Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
AUBURN — The month of January marks the Auburn Community Concert Band’s semi-annual, open-membership period. This is an ideal opportunity for former high school and college band members to again experience the enjoyment of performing for others.
All musicians wishing to participate in the band’s upcoming summer concert performances have until Jan. 24 to join the group and start participating in weekly rehearsals.
The 46-member concert band has a particular need for alto and tenor sax players, along with percussion and drum set players who can read music. The band would also like to add members to its clarinet, French horn and tuba sections. Membership requires limited conflicts with the group’s weekly schedule of Wednesday evening rehearsals and concerts. Musicians must have their own instruments and music stands.
From January through early June, band members rehearse every Wednesday evening, from 7 to 9 p.m. at High Street Congregational Church. From mid-June through late August, the band presents weekly Wednesday evening concerts. These free, 75-minute performances take place at Festival Plaza in downtown Auburn, weather permitting. In the case of inclement weather, concerts take place indoors at Gendron Franco Center in Lewiston. A different selection of music is featured each week, appealing to audiences both young and old. The anticipated dates for the 2018 summer concert series are June 13 through Aug. 15.
This summer will mark the organization’s 37th consecutive season. Director Milt Simon formed the group in 1981 to offer musicians, who had once been members of their high school and college bands, an opportunity to continue using and improving their performance skills. Members of the ACCB currently range in age from 14 to 88, and represent some 16 central Maine towns. Membership is open to anyone knowing how to play a wind or percussion instrument.
“New members are often nervous when attending their first few rehearsals, because of the lapse of time from when they last practiced,” noted Simon. “For many, it’s been 20 or more years since they last touched their instrument. Most people regain their musical skills relatively quickly.
“It’s like riding a bicycle. Once you have learned, you never forget,” he said. “You just may be a bit out of practice.” The opportunity to perform in front of large audiences, numbering 300 to 400 people on a weekly basis, typically is quite appealing to both amateur and experienced musicians, he added.
More information about the group i
s posted on the band’s web site — www.auburncommunityband.com. Interested musicians are asked to call Simon at 207-782-3917 prior to attending their first rehearsal.
