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Personalities -- by Phil Cartwright

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Donna Townsend -- EARLYJAS President               April 2005

I visited Donna and John Townsend in their lovely wooded home in
Novelty, OH.  Nestled among the trees in a secluded area, Donna and John
support numerous bird feeders visible from picture windows.  Donna was
quick to point out that she had been entertaining a pair of
Bluebirds;
receiving such care they elected to stay all winter instead of flying South.
Donna’s interest in wild life comes from her upbringing in Michigan’s
Upper
Peninsula
.  Indeed, it was in the outdoors that her father introduced her to
her first ‘musical instrument’ – a blade of quack grass fashioned into a
whistle.  She moved to a comb and wax paper, an ‘instrument’ used by
skiffle bands like the Mound City Blue Blowers in the 1920’s.
In 4th grade, Donna received some formal music training and learned to
play the
Tonette, a small black plastic recorder like instrument.  (It was
introduced in 1938 at a cost of $1.00!  Fortunately, the wooden recorder has
replaced the Tonette as a beginning instrument.)
Donna’s next instrument was clarinet which she played for a couple of years before graduating to a real
backbone of the classical music world – the oboe.  She played oboe all through high school, including a stint
playing oboe in the marching band. The oboe has no means of supporting a lyre or a carrying strap.  Donna
must be the
world’s only marching oboe player. She has stayed with the oboe for many years.  Her facility
with the instrument is evident in her 10 years with the Lakeland Community College band and five years with
the Chagrin Valley Chamber Orchestra.
There’s more!!  This talented lady also has played the English horn in orchestras and played oboe/English
horn duets with Harvey McGuire of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra.  McGuire played both oboe and
English horn with the Orchestra and was Donna’s oboe teacher.  McGuire started Donna off right by stating:  
1.
Oboe is a four letter word.  2.  Oboe: an ill wind that nobody blows good.        
In addition to the instrumental thread running throughout her life, Donna has been a singer.  She has sung in
high school, college, and post-college organizations as well as with numerous church groups.  She still sings
along with various local Dixie bands.  (But only from her table; we can’t get her to up to the band stand to
sing. We’ll keep working on her to do so!!)
In the 1960’s, Donna picked up a
ukulele and soon was accompanying herself and others singing old pop tunes
and standards.  One such group was a group of Donna’s fellow nurses – Donna’s day gig has always been in
nursing.
That was fun, playing uke behind singers, but Donna felt the uke was being drowned out by the singers.  So
she added another instrument to her list of accomplishments.
At long last, Donna finally saw the light and got
a real instrument: a banjo!!  (Editorial disclaimer – editor is a
banjo player and thus many readers may perceive that last comment to show editorial bias.  Very perceptive of
you!)
She acquired a Jerry rigged Vega Vox plectrum banjo and had it renovated and refinished by Soja’s music.  She
now can play without fear of being drowned out by the singers!  (We’re working on her to sit in with the
bands, too.)
Donna and
Reverend John Townsend were married in 1987, brought together in part by their churches and in
part by their love of music. (More on John next issue.)         When John retired in 2000, Donna retired from her
involvement with the orchestras and church choirs.  Much of their retirement years have been spent with at
least two activities of interest to many of our readers:  Traditional jazz and travel.
First, travel.  Donna and John have been on numerous cruises to such places as South and Central America, the
Greek islands, and the Mediterranean. Further, they have toured Spain, Portugal, Madeira, Italy, China, New
Zealand, Australia, Bali, Tahiti, Thailand, Central Europe, India, Israel, Jordan, and Indonesia. (I’m sure I
missed a few countries!!)
Traditional jazz.  Donna likes all kinds of music and loves to go to Chautauqua as well as the Allegheny Jazz
Society concerts in Meadville.  She and John support many of the local NE Ohio bands and have the same
tables reserved for them each time.  Donna’s support of jazz also goes toward her service to EARLYJAS.  She
was a
Trustee for two years and is in her second year as President.
When asked if she feels there is much of a future for OKOM (Our Kind Of Music), she responds with a quick
and enthusiastic “Yes!”.  She lists as evidence the dozens of jazz festivals all over the nation, the many clubs
and events in California and Florida, as well as festivals and (some) Dixieland in New Orleans.  She does
regret the virtual absence of young people embracing the music and has been discouraged when she has
attempted to introduce high school students and their band directors to become active with EARLYJAS.  
Nevertheless she maintains a very positive attitude toward the health of the music.
Thank you,
Donna, for your support of EARLYJAS!
Ron Benach -- Versatile Musician                               April 2005

Ron Benach
squeezed me in for an interview between his music teaching
and a recording session.  Ron, who is a great guitar player, teaches guitar
at Margolis Music in North Canton.  The recording session was putting
finishing touches on a CD featuring the Ohio state junior champion fiddle
player, Krista Solars.  Only 17, Krista already has another CD to her credit.  
Today, Ron was playing bass in her band where they were working on
some 'old timey’' music and some Bob Wills style Western Swing.
Mr. Benach was born and raised in the Canton area.  There were no
instrumentalists in his immediate family but there was lots of singing.  Ron
was an accomplished singer but after two years of barking commands in a
basic training unit in the Army plus 30 years of screaming at high school
kids pretty much did in his voice.  Indeed, in music school at
Kent State,
he was a Voice major with a trombone minor.  
One of his trombone teachers was Bob Paolucci who was first trombonist in the New York Philharmonic under
Arturo Toscannini.  Ron gives much praise to his private music teacher, Kenny Stone.  Under Mr. Stone’s
tutelage and insistence, Ron became a good reader and learned fundamentals of music theory.
As a result of that instruction, a college music education, and a vast amount of self education, Ron’s professional
music career has included
arranging and scoring for music groups of all sizes and styles, in addition to singing,
and playing guitar, banjo, and bass.
Talking with Ron for just a short time, you hear that he was influenced by several guitarists, especially Carl
Kress, Bucky Pizzarelli, George Van Eps, and Les Paul.  Moreover, he sought out many of them, talked with
them, and picked up valuable tips and techniques.
In his younger days, Ron was on the road for several years with a group he describes as a
"quasi folk country
jazz show band"
playing a variety of country music, show tunes, and jazz standards.  Two of his groups were
the "Varsity Group" and the "Tambre Men". Ron arranged the music, wrote some of it, sang and played bass and
guitar.  He has played or shared the bill with such well known artists as Jack Immel and Larry Hooper of the
Lawrence Welk Show, Dolly Parton, Anita Bryant, Homer and Jethro, Jack Green, Ray Pillow, and Frank
Fontane ('Crazy' Googenheim on the old Jackie Gleason Show).  This extended performing and arranging
experience led him to form a music publishing and recording company in
Nashville.
At some point, weary of the travel and the ups, downs, and unknowns of the music business, Ron settled down
in West Chester, PA.  For many years, he was an instrumental music teacher and band director.  When he
retired from the public schools, he returned to Canton.  In the Canton area, he has played a lot of different
styles.  Lately, he has been playing a lot of big band and polka music.  He even did a Turkish gig once!
For you instrument buffs, Ron plays a top of the line
Gibson – the big L-5.  His banjo was custom made by
Perry McKinley of Mansfield.  Ron also plays a six string bass as well as standard bass.
Ron’s interest in country music and in jazz came about through some memorable moments.  When Ron was a lad
in the mid-40’s, he met an old man named ‘Cappy’. (Last name forgotten.)  Cappy had played snare drum in the
Grand Army of the Republic parade in Washington, DC at the end of the Civil War!  Moreover, Cappy was still
playing a five string banjo and regaled young Ron with songs and stories and a fascinating version of a song he
wrote called ‘Empire Express’.  
Ron traces his interest in traditional jazz to an early 1950’s radio show on
WWVA.  The  moderator of the hour
long show played traditional jazz records and gave histories of the songs and musicians.
When asked about the future of traditional jazz, Ron is optimistic but prefers to speak of a broader array of jazz
and swing oriented music.  He notes that his young guitar students usually are fairly open minded about music
styles.  Ron attempts to encourage them to develop technique and theory so they can take different musical
paths as their interests mature.  He also encourages them to attend lots of different kinds of music
performances.  
As stated earlier, Ron reflects on the crossover between Western Swing and jazz.  He speaks of the national
popularity of such groups as the
Hot Club of Cowtown from Austin, TX, Asleep at the Wheel, and Riders in the
Sky, and of local NE Ohio groups such as
Hillbilly Idol.  All  these groups include some jazz stylings and have
musicians who often play in jazz bands.
Just one of Ron’s many anecdotes: “We did a gig with
Uncle Heavy and his Singing Pig.  The pig could sing a
scale and things like Mary Had A Little Lamb.  On one show, the pig relieved himself on the stage.  One of the
dancing girls slipped in the mess and went sliding across the stage!  It didn’t do much for her costume!”
Finally, Ron says: “Even though music has provided a good life for me, I guess that someday I should get a real
job!”
E-Rag
Electronic Newsletter for EARLYJAS
Editor:  Phil Cartwright                           Editor@earlyjas.org
Earlville Association for Ragtime Lovers Yearning
for Jazz Advancement and Socialization
EARLYJAS