HOLLAND AMERICAN LEGION BAND CONDUCTORS
John "Dugan" Van Vyven 1920-1926
John Tiefenthal 1927
W. J. Kline 1927-1929
Eugene F. Heeter 1929-1944
Everett Kisinger 1944-1948
James Schroet 1948-1949
Arthur C. Hills 1950-1966
Henry P. Vander Linde 1966-2006
Thomas A. Working 2006 - present
In 1920, when the Holland American Legion Band was established, John Van Vyven was named director. Van Vyven had played in the Holland Martial Band in the 1890's, and in 1904 had organized and played in the Citizens Band of Holland - both organizations predecessors to the Holland American Legion Band. He was the likely choice to start a new band. When the Legion Band officially started performing on May 30, 1920, they had an inspiring conductor who had become identified with every band Holland had up to that point. (John Van Vyven also organized the Holland High School Band program in 1926.) On an early business card, Van Vyven listed "Director of Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church Orchestra, Holland Community Orchestra, Jamestown Community Orchestra, Instructor of Third Church Orchestra, Fourteenth Street Christian Reformed Church Orchestra, and Hamilton Band." Van Vyven also took the Legion Band on its first trips - to Kansas City in 1921, New Orleans in 1922, St. Paul in 1924, and Philadelphia in 1926. John "Dugan" Van Vyven laid the groundwork and established the path that the Holland American Legion Band would follow. He was truly the "Music Man" of his time.
The next major influence on the Legion Band was director Eugene F. Heeter. In 1928 Heeter became the first full time director of instrumental music for the Holland Public Schools. With his strong music background he set high standards for both the high school and the Legion Band. He was a major contributor to making Holland's Tulip Time Festival an annual event, and making the Legion Band a part of that annual event as well as performing at veterans hospitals, on Memorial Day, and beginning in 1936 offering an annual series of summer concerts in Kollen Park.
Everett Kisinger and Art Hills, both also Holland High School Band Directors, served many years as dedicated directors of the Legion Band, maintaining the traditions and standards that had been established by their predecessors. The tradition of having the Holland High School Band Director leading the Legion Band changed in 1966 when Henry Vander Linde - band director of Holland Christian High School - took over for his friend Art Hills.
Henry Vander Linde directed the Holland American Legion Band for 40 years, maintaining its commitment to excellence and service to the community and to the veterans organizations in the area. A man with unlimited energy and determination, "Mr. Van" was not only respected by the community, but also by the band members and his students in school. This is reflected in part by the band shell in Kollen Park being named the Henry P. Vander Linde Band Shell, and by the grant given each year in Henry's name to a deserving area high school band student (see Educational Outreach page.)
As Henry Vander Linde's health began to fail, Thom Working became the Legion Band's assistant conductor. In 2006 Thom took over full time as the director of the band. He is part of a four generation Legion Band family, with his grandfather, father, and his two sons having played in the band. Working began playing in the band when he was in high school, and was still playing in the band when he began his conducting duties. He spent 35 years as a band director in a nearby school district, and spent many years playing French horn in West Michigan symphony orchestras, as well as conducting numerous other groups and teaching part time at Grand Valley State College and Hope College. Thom Working has continued the traditions of the band, and has led the band in two extended trips. The band performed concerts and ceremonies in Normandy, France, and The Netherlands in June 2009 as part of the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, as well as in December 2011 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as part of the 70th Anniversary of the Japanese attack there in 1941.
John Tiefenthal 1927
W. J. Kline 1927-1929
Eugene F. Heeter 1929-1944
Everett Kisinger 1944-1948
James Schroet 1948-1949
Arthur C. Hills 1950-1966
Henry P. Vander Linde 1966-2006
Thomas A. Working 2006 - present
In 1920, when the Holland American Legion Band was established, John Van Vyven was named director. Van Vyven had played in the Holland Martial Band in the 1890's, and in 1904 had organized and played in the Citizens Band of Holland - both organizations predecessors to the Holland American Legion Band. He was the likely choice to start a new band. When the Legion Band officially started performing on May 30, 1920, they had an inspiring conductor who had become identified with every band Holland had up to that point. (John Van Vyven also organized the Holland High School Band program in 1926.) On an early business card, Van Vyven listed "Director of Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church Orchestra, Holland Community Orchestra, Jamestown Community Orchestra, Instructor of Third Church Orchestra, Fourteenth Street Christian Reformed Church Orchestra, and Hamilton Band." Van Vyven also took the Legion Band on its first trips - to Kansas City in 1921, New Orleans in 1922, St. Paul in 1924, and Philadelphia in 1926. John "Dugan" Van Vyven laid the groundwork and established the path that the Holland American Legion Band would follow. He was truly the "Music Man" of his time.
The next major influence on the Legion Band was director Eugene F. Heeter. In 1928 Heeter became the first full time director of instrumental music for the Holland Public Schools. With his strong music background he set high standards for both the high school and the Legion Band. He was a major contributor to making Holland's Tulip Time Festival an annual event, and making the Legion Band a part of that annual event as well as performing at veterans hospitals, on Memorial Day, and beginning in 1936 offering an annual series of summer concerts in Kollen Park.
Everett Kisinger and Art Hills, both also Holland High School Band Directors, served many years as dedicated directors of the Legion Band, maintaining the traditions and standards that had been established by their predecessors. The tradition of having the Holland High School Band Director leading the Legion Band changed in 1966 when Henry Vander Linde - band director of Holland Christian High School - took over for his friend Art Hills.
Henry Vander Linde directed the Holland American Legion Band for 40 years, maintaining its commitment to excellence and service to the community and to the veterans organizations in the area. A man with unlimited energy and determination, "Mr. Van" was not only respected by the community, but also by the band members and his students in school. This is reflected in part by the band shell in Kollen Park being named the Henry P. Vander Linde Band Shell, and by the grant given each year in Henry's name to a deserving area high school band student (see Educational Outreach page.)
As Henry Vander Linde's health began to fail, Thom Working became the Legion Band's assistant conductor. In 2006 Thom took over full time as the director of the band. He is part of a four generation Legion Band family, with his grandfather, father, and his two sons having played in the band. Working began playing in the band when he was in high school, and was still playing in the band when he began his conducting duties. He spent 35 years as a band director in a nearby school district, and spent many years playing French horn in West Michigan symphony orchestras, as well as conducting numerous other groups and teaching part time at Grand Valley State College and Hope College. Thom Working has continued the traditions of the band, and has led the band in two extended trips. The band performed concerts and ceremonies in Normandy, France, and The Netherlands in June 2009 as part of the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, as well as in December 2011 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as part of the 70th Anniversary of the Japanese attack there in 1941.