Don Parrish and the Founding of the Dexter Community Orchestra
(2005-2010)
In the summer of 2005, Don Parrish began planning for a community orchestra in Dexter along with a few other supporters. Having recently established the string program in Dexter Community Schools, Don had already done much to bring classical music to the community. Don put an ad in the “Dexter Leader” to welcome all musicians to come to the first rehearsal of the Dexter Community Orchestra in September, 2005. He was quite surprised when over 50 people showed up in the Dexter High School orchestra room, many of them accomplished band and orchestral musicians.
At 3:00 PM on January 22, 2006, the Dexter Community Orchestra (DCO) made its debut by playing the first notes of the New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak. The DCO was born, and the town of Dexter and surrounding communities would have a new musical group to enjoy for many years to come.
The first season concluded on May 14, 2006 with a concert that included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F “Pastoral” and featured guest soloist Donald Sinta performing Bruch’s “Kol Nidrei” on saxophone. Also on the program were solos by DCO members Sarah Schroeder, cello and Maria Xiang, horn.
The 2006-2007 was DCO’s first full season, with four concerts presented in October, December, March and May…a pattern that became standard for the orchestra. The May concert featured the winner of the first DCO Youth Artist Competition. Clarinetist Daniel Park played Rossini’s “Introduction, Theme and Variations.” In June the first “Gazebo Concert” in Monument Park was added to the concert schedule and instantly became a hit with the Dexter Community.
During his tenure from 2005-2010, Don Parrish was very intentional about nurturing the “Community” part of Dexter Community Orchestra. He made each musician feel seen and important . Don used his well-honed teaching skills to bring out the best of the nascent orchestra. After Don announced his impending retirement in 2009, DCO auditioned three finalists in 2009-20010 for Music Director. At the end of the season Anthony Elliott was chosen by the membership to succeed Don and begin a new era for the orchestra.
Anthony Elliott (2010-2018)
Dr. Anthony Elliott’s leadership marked an era of growth for DCO, both in numbers and musical sophistication. Tony challenged the orchestra with increasingly ambitious music selections and collaborations with renowned soloists, including Louis Nagel (piano), Wendy Warner (cello) and Dr. Elliott himself playing Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major.
Anthony Elliott’s reflections on his association with the Dexter Community Orchestra:
My attention was first drawn to the DCO by virtue of my friendship with Don Parrish. I had known Don’s work as orchestra director at Dexter High School. One of my wife Paula’s students, Natalie VanDeven, was appearing as a violin soloist with the Dexter High School Orchestra. Paula and I attended the concert and were impressed with Don's humanity as well as his musicianship. Don and Natalie’s mother told me that Don had started a community orchestra made up of people who were amateurs, and simply loved to play. We became good friends.
Years later when Don decided to retire, Don, knowing about my work with the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra program, approached me about applying for the position with the community orchestra. I was then invited to do a trial concert with the orchestra during a season guest conductors. Following the season, I was hired as Music Director of the Dexter Community Orchestra, a post I held for nearly 10 years.
The community orchestra is very different from a professional one. The people in the orchestra are there because of their love of music, and because they truly want to be there. There is a sense of family and tremendous esprits de corps. All races and walks of life are welcome, and there is a feeling of great cooperation.
Two wonderful examples of such teamwork occurred when the tornado hit Dexter a few years back. We had a concert scheduled at the high school that weekend, but the high school became the focal point of the relief effort, leaving the orchestra without a home. The orchestra quickly mobilized, found another location, and donated the proceeds of the concert to the relief effort. Another wonderful example was when we needed to relocate to Washtenaw Community College at a time when the high school was unexpectedly no longer available to us. People have pitched in so many ways, including the Musical Taste of Dexter, transport and set up for the Gazebo concerts, and manning the Instrument Petting Zoo during Dexter Daze.
The growth and development of the orchestra from week to week was always inspiring. First rehearsals would usually leave me drenched, but the progress towards the performances was staggering. I was proud of the orchestra’s work and consider them as my family.
David Schultz (2019-present)
Dr. David Schultz became music director in 2019. The first DCO Music Director to be a Dexter resident, David impressed the orchestra with his musicianship, personability, and clear love for the mission of community orchestras. David also proved his adaptability when a power outage caused his audition concert to be canceled. Undaunted, he returned ten days later for a Wednesday night performance which won him the job. Neither David nor the orchestra appreciated how important this flexibility would come to be over the coming years.
David’s first season began with a collaboration with composer/violinist Rodney Page followed by the holiday concert with Dexter High School Chamber Orchestra. On March 1, 2020 DCO had a very successful concert with the Saline Fiddlers. Then, the concert halls went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the May 2020 concert cancelled and the upcoming season in question, David pivoted and instituted monthly Zoom meetings for the orchestra. These included studying particular pieces, some experimental online musical ensembles and anything else that would “keep the band together.” As restrictions eased somewhat in the summer of 2021, David and the board hit on the idea of outdoor sight reading sessions to get DCO members back to in-person ensemble playing. These proved popular and have remained a feature of DCO ever since.
The 2021-2022 season saw life sputtering back to normal and DCO managed to perform concerts in October, December, and March, though the spring concert was cancelled for COVID-related reasons. Finally, in November of 2022, David programmed the twice-delayed “Pictures at an Exhibition” and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3 in a concert titled “Third Time’s the Charm.” As fate would have it, the piano soloist became ill the day of the concert. With about 4 hour’s notice and some miraculous DCO connections, Ji-Hyang Gwak, a doctoral candidate at University of Michigan, agreed to play the piece with only a piecemeal run-through. The performance electrified both the orchestra and the audience. Everyone who played that day will tell you it was the musical experience of a lifetime!
In spite of all the hurdles that popped up, David Schultz continually encouraged DCO to reach for the stars with performances of Holst’s “The Planets” (2023) and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (2024). Dexter Community Orchestra commissioned a piece by Evan Chambers for the 200th anniversary of Dexter in 2024. “from the woods to the waters and home” premiered on May 5, 2024.
David Schultz reflects:
Being selected as the third music director of the Dexter Community Orchestra was both a great honor and a dream come true. It is truly special to lead such a fine ensemble right here in the community I love and cherish.
DCO is one of the best community orchestras I’ve ever heard, with an astounding number of talented musicians who participate simply for the love of making music. Everyone brings dedication and passion, working hard to prepare the repertoire and consistently rising to the occasion to deliver exciting and moving performances.
More than musical ability, however, I believe the orchestra’s greatest strength lies in its culture of camaraderie, commitment, and generosity. The number of musicians who volunteer their time and energy beyond just playing their instruments is truly remarkable.
While every performance is special, some of my favorite moments have come through our many wonderful collaborations. From larger ensembles like the Dexter, Saline, and Skyline High School Orchestras; the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic; and the Dexter Community Choir and Ann Arbor Civic Chorus — to extraordinary solo artists such as Ji-Hyang Gwak, Peter Madcat Ruth, and Anthony Elliott — the orchestra thrives on these shared musical experiences.
As we celebrate 20 years of music in Dexter, DCO is hoping for many more decades of opportunities for musicians and music lovers.