Bill Ferguson tapped the beat with a black loafer, leaned back into his chair and played till he was red in the face.
His trumpet was cocked a little to the right.
His eyes followed the notes of band tunes he'd never played before.
And even as the Ames Municipal Band wrestled with the 13/8, 11/8, and 7/8 time of a piece called "Serenade," it was hard to imagine how Ferguson could be any more at home.
This is his 50th year with the band.
At 11 performances a summer, he's approaching 550 concerts with Ames' band.
And he's still the first one to show up at the Iowa State University band room for the 7 p.m. rehearsals on Monday nights.
"He's usually here by 6:30 saying, 'Why isn't the room opened up?'" said Mike Golemo, the director of the municipal band and ISU's director of bands.
It's not that Ferguson needs the extra practice. Golemo said he's a "great player who has all his chops."
But he does like to be prepared.
He also likes a challenging piece of music.
And he's a respected bandmate, a positive person, a nice guy, Golemo said.
"He looks like he's 29," Golemo said. "I don't know what his secret is. Maybe it's music."
Or maybe it's agreeing to take on a special project even though he's officially retired from 30 years of international sales at Sauer-Danfoss. Or maybe it's keeping his black cars shiny and sporty. Or maybe it's tuning in to the band music on KDAO 1190 AM from Marshalltown. Or maybe it's the car races he likes to watch. Or maybe it's trips to Branson to take in eight shows at a visit. Or maybe it's raising show dogs. Or maybe it's all that time thinking about what makes Stan Kenton's music so special.
Or maybe it's being a trumpet player in a municipal band that features buttoned-down retirees and flip-flopping undergraduates.
"This is an excellent band," Ferguson said. "It's a very powerful band. It's a real joy to play in."
We should all be so lucky! Congrats Bill and thanks for being such an inspiration!
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