Interview – Pete BarenBregge

Name: Peter BarenBregge

City, State of Residence: Venice, FL

Occupation: Retired

Favorite Instrument to Play: Tenor Saxophone

By all accounts, Mr. BarenBregge is a professional musician. A small list of his accomplishments include: earning a student scholarship to the famed Stan Kenton Jazz Camp; teaching public school instrumental music in Wilmington, Delaware; directing the United States Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note; and becoming full-time Instrumental Jazz Editor for Belwin Jazz, a division of Alfred Publishing Company. He is also recognized internationally as a saxophone/flute artist, clinician, educator and adjudicator.

Yet, he has devoted countless hours to forming, directing, and maintaining the musical integrity of many amateur jazz ensembles. I can tell you through personal experience that he is also an excellent teacher and mentor, and an honest, humble person.

One of his longest directorial stints was with the Columbia Jazz Band, a community ensemble based in Columbia, Maryland. Under Pete’s direction (2000-2017), the decades-old CJB has not only performed locally, but they have traveled overseas five times, having performed at various international jazz festivals around Europe.

==============================================================================

Village Virtuoso: In music circles, Washington, D.C. is known for its excellent jazz venues, but area players also know how tough the competition is, thanks in part to the city’s many talented military musicians. With your teaching and military background, what inspired you to audition for the director position of a community group?

Pete BarenBregge: Good question. I suppose after directing the USAF Airmen of Note, I longed for the opportunity to lead a big band. I can’t recall who contacted me about the CJB, but I went to “audition” as director and was selected. Even though I was coming from a high-level pro group, the Note, the idea of an amateur group had appeal.

VV: By appeal, do you mean the opportunity to further develop/teach jazz to amateur musicians?

PB: Yes.

VV: And what made you stick around for 17 years?

PB: I thoroughly enjoyed every opportunity to work with the CJB; the band was eager to learn, listened intently, and followed my direction with determination. What could be better than that? We travelled internationally, as well as locally at some high-quality venues.

VV: Any good director will choose music based on the abilities of the ensemble. How often did you want to experiment or push the envelope, to stretch the group’s musical development? Did you ever feel you pushed too hard, or maybe not hard enough?

PB: Well, the envelope was pushed a few times for sure, but my philosophy of directing a community jazz band was to select music that was accessible, fun to play, educational, and would have appeal to the audience as well. If the music is too difficult, there is a threshold of “it’s not fun to play” if the band cannot handle it, and then it becomes a negative. I tried to avoid that, but still challenge the ensemble.

VV: Was there anything about directing an amateur ensemble that was different from what you expected?

PB: Not really, other than the deep friendships that evolved, the common love of playing jazz, and the overall dedication by all.

VV: How about the discipline, attitudes, or personalities of the musicians? Any surprises there?

PB: None. The band wanted to play and I was there to make that happen to the best of our combined ability.

VV: Anything else you want to tell us about community jazz bands, from a director’s perspective?

PB: It was a highlight of my musical career to work with the CJB, simple as that! I highly recommend the experience.