11/24/10 When Denver and the Mile High Orchestra take the stage on Dec. 2 at Plymouth Wesleyan Church they’ll be performing with a very special guest star – the Plymouth High School Jazz Band.
“I was a four year member of the PHS Jazz Band,” said Denver Bierman founder and leader of DMHO. “I know our band director at the time I was there (Cindy Wagoner) always did her best to give us a chance to be around professional musicians when they came to town as part of Encore’s season or whenever they came in. We did special workshops and things like that. We didn’t actually get to play onstage with them. It was a great experience for me and this is a way to help some of these new musicians. Some of them might be wanting to be professional musicians themselves and this will give them a chance to hang out, see what it’s like and hopefully learn something that will help them.”
It also gives Bierman a chance to pay back a little for what he received from his growing up in Plymouth.
“There is a real dedication to the arts in Plymouth, whether it’s theatre, or public speaking or music,” he said. “You look at other towns the size of Plymouth around the country and it’s amazing the investment Plymouth has made in the arts. Wherever I go I get to brag a little about the arts education I got when I was here. The facilities are some of the finest you see. You can have professional shows in the school auditorium. It’s not just a glorified gym like it is in many places.
“I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing for a living if it wasn’t for that investment in the arts in Plymouth. I played basketball when I was at Plymouth High School too. I think it’s a good thing that I focused on music because I was never going to make a living playing basketball.”
That living has been good, now with a new Christmas album and current tour that will bring DMHO to Plymouth for their only Indiana stop on their tour.
“There are five songs on the new album we’ve never recorded before,” said Bierman. “The arrangements are all original and we’ll be playing them at the show along with a lot of other favorites. We’ve got a medley of Christmas songs that the audience is going to get a chance to sing along with us. It’s just really a fun show and a good way to celebrate the holiday.”
There will also be another special guest star.
“We do a nine minute production of ‘The Grinch that Stole Christmas,’” said Bierman. “That is always a favorite and a whole lot of fun and we’ll have some new Christmas songs that I’ve written to mix in too.”
The show is Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. Tickets are on sale by calling 1-800-965-9324. You can order at i-tickets.com at http://www.itickets.com/events/253462.html or for more information you can visit DMHO’s website at www.denvermho.com.
