More than 20 people to showcase talent today, Friday

[Editor's note: In Wednesday's page 1 story, The Ledger was working with an incomplete list of the performers who will take the stage today and Friday during the Coming Home – Coming Together Concert at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. What follows is a full list and biographical information on those performers who were not featured Wednesday.]

The Coming Home – Coming Together Concert is an opportunity for natives of the area to return home to share the musical talents they have continued to sharpen. It's also a chance for residents to hear up-and-coming singers and musicians who are bound to do great things after school.

The community will have two chances to catch them at the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts in the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, once at 7:30 p.m. today and again at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

For ticket information, call the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center at 472-2787.

Here are the performers who will take the stage:

Jenness Parker

Bruce Bussey

Jeff Shepherd

Jason Glass

Dakota Andersen

Mary Andersen

Linda Prill Mench

Megan Higgins

Julia Fritz

Blair Bowman

Jim Edgeton Sr. & Friends

LeAnne Edgeton

Chuck Drobny

Clare Else

Dave Magill

Gerry Runyon

Jim Wotherspoon

Terry Cochran

Eric Henderson

Claudia Sloat

Steve Bekel

Biographies

Jenness Parker

'My singing debut was very early in life, in front of a great audience – my horse,” Jenness Parker said. 'From my first solo at age 4 at Libertyville Methodist Church, music and theatre have played critical roles in my life. Growing up in this community where the arts are embraced and nurtured was a blessing. All credit goes to those individuals and groups who provided opportunities, coached, and cheered me on.”

Now, over 14 years into her career as a corporate litigator, the arts provide her with balance, perspective, and sanity. Whether performing opera, musical theatre, or the national anthem at U.S. Naturalization ceremonies in Federal Court, performing still gives me excitement, fulfillment, and peace.”

Bruce Bussey

Bruce Bussey graduated from FHS in 1966 and lives in Ivins, Utah.

Bruce said, 'My first encounter with the show biz bug occurred in seventh grade under the guidance of my music teacher Evelyn Gamrath. I had always loved music and singing and Evelyn saw I had talent and helped develop my early skills. Next came high school. Under the creative guidance of E. Jane Ruby, I developed my singing skills. Mary Jane Williams honed my acting skills. I could not get enough of the stage and singing. It was my dream to become a musical actor.”

'In college, I participated in every music production and many plays,” Bussey continued. 'Immediately after my wife and I were married, I started rehearsals for ‘The Fantastiks,' music directed by Ken and Helen Carpenter, former Parsons College instructors and dear friends. Upon returning to live in Fairfield in 1974, I quickly became involved in The Fairfield Area Community Theater not only as a performer, but a director of several plays. I also participated in many Celebrity Nights at the Fairfield Golf & Country Club under the direction of Mary Pettit, a former high school teacher and good friend.

'In 1993, I played the part of Marcellus in ‘The Music Man' in the West Des Moines centennial production.

'Theater and music will always be my first love. Dreams are dreams and life is life and I have been blessed to live many of my dreams through performing.”

Mary Andersen

While Mary Andersen was raised in Coon Rapids, and is an alumna of Coon Rapids High School, she has spent the last 15 years as a teacher in the Fairfield Community School District. She received her Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Northern Iowa.

She became active in music at an early age with piano lessons at age 8, becoming an accompanist for other students in her teacher's studio at age 11, and starting clarinet at age 10. While she was not always convinced she would teach music, she knew music would be part of her daily life, from the first moment she was part of the All State band rehearsing in the Fort Des Moines ball room (with as many members as there were in her entire high school).

Two years later, her high school band director had her accompanying middle school woodwinds for solo contest. Her mother reported to him that Mary had no plans to teach music, but would continue to play. His response, 'But she already *is* teaching music.”

Andersen is mother of two sons: Wyatt (FHS class of 2013) is currently a PhD candidate in cancer research at the University of Nebraska Medical College and MBA student at University of Nebraska Omaha; Dakota (FHS class of 2016) is another performer on tonight's program (whose bio was printed in Wednesday's edition of The Ledger).

After these concerts, Mary will be moving from teaching at FMS to Holmen, Wisconsin, to work with seventh and eighth grade bands at Holmen Middle School.

'I am so very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the music in Fairfield - as an educator, a performer, and as an audience member. The chance to record with my bands on the stage in the Sondheim, bring them to shows such as ‘STOMP!' or small groups with the Fairfield Concert Association has brought metropolitan opportunity to a small community. I am so glad I have been blessed to work with the musicians that were my colleagues, students, friends - there is so much talent here!”

Blair Bowman

Blair Bowman graduated from Fairfield High School this spring. She will be attending Simpson College in the fall. She plans to major in Exercise Physiology and will be playing softball. Blair has resided in Fairfield her entire life with her parents, Bob and Heidi, her sisters, Baylee and Brynna, and her twin brother, Brittan. Blair has performed in many community theater productions, school choirs, and many family vocal performances She has been singing on stage since the age of 7. She grew up singing the National Anthem and many different events with her siblings. Her favorite songs to sing are Broadway musicals. Blair enjoys spending time with her family and friends and playing sports. She has always appreciated being able to grow up in Fairfield, where the community has been a big supporter of the performing arts for young people and the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center is a wonderful place to perform and to see many different styles of theater and music.

LeAnne Edgeton

LeAnne Edgeton said, 'I am technically not a native ‘Fairfieldian,” but I married one, and I enjoy accompanying whenever I get the chance. Jim and I have two boys who are 32 and 39. Jim and his wife Adena live in Pella with our three grandsons. Jon and his wife Caroline live in Urbandale with our fourth grandson.”

Edgeton has worked at Cambridge for 11 years, managing the Advisor Contact Center. She currently plays for the service at First United Methodist Church accompanying the Chancel Choir. She also plays piano for several community theatre groups in the area. 'Essentially I will play for anyone who needs a piano player,” she said.

'This ‘Coming Home - Coming Together' is a great way for us all to give back to the community that support the arts,” Edgeton said.

Jim Edgeton

Jim Edgeton graduated from Fairfield High School in 1974. He attended college in Illinoi and Texas and returned to Fairfield in 1992 to become the FHS band director. He also has been musical director for the Fairfield Area Community Theater and is the director/conductor of the Fairfield Municipal Band. He is married to LeAnne Edgeton.

Jim Edgeton & Friends includes members of the low brass section of the Fairfield Municipal Band, which he will be directing for the concert: Chuck Drobny, Clare Else, Claudia Sloat, Dave Magill, Gerry Runyon, Jerry Avise-Rouse, Jim Wotherspoon, Steve Bekel, Terry Cochran and Eric Henderson.

Chuck Drobny

Chuck Drobny received his trombone training from fifth grade through graduating from FHS in 1973 from Ron Prill then promptly quit playing before attending ISU. The last 40 years, he has been a Farm Bureau Financial Services agent in Fairfield. After he and wife Terri started helping Jim Edgeton with the FHS marching band program 26 years ago, the draw of playing instead of spectating, struck and three years ago, 42 years after quitting, Edgeton revived and now recruits him into various opportunities to play, including Fairfield Municipal Band, Fairfield Jazz band, headed by Roger Gillaspie, and Tarnished Brass headed by Gerry Runyon.

Clare Else

Clare Else is an upcoming junior at FHS and will graduate in 2021. She has played in both the high school and municipal bands for two years, and is 'very grateful to have such a great conductor as Mr. Edgeton,” she said.

In her free time, Else enjoys playing soccer and reading.

Dave Magill

Dave Magill moved to Fairfield in 1981. He played euphonium from junior high school through Dartmouth College Band in 1968 and picked it up again in 2016 with the Fairfield Municipal Band.

Gerry Runyon

Gerry Runyon is a 1977 graduate of Harmony High School in Farmington. He is a technical specialist for Advanced Systems Inc. Runyon has played an important role in the music scene in Fairfield for years.

'Music has always been the driving force in my life,” Runyon said. 'It has allowed me to go places and meet and interact with people I likely would have never had the chance to meet. The Fairfield area has always been my home away from home, at least since 1983, and I have been lucky enough to have been a part of a large number of the ‘music' events in this community since that time.”

Jim Wotherspoon

Jim Wotherspoon is a graduate of Twentynine Palms High School, Twentynine Palms, California. He is a retired minister who served the Fairfield First Baptist Church for 18 years. He is the husband of long-time FHS faculty member, Betsie Wotherspoon. All four of their children are FHS graduates: Joy, Charisa, Andrew and Noel. Wotherspoon has been playing low brass instruments for 60 years. He is active in the Southeast Iowa Band, Fairfield Municipal Band, Lowly Brass, Tarnished Brass and Fairfield All-Star Jazz Band. He also has played in various other ensembles in southeast Iowa.

Terry Cochran

Terry Cochran attended Fairfield Junior High School before moving out of town. He lives in Fairfield with his wife Sarah, and his three children are all graduates of FHS. In addition to the tuba, Cochran also plays bagpipes and is often seen in full Scottish regalia.

Eric Henderson

Eric Henderson is a native of Fairfield and a 1987 graduate of FHS. His music career as a percussionist and drummer has spanned over 40 years. He has developed an extensive resume of musical experiences over the years that includes performances with local and nationally known artists, ranging from symphony orchestras and musical theatre to Midwest touring acts and professional studio recordings.

He lives in Fairfield with his wife and two children. He feels that the performing arts scene in Fairfield is what makes this community so unique and the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center plays a vital role in keeping the arts alive and well.