Member Profile

	Joan Force Soprano Cornet eibbjoan@mchsi.com eibbjoan@yahoo.com
Joined the EIBB in 1986 and except for a one year break, has played with the group ever since.	Started playing trumpet when she was in the 5th grade.
Grew up in Cedar Falls, IA
She received her BA in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
Currently Joan is a Professional Organizer, helping people with any room, attic, basement, garage, etc. that needs to be decluttered. She specializes in working with older folks that are making the move to a smaller place or don't have family around to help them make decisions and the contacts they need.
Joan says she loves playing but it is hard for her to get time to practice when she owns her own business. She likes having another person sharing the load of the soprano part in the band. She says she doesn't have the stamina or volume she once had and that she plays more funerals and church services, so she goes back and forth from trumpet to soprano more often.	This is not Joan. Another picture is coming soon.
Joan has several memories: Any solo Dennis Modracek plays and any duet she and Dennis play together. She says, "The Smithsonian gig was fun. Steve finding Zip and the whole band going to his house for dinner, having him help us find a dat tape so we could record. It was so hot in DC, espcially in the turn of the century outfits, that we would tour museums in between our 2 shows. DeHoff and I were in one of them and he was intently reading something with his elbow on his knee, not moving for a very long time. A little boy walking by was startled when he did move, and said "mom, Abraham Lincoln is alive." "Parties at Stines, especially when the UNI Brass Quintet played. When they went to leave Stine's party, Bruce Chidester, my trumpet teacher for ever, leaned over to kiss me on the cheek good-by and all the lights went out in Mt Vernon. One of the quintet members, didn't miss a beat and said, "damn you are good." , NABBA 1991 that we hosted. I was so tired that I didn't play well. It had been a rough year, my dad dying, losing my teaching job, having to leave the Sunday of NABBA for MN to host a regional correctonal education conference. One of those times that has helped me to say no when I get too much on my plate., No one piece jumps out right now. Some of the NABBA contest music that I didn't care for when we started became favorites as we got better. "The band has a very family feel to it. We have played for members as they near death, and it is hard to do, but we hope it shows the care we have for them and the family." Outside of band, Joan says, "I bought a condo in 2007 and did all new carpet, paint, some new furniture, etc. I have a great view with lots of birds, turkeys and deer. My cat Rosemary, a Ragdoll, enjoys sitting on the deck and greeting everyone that comes in. We play a lot of laser tag. I have some great clients and appreciate all that I learn from them. I always tell them about the band, and how they should come and hear us, and many of them do. I am on my 3rd and final year of being Board President of EIBB. I am on my 2nd of a 3 year term of being Board President of my condo association. Deb Sedlacek and I are cooking meals everyday for the Moundview Neighborhood and the Americorps/Vista Volunteers at Echo Hill Presbyterian Church. It is quite a challenge to find food and fix it for 60- 80 people 5 days a week. It is gratifying to see the response from people effected by the flood, and the volunteers that come to help.
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