This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: ShawanoGenWebProject Surnames: Classification: biography Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.wisconsin.counties.shawano/17033/mb.ashx Message Board Post: *** I grew up just down the road from the Schmidt family in Bonduel so I knew them back in the day before they were famous! Great TALENTED FAMILY!!! I remember the 6 a.m. Easter Service at St. Paul's when they were first getting started... Phil's trumpet could wake anyone up! And the article is genealogy related!!! Shawano Leader August 7, 2009 Schmidt Family Band to perform at St. John service By Leader Staff St. John Lutheran Church, Caroline, will present a special worship service at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 9 with the help of the Schmidt Family Brass Band of Bonduel. The church is three miles west of Caroline on County Road M. The joint worship service is written by Pastor Vilas Mazemke and will include many hymns sung with the brass band accompaniment. An ice cream social will follow the service. Free-will offering will be taken. The Schmidt Family Brass Band likes to practice at the family's original farm where members of the first generation of the band were raised by their parents, Louise and the late August J. Schmidt just outside of Bonduel. The band started in their formative years when dad came home and said that their church needed some entertainment for a Christmas program in 1975. Shortly thereafter it was community and church functions that reached out to Shawano, Outagamie and Brown Counties. The first band started with the four eldest children, David, Philip, Charles and Gerald, and as the rest of the siblings grew, so did the band. Soon brothers Paul, Ronald, Steve and their only sister Janet joined in too. Dad usually played keyboard in the early years. Their hardest gigs were the December Christmas parades, as they struggled with the valves getting frozen and lips sticking to their mouthpieces. After 200 performances through the years it was difficult to keep track of when, what and who played. August Schmidt directed this family band for many wonderful years until his death in 1985. It was David, the eldest of the eight children who stepped into dad's role as director of the family band. The band grew as well with the addition of the next generation of children; Jessica, Michael, Jeffrey, Sarah, Scott, Richard, David, Tammy, Joseph, Tim and Emily. The most challenging task is getting everyone together at the same time to practice or perform with careers, children, school, athletic commitments, etc. pulling them in many directions. Charles is an over-the-road truck driver and his schedule takes him miles away for up to two weeks at a time. Paul Schmidt played the trumpet for many years until his commitment to managing a large dairy farm made it impossible to practice and perform. Some of the band members assist community bands like the Wayside Band when instruments are needed for parades and events. David and his children Jessica, Sarah and David have performed with the Green Bay Civic Symphony and other community organizations along with performing as backup for wife Cheryl who is a vocalist. Jessica Schmidt Keller went on to be a music teacher and has even published her first children's music book based on a unique band under the title of Mia's Marvelous Musical Group. Philip and his son Jeffrey are often asked to perform "taps" on their trumpets for special veteran's affairs and funerals and his son Michael played tuba with the Madison Badgers Band including a performance at the Rose Bowl. Gerald and his daughter Tammy spend many summer Sundays performing in parades near Green Bay. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.