Mayville Steel Drum All-Stars Come To Town

The Mayville Steel Drum All-Stars will make their first Buttermilk Festival performance on Wednesday, July 6.  The concert starts at 7:15 p.m. at the Wifler Performance Center in Buttermilk Creek Park, Fond du Lac.

The Mayville Steel Drum All-Stars is the current version of a long-standing steel drum tradition that was started by retired Mayville High School band director Ben Reehl in 1992. The All-Stars includes alumni from the various groups that have performed under Reehl’s direction over the years. Among their more memorable performances were Disney World in Florida, Universal Studios in Florida, a cruise ship, Wisconsin State School Board Convention, the opening of the Badger State Games, the Wisconsin Music Educators Convention, Beloit RiverFest, Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts, Marian College Heritage Fest, Janesville Summer Music Series, and Wautoma Music Series.

For this concert, the All-Stars will perform on a full set of tuned steel drums plus drum set to present an energetic program featuring many styles of music – from classical to pop and rock to Caribbean melodies. Reehl has built some of the drums himself and has worked with some of the top builders in the field who also supplied drums. He has written and arranged most of the music and makes a special effort to explain and demonstrate the history and development of these unique instruments throughout the program..

Next on the Buttermilk Festival schedule is the Symphonic Band’s annual Family Night concert on July 13, followed by the Symphonic Band performing at Firemen’s Park in Campbellsport on Thursday, July 14.