Sailor shells out top honours

PO2 Alliszon Zaichkowski toots her conch shell during the annual Key West Conch Shell Blowing Contest Saturday, March 7 in Florida. She won top honours by impressing the judges with excerpts from several melodies including composer Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Photo by Rob O’Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau/HO

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

On the grounds of the Old Island Restoration Foundation of Key West, Florida, Petty Officer Second Class Alliszon Zaichkowski held a dusty pink conch shell to her lips and blew a melodic note.

The Naden Band French horn musician entered this year’s 58th annual Conch Honk contest, using her favourite shell nicknamed ‘Conky’. While others simply bellowed a loud single note, she played a horn solo from Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. When the last note resounded, the crowd erupted with cheers and thunderous applause.

She had sealed the women’s division title, defeating over 12 competitors.

“My intention going into the contest was to blow people’s minds and I definitely think I achieved that. They’d never seen anything like it,” said PO2 Zaichkowski.

Judges based their decision on the loudness, length, and quality of the sound; novelty and originality were also taken into consideration.

“There was actually a lot of practice and showmanship involved in this win. I was on stage performing for seven minutes. Most competitors didn’t play entire songs. Instead, they mostly just tried see how loud they could blow their shells for 30 seconds or so; so my performance was a really was big deal and people really reacted to it.”

Former bandmate Sgt Matthew Rowsell, a trombone player for the Central Band of the CAF in Ottawa, travelled with her to Florida. He assisted her during Bohemian Rhapsody playing a couple other shells to harmonize with her. The sound technician at the competition played a pre-recorded backing track of Bohemian Rhapsody through the sound system, which PO2 Alliszon recorded with some fellow Naden Band mates to help her cement the victory.

She entered the competition as a tribute to her late father Ron Facey, who turned her on to the conch competition several years ago. He knew she would take the competition to a whole new level as people were struggling to make sounds on the shells.

“My father died almost a year ago and I’ve been trying to make it to this competition since he told me about it, but hadn’t yet. This year felt like the right time to go. I just wish he could have seen me and the response it generated across America,” said PO2 Zaichkowski.

At home, she has a collection 20 conch shells, with the size and shape of each shell capable of a different pitch and tone across the musical spectrum. ‘Conky’ was a shell she bought at a beachside tourist shop in White Rock, B.C.

Her greatest hit is perfecting Neil Young’s classic rock hit After the Gold Rush. Last Thursday, she and pianist PO2 Olivier Neron-Bilodeau collaborated on the song for a short video. Her hope is to play it on her shell someday for Neil Young.

Listen to PO2 Alliszon Zaichkowski playing a conch shell rendition of Neil Young – “After the Goldrush” here: www.facebook.com/LookoutNewspaperNavyNews/videos/1169546806810705/

—