About Us
OUR CONDUCTOR
DeVere Fader was born in Caro, Michigan, 11/9/35. His family moved to the Beecher district near Flint, Michigan, where he played trumpet in the band and sang in the chorus. Some of his awards were: American Legion Award for citizenship and patriotism, VP of Boys State, class president 3 years, student council president, and editor of the year book. He was student conductor of both the band and the chorus, and he earned 32 district and state medals for music proficiency. He was the winner of the Regeants/Alumni scholarship award for Genesee County.
DeVere entered the University of Michigan (U of M) in 1954 and was awarded both Bachelors and Master degrees in music education, majoring in both vocal and instrumental music with a math minor. He was senior class president and president of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, national honorary music fraternity. He played in the famous U of M marching band for 4 years, sang in the select Michigan Singers, The Men's Glee Club, and was an All-Campus awards in wrestling, solfball, and self-defense.
Following college, he taught band, chorus, and math for 23 years in the stare of Michigan. He was district president in 3 different band associations, was founding father of the Michigan Competing Band Director's Association, and was a teacher of the year finalist. His bands at Bridgeport and Bad Axe were state marching champions 5 times. His Carson City, Bridgeport, and Bad Axe marching bands were frequent parade and field winners at the National Cherry Festival held yearly in Traverse City. In his 10-year tenure as music supervisor at Bridgeport, his marching band and auxilliary units won more than 150 first place trophies. In 1976, the Bridgeport band was rated in the top 3 music programs in the country by "Ruffles and Flourishes" magazine. In 1973, the band ws recognizedd as "Michigan Musical Ambassadors" by the stated legislature.
In 1981, DeVere moved his family to Boca Raton, Florida, where he continued to teach band, chorus, and math for 17 years. He was district president 3 times before his retirement in 1998. In 1999, he moved to Punta Gorda. He directed the North Port Concert Band for 10 years, and is now the director of the Charlotte County Concert Band, as well as plays, directs, and sings in the Sun Coast wind ensemble of Venice, and the Heartland Pops of Avon Park. He is active in church work, playing in the bell choir and the church choir of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Punta Gorda. In his spare time, he can be found on the golf course with his wife, Candace.