Frustrated Maestros Midwest Noteables

By Marcella Gercken, F139683

The Frustrated Maestros Midwest Noteables chapter of FMCA's Midwest Area had a banner year in 2007. Along with celebrating the 10th anniversary of our chapter's founding, we took in 15 new member families. And we always welcome more!

The Frustrated Maestros is an organized (be it ever so loosely) group of musicians who enjoy playing together at FMCA area rallies and international conventions. In addition to the original Frustrated Maestros chapter in California (Western Area), there are Frustrated Maestros chapters for each of FMCA's nine other areas: Eastern, Great Lakes, International, Midwest, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southeast, Northeast, and South-Central.

If you play an instrument, whether it's a band instrument, accordion, guitar, banjo, dulcimer, spoons, or electric keyboard, we welcome you to join the Midwest Noteables. If you sing, you're needed, too. We play typical band music, plus sing-along crowd-pleasers. We also have Dixieland, bluegrass, and jazz ensembles. Rich Kale, our director, is a retired band director. He has generously arranged numerous songs to accommodate all of us, and with his guidance we have been able to perform a variety of tunes.

We play each year at the Midwest Area Rally, and meet beforehand to prepare the music and socialize. This past September we had a pre-rally at Thomson Causeway Recreation Area, an Army Corps of Engineers campground on the Mississippi River, near Thomson, Illinois. Our practice area was under a shelter right along the river. It was great fun playing while the barges and riverboats passed by. After concentrated rehearsals, we went out for dinner or gathered for a potluck.

From our pre-rally site we caravanned to the Midwest Area Rally in Manchester, Iowa, where we set up our practice/hospitality tent and got back to the music.

This summer we will host our fellow FMCA Frustrated Maestros at FMCA's 80th International Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, July 14 through 17. All Maestros are invited to our pre-convention rally at Stoney Creek RV Resort in Osseo, Wisconsin, July 8 through 10. We will caravan from there to the convention in St. Paul. Along with folks from other Frustrated Maestros chapters, we will perform for the morning coffee hour, ice cream social, and other convention activities.

We look forward to playing at the Midwest Area Rally in Albert Lea, Minnesota, June 17 through 21, 2009, as well.

You do not have to live in the Midwest Area to join the Frustrated Maestros Midwest Noteables; our only requirement is to be a member of FMCA and be interested in musical performances. So, all you musicians who are hiding in the bushes out there — come on down! There is always room for one more on our stage.

Our chapter dues are $10 per year. For more information, contact FMCA's Chapter Services Department at (800) 543-3622; e-mail chapters@fmca.com.

If you would like your chapter to be featured in Chapter Spotlight, contact FMC associate editor Peggy Jordan, (800) 543-3622, ext. 212; pjordan@fmca.com.