WIND SYMPHONY BEGINS FINAL CAPE CONCERTS

As lawn chairs unfolded and people got settled on the lawn of Old St. Vincent's College, five musicians from the American Wind Symphony Orchestra began playing.

The orchestra is making its seventh appearance in Cape Girardeau for a series of nine concerts through Sunday.

Three mini-concerts were held around the city Thursday night. The concert at the Old St. Vincent's College attracted the largest crowd.

Clarence Daugherty came from Chaffee to hear the group perform.

"I had not heard them before," he said. "But I heard their goal is to bring good music to all the small towns along the river."

Normally, the orchestra performs its concerts aboard the Point Counter Point II ship, but because of flooding the concerts are scheduled at various sites around the city.

Robert Boudreau, conductor of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, founded the Pennsylvania-based group almost 40 years ago.

The orchestra provides an opportunity for young musicians to get started in the profession, he said.

"It brings free music to thousands of communities that otherwise wouldn't go to concerts," Boudreau said.

The concept of performing along the rivers is just a "carryover of the old showboats," Boudreau said. "We just carried it a step farther and put the orchestra on the boat."

Traveling by boat is also an easier, more economical way to transport equipment, he added.

"Every time you play, you know the environment where you play," he said. Concerts on land are a little more difficult because the musicians aren't as familiar with the surroundings.

And familiarity is important for a man who is known around the world for his musical talent. In fact, he has instructed musicians who now play for symphonies around the world.

As an exchange student in Holland, Boudreau's daughter, Tanya, took flute lessons from a man who had once played for her father. The instructor played for the Concertgebau Orchestra in Amsterdam, Holland, at the time.

Many young musicians have heard the orchestra over the years and said they would play for me, Boudreau said. And many have.

More than 2,000 musicians have toured with the orchestra during Boudreau's 39-year tenure.

But this is his last year with the group.

"I had to make the decision to continue touring or help young people," he said.

So he decided to focus on teaching young musicians at festivals in Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

But before leaving, Boudreau wanted to visit some of the towns he has been performing in over the years. And Cape Girardeau was one of those areas. He first conducted in Cape Girardeau about 25 years ago, he said.

"I wanted to come back because Dr. Dan Cotner has been our support system in the Cape Girardeau area," Boudreau said. "I wanted to come because it's our final tour."

After leaving Cape Girardeau, the orchestra heads to Kentucky and then east up the Ohio River before concluding its tour in Pittsburgh.

The orchestra will perform a full concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Capaha Band Shell.