In this post: Community bands My first awareness of community bands came in 1964, a month after I graduated from college and struck out on my own in Allentown, PA, a long way from home. We didn’t have widespread air conditioning in those days, and certainly my furnished one room apartment above a corner grocery store on the corner of 15th and Turner probably still doesn’t, if it even exists today.
It was a hot Tuesday (I think) evening in July. I had my windows open to let the air move. I suddenly heard the sounds of music and, having nothing better to do, set out to find the source. It turned out to be the band playing in West Park, barely a block away. I’ve since discovered that the band playing there was the Allentown Band, which is the oldest civilian concert band in the United States. The band has been performing continuously since July 4, 1828 and possibly earlier. I heard them there every Tuesday evening throughout July, but was saddened to find the performances ended with July.
Forty-three years later I rediscovered the great American community band when I joined the Greenfield (MA) Military Band as a rank beginner. I’ve since added the Florence (MA) Community Band to my list of gigs and am now less rank a beginner. I can’t say enough about how much it means to me to be welcomed into such settings and having the opportunity to perform with others who, like myself, are playing only for the love of playing. In the typical community band, there is no compensation, not even for the director. Our reward comes from playing together and sharing our joy with the audience. That’s amateurism in the highest sense.
Some community bands play all year, some play in the cold season, some play in the warm season. To me, an outdoor band concert in July is the quintessential American experience, though I realize community bands are not exclusive to America nor are they even an American invention. Still, they are as much a part of America as baseball, hot dogs and the Fourth of July.
What I’m really getting at is that if you play the sax (or any other band instrument), consider joining a community band. If you just like music, consider supporting your local community band. Support is as much attending concerts (usually free) as it is chipping in a few dollars to help defray the costs of sheet music and rehearsal facilities. By doing any of these things you will be owning a little piece of America.
By keeping community bands going, we maintain opportunities for people of all ages and levels of expertise. Last week we had a young family join up in one of my bands. The father plays bass guitar, the mother plays trumpet, and the son - just finished with first grade in school - plays snare drum. How awesome is that? And you should hear the little tyke play! And what an opportunity for the little guy! Playing with others is the fastest way to improve (I know from my own experience), and to do it as a family is just plain great.
So ... this Fourth of July, why not attend a local band concert. You might even want to join up.
Later,
-- Al
