Gene Van is the conducer and organizer of the Kernans’s Heroes Benefit Concerts which you can read about in this month’s news. Gene is an enthusiastic and dedicated musician who constantly strives to promote the accordion throughout the USA and world. You are all encouraged to attend the events on November 5,6, and 7th 2015. As contributed by Mary Ann VanPaemel:
“Gene Van has been a member of this community his entire life and a musician since early childhood. After graduating from Mishawaka High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. While serving his tour of duty, he performed with the U.S Navy Band as a part of Special Services entertaining the many troops here in the States, as well as throughout Europe. Upon returning home after being honorably discharged, he married and had four beautiful daughters.
In 1958, Gene started his own small business, the Gene Van Accordion Studio (later to be called the Gene Van Conservatory of Music), in Mishawaka, which he would own and operate for the next 50 years. During the course of those years, he introduced hundreds of young (and not so young) individuals to the world of music using the piano accordion as the principal instrument.
Though many of those students would go on to pursue music as a career, this was not his core objective. He believed that music was an excellent tool to build character, discipline, and self-confidence in young individuals, as well as providing a wholesome outlet for socializing and having fun while doing so. His students and groups over the years have won countless honors in state, regional, and national competitions—their travels taking them to numerous major cities and venues throughout the country.
While the competitions taught the students about setting and achieving goals, it was the countless local performances and activities that gave them an insight as to what ‘community’ was all about. Whether it was decorating and performing on a float for a local parade, entertaining residents at a local nursing home or retirement facility, performing in a non-stop musical marathon to raise money at a local mall, performing at a local or state university, appearing on a local television program, or being the featured attraction at a local cultural event such as ‘Carnival for the Arts’, it was these experiences, and the relationships that were formed in the process, that would leave a lasting impression on these individuals. Years later, these same students—now adults with families and careers of their own and many living hundreds of miles away, still come back to their roots, the place they once called home, to participate in benefit concerts organized by Gene that have raised thousands of dollars for local charities and non-profit organizations in our community.
This weekend’s benefit concert, in support of Kernan’s Heroes, is featuring not only former students of Gene’s, but also numerous outstanding accordionists from 15 different states, in addition to over 40 vocalists, and many other extremely talented local musicians.
Over the years, Gene Van, and the Gene Van Accordion Orchestra, has been recognized on numerous occasions for their contributions to this community with official proclamations from several local mayors and from the County Board of Commissioners.
In 2008, during Gene’s 50-year reunion celebration, as a gift of recognition from his former students, an engraved brick was purchased to be permanently placed in Kate’s Garden in Mishawaka’s Lincoln Park honoring his many accomplishments as a teacher and the contributions that he has made to the many lives that he has touched through his teaching.
Gene served from 1972 through 1974 as the Coordinator of Music for the Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese. He also served as President of the Indiana Accordionists’ Association for over 20 years. Gene still continues to teach music out of his home, in addition to composing and arranging music for the accordion orchestra, and performs on occasion. “
For further information:
maryannvanp@yahoo.com
