Michele Wilson was a few notes short of a scale when she joined the Kimberley Community Band and, she adds, “I could only play up an octave by accident!” Michele had taken up the flute in grade 8 and quit half a year later. She joined the KCB in 1996 after seeing how much fun her sister, Nancy, was having with the group. She remembers then-conductor Bob Griggs welcoming her with the advice “Play what you can, and don’t stress about the rest,” and twelve stress-free years later, Michele’s playing has come a long, long way.
But don’t let Michele’s innocent demeanour on the flute fool you. Her other role with the KCB is as the band’s librarian, a job she relishes because, she says, “I get to be intimidating.” Michele proves that being a librarian is not just a job--it’s a way of life. And woe betide the musician who loses a part.
The KCB’s expanding repertoire gives Michele a chance to indulge both passions, and she cites the wide variety of music the band plays as one of its most appealing features. What advice would she give to someone thinking of rekindling an old musical flame? “The band is just a relaxed, fun place to be. Come on in, start slowly, and enjoy it.”
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