Kristofer's Blog

Local performers have followed their fathers' footsteps

Jay Kirschenmann
jkirsch@argusleader.com

The Hegg brothers are used to it by now.

People approach them at gigs and say, "You're Denny Hegg's boys, aren't you? I had him as my favorite teacher, and I love that man to this day."

That makes musicians Jeremy, Jonathan and Jason Hegg feel proud, being sons of a revered music teacher. They say a lifetime of seeing their dad involved in music, and all of them playing around the house, has rubbed off.

Like the Heggs, the sons of Rich Show - known for Violet, The Body Electric and other bands - say having music around during their growing-up years made them more musically inclined.

"There always were instruments in the basement," Isaac Show, 21, says to his dad during a recent get-together in Rich Show's downtown Sioux Falls apartment.

"I remember one day you just, unannounced, bought a set of drums, a guitar and bass at the same time, and two amps," says Eli Show, 24.

"Yeah, they were cheap," says a smiling Rich Show, 51. "I think you guys were in junior high or...

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This is the "official announcement" (via email) about the Instrumental Program at DSU being cut:

I am sending this email to students ( that we are aware of) who participated in band or received a Kingsmen Annual Scholarship recently. This spring the university made a decision to go in a different direction with regard to offering DSU students an opportunity to participate in an instrumental music activity. This decision and new direction was based on several issues.

1. Decreasing participation by students in the current instrumental/band program

Participation in this scenerio is being judged from the outside, Dr. Knowlton isn't present at the band rehearsals.  Rehearsals being located in different locations throughout the years due to the ability of the Dakota Praire Playhouse of being rented out to outside groups equaling more $$ for the univerisity.  I believe our numbers from last year are holding steady maybe they are overall down from when Dr. Knowlton first became president in 2004.  Also, when was the number of students a quantitative measurement in determining funding?  We have several clubs with small memberships below 40 students. Maintaining membership lists are not a requirement for the University  Here's a list

Student Senate
KDSU (radio station)
Art club...

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This fall Dakota State University will focus the instrumental band program on its pep band, DSU President Dr. Doug Knowlton announced today. The decision was made on the basis of several factors, including a declining enrollment in the current band program. While the concert and jazz band programs will be discontinued, the choral program will be unchanged and the Kingsmen scholarships will remain available.

"We want students who choose to participate in the band program at DSU to have an opportunity to be heard by larger audiences," said Dr. Knowlton. "We also recognized that without a music major at DSU, it is hard to sustain a traditional band program." Knowlton said that despite the decline in band participation, the quality of the student musicians remained high, and so a plan was developed to give those students continued opportunities to perform. This new approach to the band program will also allow the university to provide financial support for members of the pep band as is the case at other universities.

The pep band will have regularly scheduled rehearsals and will perform at DSU sporting events and other campus activities

This is absolutely ludacrious.  Perfect way to kill a program that has up...

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I bought and put up www.securemyclinic.com, a couple of site ideas include www.securemyclinic.com/index.html

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