Submitted Photo Board members of the Heart of America Concert Series, from left, are Angie Deplazes, Bonita Lindseth, Rosie Schneibel, Denise Lagasse, Renae Dockter, Jim Teigen and seated is Martha Larson. Not pictured are Christine Halvorson, Dennis Romfo, Carol Berg, Mike Larson, Gail Danielson and Glenda Mack.

The Heart of America Concert Series (HAMCS) has been filling Rugby with the sound of music for more than half a century, and this concert season carries on the tradition.

“It started on a coffee table in somebody’s living room. There were some people that wanted to bring classical music to town,” said Angie Deplazes, current president of the HAMCS association.

This is Deplazes’ second year as president but she has been a board member of the association since 1978, when she first moved to Rugby.

For decades, the HAMCS association has been bringing quality music to Rugby for town residents to enjoy and, according to association board secretary, Rosie Schneibel, meeting minutes date back to 1975.

The official mission statement of the association reads, “The Heart of America Concert Series shall provide quality, affordable musical entertainment for north central North Dakota.”

“It’s really just about bringing the arts here that people in a small town don’t generally hear,” Deplazes said about the mission statement.

Originally, HAMCS focused primarily on classical music but has now opened up its genres to include choral performances, jazz bands, local music and more.

This Monday at the Rugby High School Auditorium from 7:30-9 p.m., the Alliance Brass band will play as part of the concert series. This brass quintet covers many pop culture scores, including the suite from “Star Wars.” 3“It’s more modern music. It’s not like the classical music of a brass band. It’s more so from movies,” Deplazes said.

The HAMCS association also has invited the Minot based group Luminus to perform in Rugby on Oct. 21. Luminus is composed entirely of professors from Minot State University.

“Then in the spring we have the Beach Boys tribute band,” Deplazes said.

Getting younger people to incorporate live, quality music into their busy schedules has been one of the challenges the HAMCS association has faced.

“I talked to quite a few people that would have liked a ticket but then they look at their calendar,” Deplazes said, “there’s always sporting events going on and sometimes it’s just people’s schedules.”

Deplazes said the power of live musical performances can help people connect with their inner selves and with each other.

“I’m a big promoter of live music because there’s something about experiencing it through people,” she said. “There’s a big difference between a live performance and a recording because it’s person to person. There’s the humanity of reaching heart to heart kind of.”

Deplazes has a bachelor’s degree in vocal music and plays the piano as well.

“I think I appreciate what it takes to play well, even though it might be an instrument I don’t play or I can’t play,” Deplazes said about appreciating the musicianship of the acts that come through for the concert series.

“It’s just something that people should – especially young people – should be exposed to,” Deplazes said. “I do believe music reaches into a deep place.”

Like Deplazes, the original founding members of the HAMCS association also believed this. These founding members were Lester and Helen Drege, Loren Smith and Tilman Hovland, who all dedicated everything they had to making Rugby a more musical town.

“There were so many other retired people that stuck with it for a long, long time and gave their lives to it,” Deplazes said.

The current board members and officers are working hard to keep this dream alive and bring it into the modern era. Current members along with Deplazes are Bonita Lindseth, vice president; Rosie Schneibel, secretary; and Jim Teigen, treasurer.

“I just think sometimes that music is something that you can do your whole life and enjoy for your whole lifetime,” Deplazes said.

The HAMCS association involves the youth of the community as often as possible by holding concerts at the school and by occasionally having bands perform exclusively for the students.

The association also has teamed up with Bottineau and Devil’s Lake to offer reciprocity for season memberships. Each community has its own concerts and associations but between the three, one membership will gain access to shows in Rugby, Bottineau and Devil’s Lake.