Madison Community Band celebrates 10th anniversary

Published 6:02 am Tuesday, August 21, 2018

MADISON COMMUNITY BAND

News release

RICHMOND — The Madison Community Band, based in Richmond, is preparing to kick off its 2018–19 season while observing the band’s 10th anniversary.

Email newsletter signup

The Madison Community Band is a member of the Association of Concert Bands and first met in the fall of 2009. The band has grown to feature an average of 60-plus volunteer musicians who live in Madison, Boyle, Garrard, Mercer, Lincoln and surrounding central and southeastern Kentucky counties.

Since its inaugural season, the band has performed nearly 50 concerts, including two appearances at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville and the International Town & Gown Association’s 2012 annual conference at Eastern Kentucky University. Perhaps most notable is that the band has played more than 280 pieces of music since its first concert, said Dr. John Stroube, founding and current music director for the band.

More than 50 members of the community band and its friends recently gathered at Central Bank Richmond’s Community Room on Thursday, Aug. 17, to celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary and to unveil a celebratory logo designed by longtime supporter, FMB Advertising of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Stroube said the 10th anniversary logo will be used throughout the upcoming season in hopes of recruiting new members, and attracting new audience members.

Stroube said it will be featured at the band’s concerts throughout 2018–19 and on various marketing materials, including printed concert programs, its website and its Facebook (www.facebook.com/MadisonCommunityBand) and Twitter (@MadisonBandKY) social media accounts.

The band’s members include high-school and college-aged students, music educators and school teachers from various grade levels, business people, college and university administrators, physicians, homemakers and retirees, said Stroube.

“Our youngest musicians are teenagers and our oldest members are at or approaching 80 years of age, with the bulk of the band’s makeup in between,” Stroube added. “It’s a wonderful blend of ages and talents that always result in well-executed performances.”

There are no auditions to join, although it is expected that participants have a certain level of musical ability. For high school students wishing to join, a recommendation from their band director is requested, but not required.

“Musicians come at us from various backgrounds, and one purpose of the band is to offer a comfortable, rewarding musical experience. Nobody is perfect, which is why we have rehearsals,” said Stroube with a smile.

Madison Community Band board Vice President Marc Whitt, a founding member who has played all previous seasons on trumpet, mentioned that the band’s first concert for the 2018–19 season will be presented at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Richmond First Baptist Church, as detailed on the band’s website. The remaining 10th Anniversary season will include concerts on Dec. 15, Feb. 16 and April 13, also at First Baptist at 7 pm.

Rehearsals resume Sunday, Aug. 26, at 7 pm. Persons wishing to learn more about Madison Community Band membership or to receive information about concerts, may use the “Contact Us” link at madisoncommunityband.org, or to follow and “like” the band on Facebook.

“We just want to share the joy of live concert music with volunteer musicians and those who come to hear us play,” Stroube said.