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WALLACEBURG ARTS: W. John MacFadden brings trumpet experience to concert band

Of all the rewards I’ve enjoyed in my musical life, it isn’t the music, but the people that have come into my life. 

This week I’d like to introduce readers to one of my most recent acquaintances and one of our newest Wallaceburg Concert Band members.

WALLACEBURG ARTS: W. John MacFadden brings trumpet experience to concert band Back to video

W. John MacFadden hails from Petrolia and has been with us for approximately a year now, playing in our trumpet section. 

John grew up in the country outside of Stratford. 

His father was a big fan of band tattoos and when he was seven, his dad took him to the Tavistock Tattoo which featured pipe bands, a local community marching band and a few drum corps. 

His father went to hear the pipe bands, but when the drum corps began to play, John was mesmerized. 

His dad was hoping that John would take-up the bagpipes, but John had no interest.  

He was smitten with the horns and wanted to play the trumpet. 

It was obvious to John’s parents that he had a sincere interest in music that his siblings lacked 

But there were no school music programs available to him at the time.  

While living in the country near Embro, his father encouraged him to join the Stratford Boys Band, which rehearsed just down the street from where he worked. 

When his father wasn’t sitting beside him as he practiced, John would practice outdoors by himself, much to the chagrin of the neighbours.  

In time, his father found an instructor who was willing to provide him with private lessons but after about six months, his newfound teacher passed away. 

In the meantime, John and his father attended drum corps competitions as spectators and became enamoured with the incredible skills and performance standards of the Toronto Optimist Corps, which became the goal of any self-respecting drum corps musician in Canada. 

While in attendance at a competition on a hot summer day, the musicians began succumbing to the intense heat and his father left him to help in the First........

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