Trumpeter Rob Olson leaves legacy at Birmingham Community Band

BIRMINGHAM — Dr. Rob Olson, 92, was one of the charter members of the Birmingham Community Band.

The band was formed by the city of Birmingham. Business and city leaders got together and decided Birmingham needed a band of its own.

Dave Falvey, an insurance agent, was the first president of the band and gathered local musicians to form it. Olson said he found out about the band through a newspaper ad.

Once a team of musicians was assembled, Birmingham Community Band performed its first concert in Shain Park in August of 1977.

A subset of the Birmingham Community Band was the Straw Hat Band, later known as the BCB Entertainers. While the Birmingham Community Band was a nonprofit, the Straw Hat Band played for profit to raise money for student scholarships.

Since 1979, $100,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students. As the Straw Hat Band, the musicians wore straw hats and red vests while they played. However, the name change happened once the band decided to stop wearing the hats to gigs.

Falvey also founded the Straw Hat Band, but eventually, Olson took over as a leader.

“We played some very interesting places,” Olson said.

To name a few, Olson said they performed outdoor concerts in Farmington, for an Alcoholics Anonymous group and at an angus beef farm. One year, they performed a total of 25 times. However, the BCB Entertainers have not performed since the pandemic.

“Rob, basically, was the spearhead, the captain leading the ship, helping us get most of our money to give away to these scholarships every year,” Stephanie Karisny, a member of the clarinet section, and the vice president and scholarship chair of the Birmingham Concert Band, said.

 

A passion for music
Olson’s love for making music began in elementary school, when the music teacher started a band. He went on to play trumpet in band and French horn in orchestra in high school.

Throughout his long journey in music, Olson played with various groups and even had the opportunity to spend a week at Interlochen. Some of the ensembles he played with include the Edison Concert Orchestra, the Michigan Civic Orchestra and the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings.

Olson is a retired dentist and has degrees from four universities: Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and the University of Detroit. At one point, he was part of an MSU alumni band and toured Canada. He also was a part of a Dixieland group that performed across Canada, including Lake Louise.

Olson has remained active with Birmingham Community Band up until a couple of months ago. However, Olson said the night before the conversation with the Eagle, that he spontaneously decided to pick up his trumpet.

“I could not believe how well I could play after not playing all that time,” Olson said.

 

A legacy of leadership
Olson made an impression on many people throughout the years.

Kerry Mills, Birmingham Concert Band president, said he is a “people person,” adding that he is, ”very knowledgeable in music and just a great personality.”

Karisny said he “never hesitated to talk something out with anyone. And if anyone had a problem, Rob probably had three or four solutions ready to go for you.”

Grant Hoemke conducted the Birmingham Concert Band from 1980-2014. He is now in the French horn section.

“In the 33 years I was the music director, he was my go-to guy in the trumpet section,” Hoemke said.

In the trumpet section, Olson would help assign and organize the section. Grant said Olson was able to do this job well without making people upset.

 

Upcoming concert
The Birmingham Concert Band is wrapping up its 47th concert season at 7 p.m. June 25 in Shain Park, where the band played its first-ever concert. The event is free for the public to come and enjoy a range of tunes.

For more information, visit www.bir minghamconcertband.com.