Leading the band

A musical life and career led Willmar man to a new passion -- crafting director batons

By Patricia Buschette

Dennis Benson conducts the Prairie Wind Concert Band at a summer peformance. He is conducting using a mace originally used by the grandpa of Deb Friedlein, a friend of Benson’s from Spicer. Friedlein’s grandpa was the drum major for John Philip Sousa’s band in 1918. Benson used the mace in this photo to conduct a stirring rendition of  “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Benson has a long musical career and in recent years has been crafting his own batons. This batons are now being used across the state, the country and the world.  Contributed photo

Life has blessed Dennis Benson of Willmar with many talents and he has spent his 77 years building on them. He is an excellent photographer and is well known for his beautiful photos. However, music is the proficiency through which he is best known by many. And in recent years, his impact on music has come from another direction... crafting batons used by band directors.

Dennis and his wife Darlene have lived in Willmar for 45 years, and presently live at Independence Place Cooperative in Willmar. 

“I grew up in Grove City down the road,” he said. “I attended Ridgewater Community College’s two year course,” and pointed out that he received the very first musical scholarship from the school. “I have a BS degree in Music Ed from Bemidji State University. My first teaching job was at Murdock. I was the first high school band director of KMS, and an adjunct low brass instructor at U of M Morris. A low brass instructor specializes in teaching the low-pitched brass instruments, primarily the trombone. I have taught instrumental and vocal music in high school and college.” Dennis has directed our local community band called the Prairie Winds Concert Band at its outdoor summer concerts and plays trombone. He has also directed the Willmar Symphony Orchestra and the choir at First Baptist Church.

“I conducted the pit orchestra for 22 years at the Barn Theater here in Willmar including ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ musical production,” he said.

Dennis is a fixture of the local community concerts. Prairie Winds Concert Band was organized in the early 1970s, using a number of conductors and its history has been varied.

“It was connected with Ridgewater at one point, and funded by the city at one time,” he explained.  “However, it has always been a community volunteer-based band. The conductor is paid, but players volunteer. There are usually 45 in the band, but last year there were 50,” he said.

While Dennis has had several teaching and conducting experiences, it is piano tuning that is the career role of the longest duration. “I have been tuning pianos ever since high school – for 57 years,” he said.

A baton fashioned from a combination of oak burl and oak acrylic went to the band director at Lakeville South. Dennis liked it so much he created one for himself.    

Dennis studied at the McPhail School of Music in Minneapolis and his work includes maintaining pianos in churches, schools and concert halls in the area. “Piano tuning is odd,” he said “You don’t have to be certified. I do a lot of concert work. As a piano tuner I have tuned pianos for famous people who came through Jackpot Junction,” he said and listed performers Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Wayne Newton, Reba Macintyre, Jim Nabors, and Ronnie Milsap.

However, it was while his daughter was considering college, he was mindful of Bethel’s band director, Charles Olson. At Bethel University, Olson was the coordinator of instrumental music, taught music courses, and conducted several ensembles. It was his reputation as a baton craftsman that caught Dennis’ attention.

“He made wonderful batons, and I thought that would be fun,” he said. “I am not retired yet. I could learn about making batons on YouTube.” Dennis had inherited a wood lathe five years ago and decided to make batons.

“When I began making batons, I gave them to band directors,” Dennis explained. Since then he has created a website that has been seen around the world. “Right now, I have batons in 10 states and two foreign countries; Malta and the Netherlands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. I have several batons in Puerto Rico,” he said.

“Handles of batons can be wood or acrylic and the shaft can be fiberglass or wood,” Dennis said. To construct the acrylic handles, Dennis uses blocks of acrylic that he fashions in the woodworking lathe in the workshop at Independence Place. He purchases a block of acrylic ¾ inch square by 5 inches long and shapes them in the style desired.

Dennis has used an unusual material in the creation of some of his batons. Through a connection with a friend he learned of someone who injected dye in a live tree. As the tree grew, the dye became incorporated into the wood, creating a colorful design and a very unique baton.

He pointed out that handles and shafts can be made in different sizes and shapes, but they must be balanced. The handle is the part of the baton that is held by the conductor’s hand while the shaft is the long, thin, elongated body of the baton that extends from the handle.

Dennis fashioned five batons for consideration by Michael Bublé’s orchestra director.  That director is pictured along with Paul McCartney and Michael Buble. Contributed photo

“The thing about batons,” Dennis said, “is they have to be balanced. That is the trick,” he said as he balanced a baton on his finger. “By custom making batons I can do what major baton makers do. I have had lots of unusual requests about the length of the shaft,” he said, adding that most are 12-13 inches long.

“The current director of the summer community band wanted an orange handle to be small, short and light weight so I made the shaft out of poplar instead of birch and the handle of acrylic. When he holds the handle, a short shaft works.”

Dennis receives a variety of unique requests in the orders he receives.

“The orchestra director of an orchestra in the state of Washington wanted a long baton; a total of 30 grams. The shaft was especially long; he wanted it to be 20 – 22 inches long – it was more of a weapon than a baton,” he said.

“Sometimes I have to add balance to add weight.” He pointed out a baton with metal in the end. “See the brass” he said as he pointed to the end of the handle of one of his batons. “However, some don’t want the baton balanced,” he added.

“I got a request from the personnel director of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra for 10 batons with cases that he would auction off at the concert,” he said. 

Dennis’ wife made the cases and they attended the concert. The director of the orchestra told Dennis that it was his intention to direct the first selection with one of his batons. However, he told Dennis, “It was so nice I decided to use it for the whole concert.”

Dennis fashioned five batons for consideration by Michael Bublé’s orchestra director. Contributed photo

Some baton orders are extra special. Consider the outcome of Dennis’ piano tuning job for a client who lived on Green Lake. A connection was made between Dennis and the musical director for Michael Bublé, a Canadian singer and songwriter, considered to be a pop icon. When Dennis was first aware of the connection, and the possibility was raised of the purchase of one of his batons, Dennis’ reaction was excitement, coupled with the reality it may never happen.

When he did hear from the musical director the request was that Dennis send five batons to evaluate. “He said that he would buy one and return the rest,” Dennis said. However, to Dennis’ shock, the director bought all five. “Now my batons are traveling all around the world,” he said with pride.

A friend wanted a patriotic baton to give to his band director, who conducted primarily John Philip Sousa marches. He traditionally ended his concerts with “The Stars and Stripes Forever” composed by Sousa. Dennis created a special baton for the occasion.

However, not all Dennis’ experiences deal with the batons he has created.

Deb Friedlein, a friend from Spicer, approached Dennis two years ago. As she explained, “My grandpa was the drum major for John Philip Sousa’s band in 1918. I have his mace – a type of baton he used, and my grandpa’s uniform.” That year John Philip Sousa, who wrote 136 marches, conducted the U.S. Navy Band.

Dennis with Deb Friedlein and a John Philip Sousa mace

Following the discussion, Sousa marches were featured at one of the Prairie Winds Concert Band performances. The mace and uniform were a featured exhibit that evening. The mace was displayed nearby, and at the close of the program, Dennis picked it up and using it, conducted a stirring rendition of Sousa’s most compelling march. “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” The march holds the official status as the National March of the United States, as designated by Congress in 1987.

How many batons has Dennis made? “I have no idea,” he said, pausing and then adding, “200?”

Dennis continues to create batons but more recently has cut back. A bad back has curtailed conducting the concert series as well as limiting his creation of batons.

However, it is certain that for a very long time, Dennis will continue to draw on his many gifts as he brings joy to many through his love of music.