“One thousand is a fantastic number!” exclaims James Latimer, the 36-year conductor of both the VFW Community Band and Madison’s Capitol City Band. “It’s been a fun ride to get here.”
For decades, Latimer has been one of Madison’s most highly regarded musicians and also the bandleader for Madison’s VFW (Post 1318) Volunteer Community Band, a dedicated group of talented musicians who play concerts from September through May. The VFW Band will play their 1,000th free public service concert on Jan. 26, 7 p.m. at Oakwood Village University Woods.
“We picked up the numbering system that Elmer Ziegler established when I inherited the band back in 1981. He numbered all of the concerts from the very first one that the band played,” Latimer tells Madison365. “All of a sudden a couple of years ago it became obvious to us that if we continued, we were going to pass the 1,000 point. So, we’ve just been really excited about this for a year or a year and a half, at least.”
The band plays today because Latimer decided to carry on the mission of the late Dr. Ziegler, who founded the VWF Band back in 1950. When Ziegler fell ill in 1980, he asked Latimer to help out.
Sadly, Ziegler passed away in February of 1981 leaving Latimer with two bands and a decision to make about carrying on the dream of the founder. Ziegler’s dream was that “there should be a community band in every city, village and town in America.” Latimer has honored that wish and has maintained and expanded those two bands, the Capitol City Band and the VFW Band, and today both groups continue to flourish, inspiring audiences young and old alike.
The VFW musicians are professionals and nonprofessionals who volunteer their time and talents and play up to 20 public service concerts each year including services for Veterans Day and Memorial Day at the State Capitol. In addition to these concerts, the winter band rehearses twice a month on Thursday evenings and plays concerts twice a month for senior and retirement centers, senior housing units, nursing homes and assisted living places.
“The 1,000 concerts have all been done right here in Wisconsin and in Dane County primarily,” says Latimer, who was head of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music Percussion Area from 1968 to 1999. “We’ve been going strong every year. It’s a good feeling. The people who make up the band are the ones to be credited because they have just been loyal through snow, sleet, fire, and ice. They are the ones that make that number significant.”
Latimer says that there are generally between 40 and 50 people in the VFW Band. “We’ve stuck together through it all and to me, that’s the most amazing fact,” he says. “They have to practice quite a bit, and on their own time, too. And then when they come into play, it lights up the whole room.”
The VFW Band rehearses at St. Mary’s Hospital Care Center on two Thursdays each month. “Generally speaking, there are about a half-dozen or more people who just sit in and listen to the rehearsals,” Latimer says.
The VFW Band has played an incredible diversity of venues over the years. “I can remember squeezing into a nursing home near the Beltline and Midvale [Boulevard]. It was very small and we’d pack in there and have fun,” smiles Latimer.
Those tight, cozy spots are when you find out how much you really like each other.
“That’s right,” laughs Latimer. “We learned a lot in those situations. We tried not to be too loud. The amazing thing to me was that we played there for a cup of coffee and a doughnut. Money is not a significant factor for this band.”
Latimer has been recognized for humanitarian service through Rotary International, United Way, UW, and in the communities where he lived. He has had a long and distinguished career as Professor of Music at UW-Madison. In December of 2015, Latimer was granted the distinction of honorary doctor of Humane Letters from Florida A & M University (FAMU) at their fall commencement. Latimer’s first university position was at Florida A&M in the late 1950s and the first of three university percussion programs that he established in his professional career.
During his long career, Latimer has played with many American musical greats like Duke Ellington, Alan Dawson, Max Roach, William Kraft, Paul Price, Paul Creston, Sarah Caldwell (Boston Ballet) and Arthur Fiedler. Latimer also recorded with Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Latimer is aware of the fact that being an African-American bandleaders in Madison and Dane County is very unique and that he is an inspiration to many young people of color.
“It was just incidental to me … my mother had ingrained music in me so early. I didn’t even think about color, I was trying to get those notes and rhythm,” he smiles. Born in Oklahoma, Latimer first studied piano and marimba with his mother at the Latimer School of Music in Tulsa. “But what can I say? It’s frosting on the cake. It’s like Obama being president. If it’s an inspiration to young kids, even the better.”
Among those 1,000 performances, the VFW Band plays annual public service concerts for the Veterans and Memorial Day ceremonies at the State Capitol and 15 to 16 concerts each year for the residents of area nursing homes and hospitals, and centers for seniors, retirement and assisted living. Latimer thinks of it as a blessing to be called the VFW Band as it sparks memories and patriotism and causes conversations about the music for those with military ties among the audiences. Plenty of his band members have military backgrounds or are of families with military affiliations.
“I don’t have military affiliation, personally, but my three brothers and my father did,” Latimer says. “The timing worked out where they weren’t drafting for me. I came through a peacetime crack. I was too young for World War II and I was in college during the Korean War. But I have a big appreciation for the military … I’ve played 30 years of military ceremonies. I’ve paid my dues!”
Latimer calls his VFW band “Ambassadors of Joy,” and that they play “because music is for everyone.” It won’t be any different for their 1,000th performance.
“You can expect to hear the old magic of music. Music of the VFW band and 1,000 performances. We just chose the pieces that we love and that audiences over the years have loved,” he says. “There will be plenty of marches. This concert is about nostalgia. All of the moments great and small for 1,000 performances.”
And then onto the next 1,000 concerts?
“Sure!” Latimer laughs. “We will continue right along. We’ll continue on until our April performance at the Capitol for the veterans. And then the summer band will take over and many of the people in the VFW Band play in the Capitol City Band. We just keep rolling over hill over dale playing these beautiful tunes for everybody who will listen.”
