CONDUCTOR 1948-1993
Carl Landrum founded the Quincy Park Band in 1948 to present public band concerts in the park on Sunday afternoons. He managed and directed the band for 45 years.
After graduating from Quincy College and serving in the army he taught in Ursa and in Lewistown, Missouri before becoming band director at Quincy’s Notre Dame and Christian Brother’s High Schools until 1967. He operated Landrum’s Music Store from 1969 to 1990. He also served as Secretary of Local 265 of the American Federation of Musicians, a position he held for 51 years. Carl was active in the local Civil War Centennial Celebrations in 1961-1965 and wrote many articles for the Quincy Herald Whig. This sparked his interest in local history and he was asked to write weekly columns concerning the history of Quincy and Adams County for the newspaper for the next three decades.
A renowned local historian and author, he published 11 books about Quincy’s history, the first being Quincy in the Civil War published in 1966. In later years due to deteriorating eyesight, his wife Shirley assisted. Carl was only able to complete the manuscript for his History of Music in Quincy and Adams County to the year 1960. So with the help of local musicians and friends, Shirley was able to complete the book and it was published in 2010. Carl received a number of awards for his work in both the music and history fields including the Quincy Exchange Club’s 1997 Golden Deeds Award, and the Illinois State Historical Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
CONDUCTOR 1993-2013
Pam Potter, a native of Quincy and member of the Park Band since 1958, directed the band from 1993 to 2013. She was named Conductor Emeritus having been the conductor for twenty years and associate conductor for eight years prior. She is a graduate of Notre Dame High School and Quincy University and did graduate work at the University of Iowa, where she was a clarinetist in the University Symphony Band that experienced a three month State Department sponsored concert tour of Europe and the Soviet Union in 1966.
A music educator for 47 years, Pam was director of bands at Quincy Notre Dame High School and Parochial Music Organization for 34 years, retiring in 2011. She also has taught band at Mendon, Pleasant Plains, Camp Point Central & Payson. She served two terms as President of the National Catholic Band Association. In 2004 she received the Studs Terkel Humanities Award from the Illinois Humanities Council and in 2011 was the first recipient of the national Association of Concert Bands “Outstanding Conductor Award”. She also conducted the award winning Mississippi River Brass Band, and was guest conductor for the New England Region Sousa National Honors Band in 2009 in Harvard, Massachusetts; and in 2014 in Gotham, Maine. Pam is on the Board of Directors of the John Philip Sousa Foundation and a past board member of the Association of Concert Bands. In addition to ACB and NCBA she is a member of the National Band Association and the Women Band Directors International. She continues to be actively involved in music teaching, conducting and performing.
CONDUCTOR 2014-2022
Keith Wiemelt, was a member of the Park Band trumpet section for 27 years and during that time also served as property manager and vice-president of the band board. He was named director in 2014.
His teaching career included band at Mark Twain High School, Nauvoo-Colussa School District, Quincy Notre Dame High School, and Fine Arts Specialist at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. Keith was also the technology instructor at QND and was the PMO (Parochial Music Organization) band director.
He assisted Park District personnel in setting up the showmobile when he was a high school student. He was an Eagle Scout, a Cub Scout leader and Scoutmaster for Pack 22 in Quincy. He was a founding member of the 12th Street Brass Quintet. He played in the Heidelberg German Band for 20 years, and played in the Big River Swing Machine, Arts Quincy’s Band on the Bus, Great River Honor Flight Band and Muddy River Opera Company orchestra.
Keith was an extremely talented and loving individual who was always ready to help, and always wore a smile. The Park Band and the entire community continues to mourn the loss of Keith, who lost his life in a fatal car crash on July 18, 2022. Keith was the third conductor since the founding of the Park Band in 1948.
CONDUCTOR 2024-
John Hume was named Park Band conductor in 2024. He has been involved in music education for over 25 years and is currently teaching instrumental music in the Ralls County, MO R-2 School District, Mr. Hume directs the High School, Middle School, and beginning bands. He is a graduate of Clark County R-1 High School in Kahoka, MO, received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Culver-Stockton College, and continued with graduate study in both trumpet performance and conducting at the University of Central Missouri.
John is an active performer playing trumpet with several groups in the Tri-State area, including the Quincy Park Band, the Quincy Concert Band, the Big River Swing Machine Big Band, the Quincy Community Theatre, the 12th Street Brass Quintet, and the Not Ever Ready For Prime Time Players in Hannibal. He also plays cornet with the Quincy Salvation Army Brass Band, and the Salvation Army Midland Divisional Brass Band in St. Louis. He holds membership in the National Association for Music Education, the Missouri Music Educators Association, the Missouri Bandmasters Association, and the Missouri Association of Jazz Educators.
Mr. Hume resides in Hannibal and is a proud father of his daughter Emily. When not in school, on the golf course, or on the water in his kayak, you will find him at Quincy University football and basketball games cheering on Emily who is a member of the QU cheerleading team.
