With our second production of The Sound of Music now committed to the annals of our history, this is a good time to honor the lady who played the piano for both our Sound of Music productions, Tilford Middle School seventh grade language arts teacher Judy Mitschelen, a frequent member of our pit band for musicals!

Judy has been with us since our fourth production, Deadwood Dick, in 1981 when she played the role of Piano Annie. She served on the prop crew for our next show, The Curious Savage, and she was house manager for Don't Drink the Water in 1983.  After that Judy was on hiatus with us until 1995 for our first Sound of Music production.  Next, Judy was the pianist for the "Sister Act" segment of our 1998 Variety Show, Be Our Guest.  Following that, she was the pianist for our 2000 production of The Secret Garden.  In 2001 she was pianist for our first Intermezzo recital and then for My Fair Lady.  Later that year she was pianist for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and then for Intermezzo II.  Finally, this fall, she returned for our revival of The Sound of Music.

Most recently, Judy has been on stage performing in the chorus for the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, appearing in productions including Otello, The Marriage of Figaro, and the upcoming production of Carmen.

Judy Mitschelen as Piano Annie in Deadwood Dick, in 1981.

Here, Judy describes her musical activities and her involvement with ACT I!

"I grew up with music in my genes: my maternal grandmother had been a traveling songleader for circuit ministers, my father's family had a lot of ministers and songleaders/composers as well. With two older brothers, father who sang bass, and a choir director mother, there was always "singin' around the piano" at home. By fourth grade I had become Mom's accompanist. It was about that time that I discovered accompanying as a "competitive sport." I had been asked to play for a wedding and the soloist chose "Because," the old standard that sprinkles the title word frequently throughout the piece. The soloist blanked out during the ceremony and asked me to pick it up at "because." We somehow landed on the same measure and an accompanist that looks at every piece as a personal challenge was born. I like the sport of proving to myself that I can "catch" any soloist, director, or ensemble no matter how many measures they skip or tempo changes they decide to throw me. Basically, though, my job is to make other people look good and that has carried over to my career choice. As a teacher, I try to be an accompanist: giving kids enough support to fly solo but always there in the wings to prop them up when necessary.

I accompanied so much for music classes and choirs throughout junior high and high school that somehow I got the idea that someone thought I couldn't sing and that it was safer to keep me on the bench. So I shoved music down my list of priorities and completed my BA at Anderson University in Indiana with majors in education and psychology. As secretary in the music department, however, I fielded all the incoming requests and managed to snag many of the most interesting music jobs for myself. By the time I left, I had also racked up enough course hours for a minor in piano. It was interesting to return this summer as president of a national church musicians organization to the campus where I had been too afraid to be a music major!

I started work as an upper elementary teacher in Vinton in 1976 and within a couple of years had moved to Garrison where the "artists' colony" idea was struggling to take hold. I talked my way into a piano bar job in the courtyard at the Old Creamery Theatre and enjoyed the social life of comp tickets and theater parties that came along with that job. Through those activities, I became acquainted with Howard Blanning and Steve Shaffer, ACT I's first directors, so I was involved with set and properties work on an informal basis early on. My first (name in print) production was one of my favorites. As Piano Annie in Deadwood Dick, I had the dual role of stage prop and pianist. It was a fun challenge to select the themes for the different characters in the melodrama and to "set the atmosphere" through the music.

I graduated from elementary teaching, after a sidetrip through gifted education, and have enjoyed teaching seventh grade language arts for 17 years now; music, however, continues to keep me almost as busy as teaching. In addition to working for various churches, I have accompanied high school musicals, first meeting several current ACT I members and supporters in the 1978 production of Dracula Baby. Church musician work led me to Cedar Rapids where I later became active as a charter member of Chorale Midwest and sang with Concert Chorale. A highlight of those experiences was traveling to Russia with 15 members of Chorale Midwest to sing with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. More recently I have limited Cedar Rapids rehearsals to singing with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre chorus and was happy to have time to return "home" to ACT I for The Sound of Music.

One final ACT I connection. Probably more than having been around the Creamery, it was Fred Banda, half of ACT I's first on stage kiss and the first minister I worked with in Vinton, who got me involved in ACT I. Fred also introduced me to the Association of Disciple Musicians. It was an honor to have Fred come back from Texas this summer and join me and the rest of the Disciple musicians as I presided at ADM's summer conference which was held at Anderson University. It's hard to decide which was best: spending time again with Fred and his wife, welcoming friends from all around the country to "my" place, or having my former dean of students and his wife (my college piano teacher) come to our closing concert.

Theater and music are certainly great ways to make friends that last a lifetime! Benton County residents are fortunate that the arts have been kept alive in our area and that we have so many opportunities to not only entertain but be enriched through these experiences."

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