POCAHONTAS — “Who’s going to fill the shoes of St. Paul Praise Band?” was the thought that continued to race through the mind of Gina Higginbotham as she listened to the music during Sunday morning Mass.
The church needed the next generation of musicians to step forward, she thought.
And then the answer came by way of Conviction, St. Paul the Apostle Church’s youth band. Higginbotham, who in 2004 partnered with friend Marilyn Hogan to form Marilyn’s Clogging, a dance and music studio, knew the parish had a host of talented youngsters who were ready for the challenge.
She got with St. Paul youth director, Sister Frances Mure, OSB, pastor Father John Marconi and a few parents before contacting potential members of the band in October. Higginbotham said she already knew who those band members were going to be. The obvious choice for keyboard was 11th-grader Todd Baltz, who plays the organ during Saturday evening Mass at St. Paul. Baltz was also under the tutorship of Janet Holt, keyboard player for the adult St. Paul Praise Band.
“Gina called one day and said, ’Todd, you’re playing keyboard,’” Todd said. “I really do enjoy it. I have learned a lot about reading chords, how to identify the chords and make the music your own, not just simply playing a song the way the music is written.”
Baltz said being a member of the band allowed him to experiment and learn new music.
“It’s so much nicer when you have your own songs to follow,” Baltz said. “My job as an accompanist is to follow the singer. That’s the joy of playing with chords.”
Drummer for the band is Cullen DeClerk, who is in eighth grade. When speaking to his mother, Ann French, about the possibility of DeClerk being in the band, Higginbotham discovered his older brother, Alex, played the guitar. She knew of another talented guitar player, Zac DeClerk, who had previously been a member of the band Quad Rock, which had once played at the Mid-South Fair in Memphis.
“I love music,” said 16-year-old Zac. “I’m kind of shy, and music is a way I can express myself.”
Zac began playing at the age of 8 and was fortunate enough to be born into a musically gifted family. He studied guitar for two years at Black River Technical College and another two years at Marilyn’s Clogging and Music Company. Like Todd Baltz, he prefers to chord rather than follow the music.
“If I don’t like how it goes, I change it up,” Zac said. “It takes a different level of skill — you have to have an ear for it. You have to get used to how everyone does stuff, how they sing, to be able to follow them. And that takes practice.”
Rounding out the musicians was 13-year-old guitarist and vocalist Kaylin Higgin both am, who along with fellow Pink Harmony band members Lillie Thielemier and Rachel DeClerk are students at Marilyn’s Clogging Company. Kaylin has been playing guitar for three years and also played guitar briefly for the boy band Black Out.
“I thought it would be cool,” Kaylin said of learning of her mother’s idea to form a youth band at church. “I just wanted an opportunity to play guitar but when the band started coming together, I knew this was going to be something better than I had ever done. I’m singing and having fun, but this is better because I get to praise God.”
Kaylin said the group has played at a number of community events, including the Randolph County Right to Life March, and hopes they can expand to include youth activities throughout the diocese.
“I would love to play at Junior High Spectacular,” she said. “It would be so cool to play before other kids.”
Rachel DeClerk, 13, is the youngest member of the band. She, like older brother Zac, has been involved in music for as long as she can recall. Her musical career began with piano and guitar lessons at Marilyn’s Clogging Company, and she later became a part of the group Pink Harmony.
“I like singing, especially for Jesus,” Rachel said. “I think it has made me more spiritual and outgoing.”
Rounding out the original band members is eighth-grader Kyle Thielemier, who provides lead vocals, which was somewhat of a surprise for Higginbotham. For unlike the others, Thielemier had no previous experience.
“When I was talking to some of the parents about the possibility of starting a youth band, Karla (Thielemier, St. Paul School principal) mentioned that her son, Kyle, sang and would probably like to be a part of the group,” Higginbotham said.
His love for music is obvious with each and every outing. When asked how long he’d been singing, without hesitation he responded, “Since I was born.”
“I was the kid who always had a toothbrush, toothpaste or a long pencil to use as a microphone,” Kyle said. “Sometimes I’d even roll up paper to sing into. Every morning, we would always be late because I’d be in the bathroom singing.”
Kyle said being a part of the St. Paul Youth Band had provided him the first opportunity to sing before an audience, other than his family.
Kyle said he enjoys being a part of the band, not simply because he loves to sing; it allows him an opportunity to be a witness to other youngsters. He also hopes it will lead to bigger and better things down the road.
“I’ve always wanted to be a singer,” he said. “Even when I was holding that toothbrush, I was imagining I was a part of something like the next Brooks and Dunn — someone who everyone knew your name. Now that I’m a part of a church band, I want to be a Christian music artist — one of the biggest.”
After forming last November, the band began leading the music at morning Mass on the fourth Sunday of each month. This has since evolved to St. Paul Youth Sunday, with the teens taking over the lector and usher duties.
Shortly after forming, the group was joined by 14-year-old bass guitarist Dalton Jarrett. Two vocalists have joined with the addition of Tori Junkersfeld and Brook Hart, who is a member of Chambers, a Brookland High School invitation-only choir. Hart has also been invited to be a member of Honor Choir USA that will perform at Honolulu Spectacular in June.
“I’m amazed at how it has all fell together,” Higginbotham said.
Dr. Dennis and Janet Holt work with the band each Wednesday evening before parish religious education classes. They said they have been praying for God to move in a mighty way at St. Paul Church.
“I think that’s going to be through our youth,” Holt said. “They are such an inspiration. They have so much enthusiasm. They never want practice to end.”
Currently, four members of the band are juniors at Pocahontas High School, but Higginbotham isn’t concerned about who is going to fill their shoes. She already has a plan in place. In January 2008 St. Paul School added music, taught by Marilyn Hogan, to its curriculum, offering guitar, violin and piano lessons.
