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Last
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by R.G. Brooks
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Last
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by R.G. Brooks |
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Across America there are hundreds of local community bands of volunteer musicians making music year 'round. Connecticut is no exception. You will find Concert Bands, Civic Orchestras, Wind Bands, Big Bands, Wind Ensembles, Brass Bands, etc. It is a sort of hidden movement that does not get enough attention and credit for its presence in our culture. Otherwise ordinary folks are enriching their own lives while providing free and enthusiastic entertainment to their neighbors. We sometimes just take for granted the band that seemingly appears out of nowhere for a Veterans' Day celebration or a weekend patriotic concert at a gazebo in the town square. These are not professional groups, although the groups are usually paid nominally for performances. They charge to defray expenses that do add up: sheet music, specialized equipment and transportation. The musicians are usually volunteers, playing for the enjoyment and the personal growth and challenge that a community band provides. The Sousa marches, the pop arrangements, the classical pieces, the specialty music is virtually kept alive by these types of groups. Of course the professional groups such as The Boston Pops, the Dallas Wind Symphony, and the Military Bands from the Marine Band on down are the role models for the community bands. However the massive number of free public concerts that take place yearly must expose far greater numbers of people nationwide to this type of stirring music. Just because typical band musicians are volunteers does not mean they are not expert. Skill varies from just-getting-the-hang-of-it to breathtaking virtuoso. Some few groups require auditions, but in the typical band there is an automatic filter at play. Folks who can not learn to play the music seldom participate for long. It takes commitment of time for rehearsals and concerts. Many professional musicians participate in these groups as a side interest to their careers, just as the men and women bankers, teachers, insurance agents, retirees, and many others. The directors, conductors and organizers of these bands, volunteers as well, deserve an extra tip of the hat for being able to coordinate and schedule these concert locations and dates on top of selecting, preparing and rehearsing the musical selections. This list has grown, and continues to change, so check back from time to time. We hope it can be a starting point to find some great concert band marches, jazz, or classical music near your town, or want to find a band in Connecticut in which you can participate as a musician. |
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Sponsors!
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Point 'n Click Connecticut: ( Point to see the name. ~ Click to see the listing. ) |
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Community Bands
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2008 dates to be announced.
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Visit the website: http://www.berkshirebigband.com/
2008 Dates are posted on their website!
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 Branford
Town BandThe Branford Town Band was founded in 1949, and consists of volunteer musicians from the greater Branford area who play at town functions, area nursing homes, and patriotic activities. The band plays under the auspices of the Selectmen's Celebration Fund. The repertoire runs the gamut of operatic excerpts, classics and light classics, medleys, folk tunes, current popular tunes, polkas and marches. Are you a musician in the Greater New Haven area who’s looking for a group to play with? The Branford Town Band may be the group you’ve been looking for!! The band is always looking for new members and all of rehearsals and most performances occur on Wednesday nights. If you’re interested call (203) 481-9575 or email KDAG4(a)aol.com, Kathy D'Agostino, Director, for further information. www.geocities.com/branfordtownband ----Look back at the 2005 concerts! , 2006 concerts! , 2007 concerts!
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2008 Dates:
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You can find information about this group and other Hartt School programs with this link:
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The Cheshire group which plays seasonally from February through July, September and October, has talented members and a fine repertoire. They play for Cheshire town functions (Strawberry Festival in June, town concert in July, sometimes Memorial Day, sometimes Fall Fireworks Festival) and for nursing homes and retirement communities, usually in June and July. NOTE: 2008 season recruiting for a new Conductor! Previous conductor has started grad school, and has resigned. Inquire about position and stipend with Jan Rosadini: 203-679-0625 or sgtmom621(a)juno.com Rehearsals are
Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 at Dodd Middle School in
Cheshire. for further information, contact person is Jan Rosadini:
sgtmom621(a)juno.com Cheshire Community Band- 2008 Dates:
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 Cheshire
Symphony Orchestra
Cheshire Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra under the baton
of maestro Richard
Brooks, who has been Music Director and Conductor with the group since
1987. CSO has been in existence for over 25 years. It
is all volunteer except for the cnductor. The group consists of doctors,
teachers, scientists, researchers and some high school students. The goal
is to play music that is challenging and rewarding. Tpically we perform
three concerts a year in the community.
2008 Concerts:
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Look back at 2006 Concerts! 2008 season soon:
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Community Choruses also abound in Connecticut. |
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Bagpipe Bands are in the same tradition of community music, and deserve
our support. Connecicut Firefighters
Pipes and Drums - Newtown, CT |
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Fife & Drum Corps sometimes fit our community group model. Some are focused on replicating historical details, and others are more on the cuting edge of competition. As a starting point, see this page for The
Ancient Mariners Fife & Drum
Corps |
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Our neighbors to the North are
also rich with bands: |
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Association of Concert Bands: http://www.acbands.org/ BandMusic USA : BandMusic
USA is the American Band Directory, a resource for amateur American
musicians wishing to share their musical talents with their community.
Open Directory Project is a massive directry,
hand selected by editors, helpful in finding quality web sites for most
anything, including bands. You could search here for more listings or
musical resources. A good place to start would be one of the following
categories: New England listings: |
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 (c) 2003 |
Keep
Community Music Rolling Along! If you feel inclined to donate to help keep Connecticut Community Bands site going, you can donate here! Thanks ! If your band and board of directors feels that our site has helped your band develop, or helped the community at large, you might consider becoming a SPONSOR! This is greatly needed, and would be appreciated more than you know! See this sponsor page for details: |
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| This basic information was compiled in September,
2003 ~~~ Latest update >>> Last updates: March 17, 2008 Please send additions, corrections and tall tales to: rgb(a)rightgood.com Other R
G B
Connecticut sites: |
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Click
Here for a recent band photo!
Wednesday May
2 Capitol Winds- 7:30PM-This concert is FREE and open
to the Public, and will be held at the Lincoln Theater on the campus of
the University of Hartford. 
Community
Band and Orchestra Contact Info ( & c-m list): Ron Boerger
has been mainaining wonderful reference lists for community bands for
years and years and years. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his
dedication to the music and keeping a community organized. You will find
U.S. and foreign bands, contact information access through his pages.
If you haven't tried the discussion group style c-m list, you are missing
something interesting. Band leaders, musicians, experts and ordinary players
put in their opinions and help on finding lost scores, ideas about band
funding, how to record CDs, how to deal with strugling players, advice
to youth on choosing an instrument, etc. You can even have it e-mailed
to you if you like it that way.