Big Bend Community Orchestra

The Big Bend Community Orchestra (BBCO) is dedicated to the enhanced appreciation and understanding of orchestral music by providing an opportunity for musicians to play and learn together, encouraging school age children to become interested in music through educational programs, and performing orchestral music for the public. The BBCO is an all volunteer organization and consists of more than fifty musicians of all ages from many walks of life including retirees, business leaders, professionals, homemakers, music teachers, and students who enjoy playing orchestral literature. Waldie Anderson, conductor from February of 1994 until 2004, co-founded the orchestra with Ginny Densmore. Dr. James Croft lead the organization from 2004-2007, and Dr. Shelby Chipman has been the director since the fall of 2007. The BBCO is now affiliated with Tallahassee Community College and students there can receive credit with the permission of the instructor.

The BBCO has presented more than 71 concerts and played over 300 different compositions by a wide variety of composers spanning four centuries including standard and lesser-known masterpieces of the orchestral repertoire as well as lighter classics and “pops”. A variety of local talent has been showcased including soloists of all ages from the orchestra itself as well as from the community. Each spring a “Young Artist Competition” is held and the winners have a chance to perform a solo with the orchestra. Concerts are given on weekends so that senior citizens and families with children can easily attend. Children in the audience are often given the opportunity to come on stage while the orchestra is playing so they can see and hear the instruments “up close and personal”.

Membership in the orchestra is open to all capable musicians on a space available basis with first priority given to adult community members and non-music major university students who are not eligible for school groups. High school students must receive permission to participate. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays from 7:15 – 9:30 PM (September–April) in the Band Room at TCC (Room 165 in the Communication & Humanities Building). A short dress rehearsal is held on concert days an hour before the performance. Anyone interested in joining the orchestra is asked to consult the website (www.BBCOrch.org) and contact the BBCO Membership Chair for details (ginnyden@comcast.net or 850-893-4567).

Besides being affiliated with the Tallahassee Community College, the BBCO is sponsored by The Artist Series, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization). Tax-deductible contributions that help support both the BBCO and the Artist Series (www.TheArtistSeries.org) are encouraged and very much appreciated.

Come join us as a member of the orchestra or as a member of the audience.

About the BBCO Founders

At the suggestion of Ginny Densmore, a retired elementary music teacher and clarinetist, Waldie Anderson co-founded the Big Bend Community Orchestra with her in the spring of 1994 and was the conductor of the orchestra until 2004.  He had retired to Tallahassee in 1990 after an impressive career in music performance (bassoonist and tenor solosist) and music education.  Another great contribution to our community was his creation of “The Artist Series of Tallahassee” in 1995 which sponsors the BBCO.  He was concerned that a university town and capital of a state had not had an artist series since FSU dropped it after many years, and wanted to provide world class classical music to our community.  He also initiated the Artist in Residence program which reaches hundreds of school children. Mr. Anderson was tireless in his efforts to champion all of the arts in our community and definitely made a positive mark on our community. He passed away on May 22, 2011 and is greatly missed by many. The BBCO’s 2011-2012 season will be dedicated to him and the orchestra will be playing many of his favorite orchestral works.

About the BBCO Conductors

Dr. Shelby R. Chipman

Shelby Chipman is Associate Professor and Associate Director of Bands at Florida A&M University. His responsibilities in the Department of Music include teaching instrumental music, conducting, and coordinating recitals and music interns. Additionally, he assists with administration of the marching, symphonic, and pep bands. He is a native of Miami, Florida where he graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High. He received the Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Music Education from Florida A&M University, where he was a conducting student of Dr. William P. Foster and Dr. Julian E. White. Professor Chipman completed his Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, where he studied conducting with Prof. James Keene and received his Ph.D. degree from The Florida State University in Music Education, where he studied with Dr. Bentley  Shellahamer.

Dr. Chipman is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, Music Educators National Conference (MENC), Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA), Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA), College Band Directors National Conference (CBDNA), FMEA Black Caucus, and Bethel AME Church. He has coordinated numerous band festivals and had the pleasure of working with James Croft, Timothy Reynish, James Suddith, Jim Sparks, Gary Green, Anthony Maiello, and Eugene Corporon, who represent some of the finest conductors in the world. In addition to working with these outstanding conductors, Dr. Chipman has presented music education and conducting clinics on several public school and college campuses, as well as given lectures at the FMEA conference and Mid-West Band & Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois and is an active adjudicator throughout the Southeastern United States.

Edward Etsushi Kawakami, Associate Conductor

Edward Kawakami joins the BBCO family via Los Angeles. He worked regularly as a conductor with the California State University, Northridge Youth Chamber Orchestra, and as a freelance conductor with several independent soundtrack credits to his name. In addition, Edward has appeared internationally with the Jünge Philharmonie Salzburg, the Österreichisches Ensemble für Neue Musik, and the Kharkov Philharmonic (Ukraine) in the 2004 Vahktang Jordania International Conducting Competition.

Edward is currently at FSU working on a Ph.D. Music Education and Orchestral Conducting with Dr. Alexander Jiménez. He has also studied with Peter Gülke, Johannes Kalitzke and Jorge Mester. A flautist, he holds the undergraduate degree from California State University, Northridge in Wind Performance where he studied with David Shostac.

Dr. James Croft, Conductor Emeritus

James Croft, former Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the Florida State University, received his BME from Cornell College, an MA from Northern Iowa University and his Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. Croft taught for twenty-one years in the public schools of Iowa and Wisconsin. The last eighteen of which were spent in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where his groups were invited to appear at numerous state, regional and national conventions, clinics and festivals. In 1972 he joined the faculty of the University of South Florida as Director of Bands, remaining there until moving to FSU in 1980.  He is an internationally known conductor, adjudicator, lecturer, and clinician, and has received numerous awards throughout his career. After his retirement in 2004, he became the  Conductor of the Big Bend Community Orchestra for three years and continued at Artistic Director for three more years.