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John MacFadden, 70, remembers the day he fell in love with the sound of drum and bugle.
It was 1968, and his father had taken him to see a drum corps championship in Kitchener, Ont. That’s when he saw London’s band take the stage.
“They were awesome,” MacFadden told CBC’s Afternoon Drive. “And of course that had my favourite colours – white, gold and purple. So after they were done, I went down and met some of the people and said hey, I want to join your band.”
It was a passion that stuck with him, and has now landed him a spot in the International Bugler’s Hall of Fame. The Petrolia man will be travelling to New York this weekend for his induction, where he says he’s bound to run into at least a few old friends.
This year also happens to include a posthumous induction of Chuck Mangione, an American flugelhorn player and trumpeter that MacFadden says he looked up to.
“It’s surreal, to be quite honest with you,” MacFadden said. “In a roundabout way, it makes me glad I never got inducted any years before. Because how cool is it to be going in the same class as Chuck?”
MacFadden says he’s excited to be inducted along with the late musician Chuck Mangione. (Matt Allen/CBC)
MacFadden has dedicated years of his life to playing a number of horned instruments and teaching ensembles. But when he was suddenly diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease called spinocerebellar ataxia, he realized his skills could also be a part of his health journey.
The disease, he said, affects the cerebellum. That’s the part of the brain that regulates balance, fine motor movements and muscle control. With no known cure, MacFadden said he’s using music as a way to create new neural pathways.
“I got back to writing music and arranging music,” he said. “Some days I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast, but I can pick up my horn and play something from 70 or 50 years ago, just like [the music] was in front of me.”
MacFaddan’s induction into the Bugler’s Hall of Fame takes place Saturday in Corning, N.Y.
LISTEN | Bugler inducted into international hall of fame:
Afternoon Drive7:27Bugler inducted into international hall of fame
John MacFadden, a bugler from Petrolia, is being inducted into the Bugler’s Hall of Fame. He shares his story and talent with Afternoon Drive.