By: Caylyn Pfizenmaier
During the farmer’s market in downtown Clay Center, visitors can find the bluegrass band known as The Occasionals on the Courthouse Square. The group gathers behind local booths and plays music for shoppers and passersby alike to listen while they browse.
Lisa Seley, one of the members of the group, said the Occasionals are a loosely formed group, with casual and intermittent musical sessions.
“There has been a bluegrass group playing for many years, it’s a very loosely formed group, so there’s not really a founder per se,” she said. To my knowledge the music goes first back to Bruce Dodds.”
The group plays at many events but their main gig is at the farmer’s market. Seley says that many people have been a part of the group over the years.
“One day a few of the members showed up at the farmers market and just started playing so it just kinda grew from there,” she said. “It’s the kind of group where you can kind of just show up on the weeks that you are available,” she said. “This summer we’ve usually had between two and eight band members.”
Seley says that she decided to join the group because of her love for music.
“I like music a lot,” she said. “One of my first introductions to the group was when Bruce Dodds asked me to come to a practice down at the fairgrounds,” she said. “When I got there I found out that there were people listening to us, because of this the joke we share has always been that every performance is a practice.”
The music of bluegrass is played with many different instruments: guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Seley herself plays the guitar.
“Besides the farmer’s market we play at nursing homes,” she said. “A long time ago before I was a part of the group they used to play at the Green Cafe.”
Seley said the group is always open to having new faces and members, and current members include: Phil Bone, Perry Haddock, Dave Frigon, Eli Kimbrough, Lillie Daniels, Charles Yingling, Dean Wright, Violet Mason, Rob Edminston and Seley.
“There are several others who have played or sung with us over the years,” she said. “We’re always glad to have new people join us, we are very welcoming in that regard,” she said.
She added that those with various levels of music background would be qualified to play with the group.
“The music is actually very easy, so if someone has sort of a basic understanding of music and has an instrument that works well with bluegrass we can usually incorporate anybody who’s interested.”
