Community Bands

[Michael Bush]

I'm in two community bands. In one I just play the tuba. For the other, I'm the board chair and fundraising guy. In my day job I'm an academic fund raiser, so naturally I got that duty for the band as well.

It's a commonplace among development officers that no one gives just because the organization has needs. People give, especially beyond their "stop and think" gift level, because they love the organization's mission. They want to know what they can do for people by giving to a cause they believe in.

As I'm working on our appeal materials for next (fiscal/program) year, it would be really interesting and helpful to me if you who play in community bands would say something about why you do it, or what community bands are good for.

I think a lot of people do it just because they love to play, and here's a chance. Are there other reasons? Special benefits to the community? Mentoring? Any insights you can offer will be appreciated!

[Carroll]

I play in a LOT of groups for money and for my own musical enrichment. I play in community band for others. I want there to be a well instrumented band for my wife to play in. She is a physician and third clarinet player. I also want my alumni who wish to continue playing to have that opportunity. I think public performance of "quality" music is important, and our community band provides that. I do not often get to play euphonium in community band, but play what the band needs (usually trombone). It is my way of giving back some of the joy music has given to me. That's why I play in community band.

[The Jackson]

My community band was actually a college band where all from the community were invited. It was technically a class, but they didn't mind walk-ins (like what I was). That band finished for the semester about a month ago.

At first, I was playing with the community band just to do some more playing. At the time, I was still in a few bands at my school and it was just for fun. After I left that high school and went into dual enrollment (only core academic classes and college courses), I stuck with the band because that was one of the only places for me to play. At this time, I also went for the people. I met a lot of great folks in that band that are my friends. I was also given the opportunity to run through a piece of mine that I wrote for a wind band. That was very nice. On one occasion, I was also involved in a for-pay service and that was very enjoyable.

[bort]

Playing music (and/or hearing live music performed) is a basic form of human entertainment. I don't think we could, or should exist without it.

How to translate that into "give us money, puh-leeeze" is NOT one of my strong points, and a mystery of life to me.

[Dan Schultz]

My wife and I founded The Old Dam Community Band http://www.olddamband.com a little over ten years ago simply because music is important to us. There were no motives other than to give folks the opportunity to get together to make music and socialize without being restricted from or confined to any political or religious views. We invite anyone who wants to play music to join us. All of our concerts are free and public.

[bort]

One of the more fun community bands I played in was originally founded as an "activity" option from the County department of Recreation and Parks. It eventually split from that (long before I came along) and became its own group.

Not the most musically challenging group, but it was fun. About 1/3 of the people were "young" (let's say 40 or under), most people were 60 or older, and there were several people pretty far up there (a few 80+ and even a 90+ year old). It was fun to play big band tunes, medleys from the 50s, etc... with people who that music actually meant something to. Nearly all of our concerts were at retirement and nursing homes in the community. Probably around 20 shows per year.

I hope I have somewhere to play my tuba with all my old guy friends when I get to that age...

[oldbandnerd]

I think you already know the main reason why most people play in the community bands . Where else are you gonna go ?

I think I am the typical band member. Started playing again in my early 40's .Hadn't played since high school. Had I known there were such a thing as a comunity band I would have continued to play after high school or at least not waited so long to start playing again.

[Michael Bush]

This is good stuff. I appreciate everyone sharing your thinking about this. Even at work, where I've been for six years and know what we do, and in my own band, I always go around talking with people about it before I start writing. People enjoy talking about it, and it's really helpful to me to get the ideas flowing. Thank you!

[pittbassdaddy]

I played through middle school, high school, and college (was principal player 4 out of my 5 years at Pitt) on school horns. Upon graduation, I pursued my career in engineering, and thought that my tuba playing was just another fond college memory.

A year and a half went by and one day in the fall, I was taking my daughter (then 4 years old) back to her mother's house, and saw a community band setting up in a local park, so I promptly called to say we would be late and stayed for the concert. My daughter absolutely loved it. I didn't...the band didnt have a tuba player. So afterwards I talked to the director and found out that it was their last concert of the season. I gave her my contact info, and joined up the following spring. After going to a few rehearsals, playing the 3/4 size Besson horn that I ebayed in college (which was ugly as sin but in "playable" condition and less than $200 shipped that had been buried in my closet for over a year), I realized that I would probably need a bigger horn to balance balance with the 30+ member band. I did some research and decided to pick up a Conn 20j (90% of the concerts are outside, so a bellfront horn was an excellent option) off of ebay and have really enjoyed it. The rehearsal following the purchase of the 20j, I was approached by an elderly clarinetist and asked if I would want to join his band across the Ohio River as well. I took him up on the offer and have enjoyed playing in both bands ever since. They dont play things as complicated as what I had in college, and typically stick to show tunes and marches. Nearly all of the music is fun, and some of the older members of the bands are "real characters". They have showed me first hand that music is an investment for a lifetime.

[DonShirer]

I started playing in a Community Band after retirement not only because I wanted to play again (after a 44 year hiatus!) but to meet others who liked music. Not only did I find a lot of kindred spirits (from high school to my age) but I soon had made enough contacts to perform and arrange for several other bands.

It sure beats sitting around the house doing crossword puzzles and pulling weeds in the garden!

[tofu]

I think most join Community Bands to keep playing after college or to get back to playing. What you get out of it and why you stay ends up being a lot more than just about the music.

For me joining just out of college and still in it almost three decades later it has meant many things. When I joined we had maybe a couple dozen of the greatest generation who had been in WWII. To see their committment, dedication and quiet leadership in the band was inspirational to a young player. We used to do three parades on the 4th of July and these guys would do them all. On time, in step, ram rod straight, uniform perfect with shined shoes and no complaining about the 95 degree heat and humidity to match that the twenty somethings were moaning about. I learned a lot from those guys. My hero was the WWII vet who spent 60+ years in the band and supported the group in every way possible. He was a butcher by trade who hung his sousaphone in his shop and while not a rich guy, among many things he did for the group was he endowed a scholarship fund that at this point allows the band to hand out about twenty scholarships of $200 each to one student picked by their band director from each of the schools in the area every summer. He supplied the food to many a band picnic/trip/reception. Best part of many a concert was his brats at the after party. A man of few words who never raised his voice or bragged about what he had done for the group or the community in general. He just quietly got things done and listened even to newbies in the group. When one such newbie (me) shortly after joining, had way too many suggestions of why things should be done differently he asked if I'd like to be on the board and made it happen. I learned a lot about life from those old guys, who have all passed on, but always remember them fondly throughout the summer weekly concerts in the park. Our 151st season we stand on the shoulders of all those selflessly dedicated souls who have gone before us.

[dentaltuba]

Great comments.Wonderful to hear from people who love music.If we had more music(good music,sorry I'm old) would be less violence and discord in world.I play(after 40 yrs) for the joy.Live in small town with veeeeery limited opportunities driving 30 miles to play with community college band but still enjoy being on the back row again.JDS

[Michael Bush]

That's the truth, dentaltuba. I think some folks here could moonlight as development writers! Very good stuff.

[1895King]

I have been playing since spring 1961. I majored in music in college (music Education) but I never taught. After 6 months in the Army, I went back to college and picked up a second major in American History. I have never stopped playing. I moved from Hays, KS to Denver in March 1979; within 3 months I had joined the Denver Concert Band. I played with them until I moved to Great Falls, MT in December 1981. I joined the Community Band here within a month. That summer I was invited to join the Great Falls Municipal Band. I have been a member ever since.
The community band folded in 1984 and did not resume until the mid 90's.
In the interregnum the Supervisor of Music for the local School District organized a Statewide group which meets once or twice a year for a festival type weekend. We have players from all over the State of Montana and we play challenging music.
About 10 years ago, the director of the Fort Benton, MT community band invited some of us from the Municipal Band to come out and assist their group. I am now the sole tuba player in that group.
Around the same time the Prairie Mountain Players of Choteau, MT volunteered to play at the annual show put on by the local tractor and engine club. I took my horn and am now a member of that group too. Last year I was all ready to play and discovered that I had neglected to take a mouthpiece with me.
I thoroughly enjoy playing in these groups and I have made many good friends through all of them.

[Rev Rob]

Since getting my tuba and practicing with it, I have been asked to play in the Alte Kamarade Community Band of Red Lodge, Montana. They play challenging music of the 19th and early 20th century brass band repertoire. We play a lot in Cody at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center events, playing the show tunes played at Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. We have been playing brass band music from the golden age of Company/Community sponsored bands of Butte and Anaconda. This is some very challenging march music. Red Lodge is an old coal mining community with a Finnish heritage and we play at the Festival of Nations a collection of Finnish, Italian, and German music.

All the musicians are volunteers and they have quite a collection of good brass band music. But we do get hired out to play gigs, whether it be in Cody Wyoming or Butte Montana. The money we receive goes into music and other band related expenses.

If there is an entrepreneurial member of your community band - see what community or organizations are willing to pay for live band music whatever the genre. Get the music, practice, perform and get paid for it.

[Rick Denney]

I am in a similar position with the Loudoun Symphonic Winds. Our mission is simply stated: "We bring satisfying musical experiences to our members and our audiences."

Nothing flowery or related to making the world safe for democracy. Nothing religious, or utopian. We just play music, as much for ourselves as for anyone else.

In keeping with that mission, we do not have auditions, and we do not require admission (except at fund-raising concerts advertised as such). We do, however, instruct our music director to challenge us musically. Therefore, we play challenging music, and we play it at tempo. That does encourage some folks to find other avenues. And we've had some excellent musicians move on because they wanted to be a principal, and we don't have principals (we have section leaders that are administrative only). Thus, we are free of the "heroes" that sometimes make other groups unsatisfying or even humiliating for those of sub-hero skills. We do have some pro-quality musicians, and we also have hobbyists who struggle. Our performances are full of mistakes, but they are also full of energy and enthusiasm, and the people who come listen to us enjoy themselves. Very occasionally, we play in a combined concert with other community bands, and for some reason, we get more audience response, even though I know our musicians are no better than theirs on any absolute scale.

It is a modest mission, and one that does not require huge funding levels. We therefore do not seek funding that would impose requirements on us that are inconsistent with our mission. Many non-profits are too eager to be whatever a large donor wants them to be. In our group, though, we avoid going where our members don't want to go, as measured by the limits of what they are able to commit to in the context of their lives. I personally avoid groups where the officers spend time trying to persuade the members to do more than they want to do. That may keep us from growing, but that strategy has sustained us for many years, even through these bad times. I would be happy if our group is just like it is 20 years from now.

On a personal note, I know that if I show up to rehearsal stressed out and grumpy, I will leave relaxed and happy. If our audiences share at least some of that transformation, we'll keep going.

Rick "culture is the result of many small satisfying experiences, not a few grand ones" Denney

[Chriss2760]

The performance of live music is becoming more rare all the time. Instruments like tubas, trumpets, saxes, clarinets, trombones, violins, cellos, violas, (ok, I understand about violas,) are simply played in public less and less. The reasons for it are many: Schools are stressed for funding and respond by focussing on core skills, performance groups at every level are stressed for funding and saddled with the burden of meeting the demands of collective bargaining, and the simple matter of computers being so prevalent now.
Insert, true story: A gal that was our 1st chair violin in college went on to be a pro musician working in So. Cal. This was in the early '80's. Over the years she found herself traveling out of the area more and more to find work. Up to S.F., over to Vegas. Eventually Chicago, New York, Texas. In the last few years she's had to go to Japan and Europe to maintain the income she used to get within a couple of hours of L.A. The future for professional musicians isn't bright.All of the community involvement people used to have is and has been in decline since we all started spending so much time in front of a monitor and keyboard. Churches, community choirs, bowling leagues, Lion's club, Rotary, Elks, Masons, PTA, Boy/Girl Scouts, none of these groups is seeing the level of participation that they had 15 or 20 years ago. And I believe this is because its so easy for us all, myself included, for sure, to spend time here rather than getting involved. We in the U.S. are becoming less connected to our communities and our neighbors. We're becoming isolated within our neighborhoods, a society of mouse-potatoes.
Ok. Rant over. I love playing my horns. I thoroughly enjoy the people in my band and the different personalities they bring. I hope my daughter, (a a fine tuba player,) has these opportunites in the future, but I don't think she probably will.

[bearphonium]

I played in high school and college, then went about 25 years with no playing. I joined a New Horizons band, and have subsequently joined another community concert band, a community marching band, and a tuba ensemble. I get a great deal of pleasure from playing, and like another poster, can arrive at rehearsal grumpy, sad, irritated and leave in a much better frame of mind. I feel much happier since returning to playing, and have made some amazing friends playing music.

Two of the bands are dues supported, one is dues/donor, and one is routinely payed for gigs and has nominal dues.

Ally"the trombone/french horn player with a euphonium name who plays the tuba"House

[tubaknut]

My reason for playing in a community band is to experience the tremendous pleasure of giving the band, and the audience deep and emotional musical experiences. Being able to create music with other people, is a gift I'm very glad to hold.

For the last few years I've started to get involved with the board of the band, and getting to influence the decisions we make and where we're going is also quite rewarding, but I often think that just playing would be the best thing for me. I'd rather play with many different bands, and focus solely on the playing, than having to take care of other members,information, marketing and every other aspect of running a community band.

Knut, the tuba playing composoductor, with a few responsibilities besides performing in the band.

[sloan]

I played in high school and college, always using school-owned sousaphones (and, of course, always in BBb). When college ended, I didn't have a tuba, couldn't really afford one (well, maybe I could have) and didn't have any place to play. It never occurred to me that there might be such a thing as a "community band". Band was associated with school - otherwise, if you weren't paid to play, you didn't. I was (I think) a competent player - but no one was going to pay me to play and I wasn't planning on getting a degree in music). I put in a few appearances with the old college band on special occasions - and I even flirted with playing in the marching band when I went to grad school, a few years later - but somehow it just wasn't the same.

My wife was slightly more ambitious - she plays the flute and is very, very good. During college, she rode the bus for an hour each way to take private lessons. After college, she continued with the private lessons, spent her summer vacation going to "flute camp"...and seriously considered going to grad school for a performance degree, in case the Biology stuff didn't work out.

25 years later, she was a professor of anatomy and I was a professor of computer science, and our oldest son was performing in his first middle-school band performance. Light bulbs went off over both of our heads (I think her light bulb went off a year before...) I remember sitting in the audience thinking "I used to enjoy being UP THERE. Why am I DOWN HERE?". So, I wrote a check. I bought a tuba, and all (repeat: ALL) the method books/etude books/whatever recommended by one and all (I still have them all, somewhere) and started on page one, line one. By all accounts, it was pretty painful, for quite some time.

In 5 months I was (I thought) ready to play in the "July 4th all-comers band". When I walked in, I was pounced on by someone who recruited me for another "all-comers" community band that met year round. In the meantime, my wife had found yet another (much better - invitation only) community band. And...we were up and running. Buying a tuba will make you a LOT of friends...

12 years later, we both play in a total of 3 (or 4, or 5, depending on how you count) community bands. Travel plans often revolve around performances and rehearsals. It's very hard to imagine life without 6-10 "band" events each month. She has joined the "all-comers" band, and I finally managed to wangle an invitation to play in the "invitation only" band.

In the interim, it's not exactly as if there was no music in our lives - I've always had a piano handy, and my wife never went more than a year or two without getting out the flute and getting back up to speed again. But - we had no *performance* or *social* outlet. It's playing for other people that makes the difference. And - make no mistake - at a community band rehearsal you are "playing for other people". We average about 6-8 rehearsals for every performance - for us, the community band experience is really about the rehearsals.

When we started, the community bands were mostly populated by local band directors and retired folk (retired musicians, and retired "just about everything"). Nowadays, we push hard to involve the younger crowd - those who (like us 40 years ago) have left college and no longer have a college marching band, or wind ensemble, or even orchestra, to play with.

Many college bands are made up of "non-music-majors". The music majors may fill most of the seats in the primo ensembles - but there are other bands where most of the players are not music majors. Community bands serve the same purpose, later in life. It's a place for non-paid musicians to rehearse and perform - not because of the envelope handed out at the end of the session, but simply to enjoy making music TOGETHER.

And, of course, to buy toys. In school, I played whatever BBb Sousaphone was issued to me by the band director. Now, I have an alarming array of interesting instruments - each with it's own history and it's own ecological niche. I haven't "mastered" any of them - but they all have a place: BBb, EEb, tuba, helicon, tiny, huge...and the middle of the road instrument that I bring when it's really important for me to play my best (i.e., when I'm in "professional" mode). I don't (yet) own a Sousaphone, though. When I play in the Skating Band, I think it's best if I borrow a horn....

The folk who do the hard work to organize community bands and make it all happen tell many different stories about why they do it. One band may be aimed at a particular event (July 4th before/during the fireworks); others aim at community service (tour local retirement homes during the Christmas season); others pretend that they are semi-commercial enterprises, arranging "paid" gigs where the musicians might get gas-money. But, the truth is that it's all about the rehearsals. The *worst* "community band" experiences I have had involve bands that bring in paid ringers to fill out the instrumentation and make sure that those difficult parts get covered. I have all-but dropped out of one band that typically has 10 people for rehearsal and 30 people for a performance (and tries to play full wind band arrangements). Performances have to be "as good as we can do" - but in the community band world any choice between good rehearsals and good performances is (in my opinion) heavily weighted towards the rehearsals. That's where the "community" is.