The birth of a Community Band!

[AndyL]

Speaking of "informal", I should have directed you to the Scottville Clown Band's website:

http://www.scottvilleclownband.org/history.asp

Click the "photos" link, scroll down, and you'll see one of the bands regular sousaphone players wearing a pink tutu and a C-clamp for an earring. Yes, that is his regular costume.....and he plays a pretty, vintage King sousaphone.

In the largest turnout of sousaphones/tuba for a performance to date, the band fielded 10 sousaphones and 1 tuba for a concert.

[lgb&dtuba]

Now that's entertainment

Here's to another 100 years.

[TubaRay]

I think the tutu, and other interesting attire, is going a bit farther than I am willing to go without being appropriately compensated(money, and quite a bit of it). I consider the lederhosen I wear to be pretty far down the line toward going too far. Most often I am at least being paid when I wear the lederhosen. I'm thinking the number would be pretty high for me to wear the getup that is displayed on the website you linked.

[Rick F]

One successful community band conductor told me anything appearing "highbrow" turns audiences off.

I can sure agree with that statement. We had our last two concerts of the season (with guest conductor, Cdr. Allen Beck). We played "Finale - New World Symphony" (Dvorak) and "Chester" (Schuman). The crowd just gave us a polite applause (and I thought we did a pretty good job). The piece they really liked was, "What A Wonderful World", with alto sax solo.

Our last two concerts were sold out because they were supposed to be with guest conductor Maestro Loras Schissel—who had to cancel several engagements due to illness. We were very fortunate in obtaining Cdr. Allen Beck (retired U.S. Navy Band) to step in. It was a real treat playing under Cdr Beck's lead!

[AndyL]

I think the tutu, and other interesting attire, is going a bit farther than I am willing to go without being appropriately compensated...............the number would be pretty high for me to wear the getup that is displayed on the website you linked.

I'll concede that it's difficult to form an accurate impression of a band from a couple photos on a website.

For a more complete presentation, I can refer you to the 128 page hardcover book on the band and it's history "The Big Noise from Scottville; A Pictorial Look at the Famous Scottville Clown Band" (author Jean Stickney), which includes decades of newpaper photos, feature article clippings, and reminiscences of members.

Otherwise, a documentary on the band has begun production....but it may be quite awhile before the DVD is available for sale.

[trseaman]

***Update***

We played our first show Monday night at the city gazebo! We battled a slight breeze that seemed to swirl from all directions but everything went real well... The last song was America the Beautiful and everyone seemed pleased with our performance! We'll be taking a couple months off but the director has promised that we will continue sometime in the fall... I'm so jazzed!

Tim

[iiipopes]

Congrats on your first concert, done in the best of American traditions -- outdoors in a gazebo, as all community bands should do.

Here's to many more! (but for Sean's dictum, many gratuitous beer and other beverage pics would follow)