This 17-piece big band plays newer tunes, as well as the music of your life from the Big Band Era. The band members reside on the central Oregon coast, from Lincoln City to Florence. 

The Yachats Big Band was formed by Bill Bryner in 1992 with the members coming from all walks of life, but all sharing a common interest in big band music. There is a real plethora of experience in this band as the membership includes band directors, music teachers, college professors, a marine biologist, local business people, and retired professional musicians. They all have one thing in common, they’ve all spent many years learning their craft and truly enjoy getting together to play with the band, whether it is for a rehearsal or a performance.

The band is rehearsed by Del Chinburg, retired band director of North Salem High School.

Del Chinburg

While in the U.S. Navy Great Lakes Training, Chinburg auditioned and sang with the Blue Jackets Navy Choir under the direction of John LaMontaine and later served in the South Pacific.

After graduation from the University of Wyoming in Music Education in 1950, he began teaching Instrumental Music in the Cheyenne Public Schools.

In 1953 he received an MMI from the University of Oregon and began teaching in Lebanon Public Schools. For the next 20 years he spent summers at the University of Oregon High School Music Summer Session.

From 1958 until retiring in 1985, he taught Instrumental and Vocal music in the Salem Public Schools and applied woodwinds at both Willamette University  and Western Oregon University.

While teaching at North Salem, he started the February Jazz Festival, a festival that continues today at Willamette University.

Richard Petrovic

EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL Started playing the drums:

· Perry Junior High School, Pittsberg PA.
· All City Band and Orchestra at Perry High School.
· U.S.A.F. Drum & Bugle Corps, San Antonio, TX
· U.S.A.F. Europe Show Band (part-time)
· Lounge/Studio musician L.A. CA
· Yachats Big Band drummer
· Fills in as needed Lincoln County Concert Band, past Lincoln Pops

 

Kathy Rich

As a child and through high school, Rich studied piano in Portland with Nellie Tholen and attended the Williams-Tholen school of music. The focus was entirely classical. She performed solo piano and accompanied other performers. Her other musical influence then was Jean Vancil, choir director at Grant High School where initially she sang and then later served as accompanist for the choir, small ensembles and soloists. Until recently, she only played at home or composed pieces. She returned to playing at the Performing Art Center production of Guys and Dolls in Newport and later joined the Yachats Big Band. Her interest in jazz started in the 1980s by listening, often and intently, to major jazz artists. Since 1997, she has been privileged to present internationally known jazz artists in jazz parties at her home in Gleneden Beach. Oregon.

Rich is a licensed clinical psychologist with a practice in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. She received her Ph.D. in 1982 from University of Victoria, British Columbia and is also a licensed social worker (Masters in Social Work from Indiana University, 1975) currently working for Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, Oregon.