Municipal Bands...

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:35 pm

iiipopes wrote:The UK has brass bands.
The USA has community concert bands.

Yes, and the UK has symphonic/wind bands and the US has brass bands, too! FWIW, I like the brass band literature a lot more than the concert band stuff. The tuba parts are usually pretty interesting.

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:48 pm

Try googling "Iowa Band Law". Karl King even wrote a march about it. When they tried to repeal the law back around 1928 my uncle helped form the Iowa bandmasters association.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:24 am

There is a difference between a municipal band and a community band. When I was growing up, both Long Beach and San Diego had wonderful municipal bands. These were professional, full-time groups that worked all year long. These have given way to community bands, which are made up of volunteers, some of whom are charged dues to become a member.

The Long Beach Municipal Band is still around today, under the direction of Larry Curtis, but only gives concerts during the summer. If someone knows what happened with the San Diego City-County Band, I would love to know.

tofu · Post by **tofu** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:10 pm

LoyalTubist wrote:There is a difference between a municipal band and a community band. When I was growing up, both Long Beach and San Diego had wonderful municipal bands. These were professional, full-time groups that worked all year long. These have given way to community bands, which are made up of volunteers, some of whom are charged dues to become a member.

The Long Beach Municipal Band is still around today, under the direction of Larry Curtis, but only gives concerts during the summer. If someone knows what happened with the San Diego City-County Band, I would love to know.

Well we are a Municipal Band, it is even stated so in our name - Naperville Municipal Band - have been since 1929, we are paid, we play all year long - BUT - everybody has a full time job or is retired. While some are retired musicians and a majority are music educators many like myself are doctors, bankers, lawyers etc. If you are claiming that to be a municipal band that this is the full time job of the players then I have to disagree.

chipster55 · Post by **chipster55** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:58 pm

I play in the Southlake (TX) Community Band, about 70 members (5 Tubas, 4 Euphs). We are supported in part by the city of Southlake, pay our director, but the players do not pay dues and are not paid. We play several concerts every year, including the annual Christmas tree lighting and July 4th fireworks concerts in the town square.

http://www.southlakeband.com

Philip Jensen · Post by **Philip Jensen** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:13 am

Steve, when do you play? We play on Thursday night I believe.

We have to beg for money from the city. We've slowly been accumulating percussion. This has been, almost exclusively through band member donations. Our gong, chimes, marimba, bass drum, all largely through a single donor providing ~75% and the rest of us make up the rest. Our newest purchase, just two weeks ago, just in time for our last concert was a vibraphone- used on Blue Shades by Tichelli. We will play this again for the ACB convention.

We also of late have been getting a grant from the PA rural arts agency ($600-800), typically to bring in a soloist, often from one of the DC military bands. Last year we brought in James Markey, the Asst, principal trombone of the NY Phil.!!! That was great! (compared to the local symphony - paid players - whose "big" soloist are almost always local - very good though - yet we still get looked down upon as second rate... harumph!)

I'm pushing for trying to each year have a different Asst. principal from the NY Phil. to come play with us (we couldn't afford the pricipals). Kind of like the sister city thing.

This year our grant is going towards an offical, all royalties paid, etc. CD which we can then sell to the public to raise some $$$$ (more likely $)

scottw · Post by **scottw** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:50 pm

Kinda coat tailing this thread: Has anyone participated in this community band event? http://www.lakegeorgecommunityband.com/ ... tival.html
We got the news last night that one of the bands I play with has accepted an invitation to play for the festival this coming July. Anything I should know about it? Thanks in advance!
Scottw

J.Harris · Post by **J.Harris** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:59 pm

I performed with the St. Joseph Municipal Band (St. Joseph, MI) this previous summer. The band is supported by the City of St. Joseph. Pay is union scale for AFM members and somewhat less for non-members. We have one two hour rehearsal on Thursday evening and then two one-hour concerts on Sunday throughout the entire summer(14 weeks). The band shell is on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. We almost always had full attendence. A good time w/a very good group of musicians.

Kenton · Post by **Kenton** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:34 pm

Philip Jensen wrote:
We have to beg for money from the city.

Phillip don't complain too much! You are fortunate to live in State College where you have the university to help support the band with finances, personnel, and interest.

You ought to try it out here in the hinterlands! I live a couple hours West of you, and our community bands really struggle.

I was raised in Iowa and have played with the Burlington Municipal Band. They only play in the summer, but they do a good job.

I don't think that the Iowa Band Law, which was something on the order of encouraging municipalities to put a line item in the budget for the band and then making it difficult to remove the that line item from the charter afterwards.

Course bands played a different and much expanded role at that time and a good band was seen as a necessary part of making the town's reputation.

Iowa's musical heritage continues to benefit from the support.

Pennsylvania's heritage - at least in many regions - is very different. It was based on the mine bands, which were a diversion and attraction encouraged by the mine owners. I believe they were generally brass bands. But, it seems like public sector support was not typical, and as the mining society changed and 'disbanded' so did their bands.

Pennsylvania community bands really struggle for continued existance.

Contratulations on being selected for the Williamsport gig. I may see you there.

tofu · Post by **tofu** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:46 am

IowegianStar wrote:
WilliamVance wrote:This is the kinda bandshell I want. It would really bring in an audience! It looks Hollywood Bowl-ish on a smaller scale...
Just because the architecture of these things is fascinating... this bandshell was noted in a "Best of Iowa Architecture" listing not too long ago:

Grandview Park Bandshell. Built in 1930 with funds from the Civil Works Administration during the depression. The Monahan Post Band and later the Sioux City Municipal Band performed there as well as many other bands, including those who come for the annual Saturday in the Park celebration. Designed by local architect Henry L. Kamphoefner. It is located in Grandview Park

Yes these old band shells are very interesting. We have played in several other groups band shells and it seems that most didn't really cover much of the band. Our old shell covered the entire band. Three years ago we replaced that with a twist on the old band shell concept because we wanted a year round rehearsal space.

What we ended up with is a facility that has an airplane hanger door that during the summer raises up and out for concerts. The band remains fully covered. During inclement weather we rehearse with the door down. For performances the door raises when we start our traditional opening fanfare. When it's hot & sticky out you get spoiled with the air conditioning on because when the door goes up the air goes off and the hot air rushes in.

The outside of the door (which is huge) has a mural of the band's history since 1859. We also have a second rehearsal space in the basement along with dressing & storage rooms which is nice because I keep a horn down there and ride my bicycle and change at the performance center for concerts. Pictures of old & new can be found at:

http://www.napervilleband.org/page9.html

Philip Jensen · Post by **Philip Jensen** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:19 am

Kenton wrote: You are fortunate to live in State College where you have the university to help support the band with finances, personnel, and interest.

No money from the University, but maybe half of our Band members do work here on Campus so I suppose we are supported through our personal salaries. None of the School of Music faculty play in the group although they have come in as solists in the past.

Having the University here does attract a lot of retirees to the area, so that helps with our concert attendance. The big benefit we DO get is access to the School of Music's Library. Our conductor is Emeritus faculty (former Blue Band director). Blue Shades is on loan from them, and yes we have a phenomal 1st clarinetist, actually we've got at least 6 VERY good clarinetist - (conductor is a clarinetist).

We also have been able to get last minute subs from students in the School of Music. We had a Grad. student percussionist for our last concert as one of our regulars had to have emergency surgery the day of our dress rehearsal, one day before the concert.