PROFESSIONAL/BIO - A nurse for 20 years,
FOR FUN - has performed in many musicals in college and community theater.
BIO: Richard is a Gemologist, an independent jewelry appraiser since 1972 and owner of FACETS Gem & Mineral Gallery, in Newport since 1987. His experience is gleaned from a lifetime of involvement in the field of gem collecting, cutting and his affiliations with various industry organizations through out the nation. His interest began early as a youngster, and upon completion of his tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force back in the 60's, he began his career in jewelry.
Partners in both business and life he and Kay live in Newport. Since the late 70's Richard & Kay have actively mined and collected gems and minerals in six different states as hobbyist. Together they collectively have more than 50 years of expertise in the lapidary field and the jewelry industry.
Kay serves the Yachats Big Band as our web master and hostess for our monthly dances.
Darrell Staffenson
PROFESSIONAL
- commercial fisherman.
Art Svoboda
PROFESSIONAL
- Retired music instructor. Taught for 38 years on the elementary through College levels in Southern and Northern California and North Dakota. Presently enjoying painting and directing the Pacific Coast Wind Ensemble in addition to playing trumpet with Yachats Big Band.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science Colorado State University -
Physical Education
Master of Arts University of Northern Colorado - Contemporary
Dance
Fulbright Scholarship to study dance in England
Master of Fine Arts Indiana University - Ceramics & Textiles
Studied & performed Modern Dance with the Tameris/Nagrin
Professional Dance Company New York City
PROFESSIONAL
- Work experience: Fort Collins Colorado High School teacher
EDUCATION: Steve Williams grew up in Santa Barbara, California, and became interested in music at an early age, playing string bass, tuba and trombone throughout junior high, high school, and with the local community college. Steve chose to pursue a career in natural resources and attended college at Humboldt State University where he continued playing trombone and tuba with the
HSU Big Band and Wind Ensemble, and assorted brass groups.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
After graduating from college, Steve moved to Newport in 1988 with his wife Lorie, and found out about the Yachats Big Band that was just being established. He joined the band and played lead trombone for several years, before switching to the rhythm section and taking over as bassist for the band.
BIO: Steve has worked as a Natural Resource Specialist with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department since 1994, where he's involved in coastal management, natural hazards issues, scenic waterways and various State Parks projects up and down the coast. He lives with Lorie and his two children, Aaron and Logan in Newport. The boys are already budding musicians - Logan plays the clarinet, and both have played piano for several years. Besides music, Steve's recreational pursuits include surfing year-round, kite boarding in the ocean during the spring and summer months, and snowboarding during the winter.
• San Diego State College Band, San Diego,Ca.
• Ventura College Band, Ventura, Ca.
• Sacramento Valley Symphonic Band, Sacramento, Ca.
• American River Concert Band, Sacramento, Ca.
• Theater El Dorado Pit Orchestra, Placerville, Ca.
• Sierra Symphony, Placerville, Ca.
• Lincoln County Concert Band, Newport,Or.
• Coast Brass Quartet. Yachats, Or.
• Yachats Big Band, Yachats, Or.
• Florence Brass Quintet, Florence, Or.
• Pacific Coast Wind Ensemble, Lane/Lincoln Counties,
Or.
• Emergency Room Technician - El Dorand County Hospital, Placerville, Ca.
• Office Manager - Placerville Veterinary Clinic, Placerville, Ca.
• San Ramon (California) Jazz Ensemble.
• Pacific Reeds Saxophone Quartet, Yachats.
• The Jetties 1996 and The New Jetty Band 2004 Florence.
• Florence Saxophone Quartet
• Florence Community Concert Band
• Central Coast Clarinets, Florence
• Pacific Coast Wind Ensemble
• Pit orchestra for nine musicals, Florence Events Center
Sue McEneny
• Was involved in a live radio show in Northern California as well singing on stage and in surrounding clubs.
• Part of the Yachats Big Band since 1993 and loves the torch songs. She looks forward to singing with the band for many years to come and is grateful to be apart of such a talented and dedicated group of people.
EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL
Started playing the drums:
• Perry Junior High School, Pittsberg PA.
• All City Band and Orchestra at Perry High School.
• U.S.A.F. Drum & Bugle Corps, San Antonio, TX
• U.S.A.F. Europe Show Band (part-time)
• Lounge/Studio musician L.A. CA
• Yachats Big Band drummer
• Fills in as needed Lincoln County Concert Band, past Lincoln Pops
• Teaching assistant University of Northern Colorado
• Modern Dance faculty Colorado State University
• Assistant Professor Dance University of Oregon
• Teaching Assistant Ceramics Indiana University
• University of British Columbia Associate Professor Ceramics in the Visual and Performing Arts Dept.
• Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Faculty
Of Education
Joe Chapman