In Concert:
Community Music Groups Working Together
A Newsletter of Southwestern Pennsylvania Band Partners
Fall 2005
Volume 1 Issue 1  		Printable Version in PDF Format
Inside This Issue:
Southwestern PA Band Partners | Community Bands | Combined Calendar | Funding Opportunities |
Association of Concert Bands | Contact Us | Other Information
Southwestern PA Band Partners SWPA BP LOGO

  In 2002 members of 4 community bands in the Pittsburgh area (East Winds Symphonic Band, Community Band South, North Suburban Symphonic Band, and West Hills Symphonic Band) got together to discuss having the Three Rivers Community Band Festival. As the bands continued their collaboration over time, some members of the festival committee wanted to expand beyond these four bands and form a community band network to connect community bands in the region.
  A first step toward this was the creation of a combined calendar of events of bands in the region initially hosted by the East Winds Symphonic band at http://www.ewsb.org/calendar.html. From there we have formed Southwestern PA Band Partners (http://swpabandpartners.pghfree.net ) and this newsletter (“In Concert: Community Music Groups Working Together”).
  The goals of Southwestern Pennsylvania Band Partners (SWPABP) is to promote community instrumental music in the southwestern Pennsylvania region (Armstrong, Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Indiana, Washington, Westmoreland Counties). We want to be a resource for the musical groups and their musicians and the general public. We would like to promote and facilitate joint ventures between groups.
  The website will maintain the calendar of events as well as a list of links of bands in the area, granting agencies, and other links that may be useful to the groups and musicians. It is our hope that this newsletter and will enable groups to share ideas.
  Each upcoming newsletter will highlight the history of a regional band. We also hope to have articles about concert series and music history and just about anything else that a community band or musician may find interesting. Anyone is able to contribute to the newsletter. Please email newsletter@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net with your articles.
  This newsletter may also be a place for surveys of musicians and bands. We want this newsletter to grow over time and are always looking for suggestions.
  In our initial efforts in forming this group, we looked for bands online and through word of mouth.  Many were sent emails based on contact information that was found, although some of this was probably out of date. If we missed you we are sorry. Please contact us or if anyone knows of groups in the area that are not listed on the website—please pass their information along to us.
Feel free to print and distribute this newsletter to other musicians or point them to it online!
Southwestern PA Community Bands (As of October 14, 2005) 
For complete listing see the online directory

Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh
http://www.aeolianwinds.com/
Laurel Kuxhaus, Coordinator
info@aeolianwinds.com
412.681.3768

Allegheny Brass Band
http://www.alleghenybrassband.com/
Paul Gerlach, Conductor 
pg1x@andrew.cmu.edu 

Armstrong Concert Band
http://www.geocities.com/armconband
Dennis F. Cramer - Music Director

Blairsville Community Concert Band  
http://www.trimtree.com/family_f/BCCB.html
Warren C. Dosch, Conductor 
710 Kauffman Rd. Indiana, Pa. 15701
dosch4sure@acninc.net  
724-349-1598

Community Band South
http://cbs.pghfree.net/
Jim Bennett, Co-Director
Dean Streator, Co-Director
streator@adelphia.net 
412.833.6110

Delmont Concert Band
Lois Snyder, Director              
54 Sierra Dr Pittsburgh PA 15239
724-327-3954

East Winds Symphonic Band
http://www.ewsb.org
Susan Sands, Conductor
info@ewsb.org

Edgewood Symphony
http://www.edgewoodsymphony.org
Walter Morales, Music Director:
Corinne S. Kraft, President and Contact 
corie@adelphia.net
412-823-6605

Greater Monogahela Area Community Band
Rich Pantaleo, Conductor
724-258-7941 or 724-348-7154
 Harmony-Zelienople Community Band
111 American School Rd.  Harmony, PA  16037
Susan L. VanArsdale
suevanars@zoominternet.net
724-368-8798

Jeannette Community Band  
http://www.jcbweb.com/
PO box 597, Jeannette, PA  15644
Mr. Carl Masciantonio, Conductor
Mr. Ron Stemple, Conductor
Mrs. Maria Brecht, Conductor
Sherrie Wood, Secretary 
swood@gt-systems.com
724-744-0773

The Musicians Concert Band
http://www.tmcband.com/
P.O. Box 74, Connoquenessing, PA  16027-0074
Jeff Kroner, Director/Conductor
JKroner@Zoominternet.net
724-234-2202
Lew Kroner, Associate Conductor

North Suburban Symphonic Band
http://www.nssband.org/
Carl T. Iezzi, Conductor
nssband@yahoo.com

Post 47 Veterans of Foreign Wars  Band of Uniontown
Frank Ricco, Director      
Pete Porrecca, Commander
724-437-2687 or 724-437-2251 (VFW)

Scottdale Concert Band
http://www.scottdaleband.com
A. Warren Shirer, Conductor
Jay Copenhaver, Contact person
trptman@gmail.com
724-887-4425

Tri County Band
John W. McCreight
jwmcc@hotmail.com
724.263.2599

West Hills Symphonic Band
http://www.whsb.org/
Tony DiIanni, Conductor
Tony Banks, President
trb@access995.com 
Karen Koszak, Business Secretary
potato45@hotmail.com

To be added to the online directory, send email to  newsletter@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net
Combined Calendar (As of October 14, 2005  for Fall 2005)
For the entire calendar visit the online calendar

October 2005:

Sat, 15
 7:30pm
 Edgewood Symphony Orchestra East Allegheny High School
Sun, 16
 3pm      Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh
 Sanctuary Concert Series, First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh
Sun, 16
 4pm
 Delmont Concert Band
 Fort Ligonier Days, Ligonier
Sat, 22
 8pm
 Allegheny Brass Band Ingomar Methodist Church
Sat, 22
 7:30pm
 Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra
 Upper St Clair High School
Sun, 23
 2pm
 Delmont Concert Band Arts & Apple Festival, Shields Farm, Delmont
Sat, 29
 8m
 East Winds Symphonic Band Rodef Shalom Congregation, Shadyside
Sat, 29
 7pm
 North Pittsburgh Philharmonic
 North Hills Jr. High School Auditorium
Sun, 30
 7:30pm
 North Suburban Symphonic Band
 Ross Elementary School, North Hills

November 2005:

Sun, 6
 7:30pm
 Jeannette Community Band Jeannette American Legion
Mon, 7
 7:00pm
 Blairsville Community Concert Band
 Blairsville High School Auditorium
Sun, 13
 2pm
 Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh Carnegie Library, Oakland
Tue, 15
 7:30pm
 Greater Monongahela Area Community Band
 Finley Middle School Auditorium, Finleyville
Sun, 27
 3:00pm
 Armstrong Concert Band
 Worthington West Franklin Civic Center, Worthington, PA

December 2005:

Sat, 3 8pm
 Edgewood Symphony Orchestra First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood
Sun, 4
 7:30pm
 Allegheny Brass Band Christ Church at Grove Farm
Sun, 4
 6pm
 Delmont Concert Band Faith Methodist Church, Delmont
Sun, 4
 4pm
 The Musicians Concert Band
 Miller Auditorium, Slippery Rock University
Thu, 8
 7pm
 Delmont Concert Band Redstone Highlands, North Huntington
Fri, 9
 7:30pm
 Delmont Concert Band Women's Club, Linton Middle School, Penn Hills
Sat, 10
 3pm
 East Winds Symphonic Band Carnegie Library, Homestead
Sat, 10
 4pm
 Community Band South St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Brookline
Sat, 10
 7pm
 North Pittsburgh Philharmonic North Hills Jr. High School Auditorium
Sun, 11
 6pm
 Delmont Concert Band Faith Methodist Church, Delmont
Thu, 15?
 7pm
 Delmont Concert Band Redstone Highlands, Greensburg
Sat, 17
 7pm
 Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra
 Upper St Clair High School
Sun, 18
 3pm
 North Suburban Symphonic Band Ross Elementary School, North Hills
Sun, 18
 7:30pm
 Jeannette Community Band Jeannette American Legion

Cultural Funding Opportunities for the Arts
Several area agencies offer grants to community based arts groups. Below is some contact information some of the groups. Additional funding opportunities can be found on  the links page of the website. This will be continually updated as we become aware of other opportunities. The Pennsylvania Council on the arts has regranting partners that can be found for groups of counties from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts website.

Association of Concert Bands
     The Association of Concert Bands (ACB) (http://www.acbands.org) is a national organization dedicated to encouraging and fostering adult community, municipal and civic bands. They publish a National Band Directory as well as an ACB Membership Directory.  In addition to these, they have other resources available at their website; including the Band Builders Manual that has information on creating and funding bands.
     It is a group where membership has its privileges.  They have several different types of memberships—individual, family, life, organizational, and corporate.  There are two types of organizational memberships.  One is the basic membership, and the other comes with the BMI/ASCAP Blanket licensing agreement.  The latter keeps community bands legal with performance fees.  All types of memberships come with a subscription to ADVANCE magazine, voting privileges, and participation in the annual convention and  convention band.  There are other privileges as well depending on the membership level.  The ADVANCE is published three times a year. It includes articles about community bands from across the country; festivals, concerts, band camps, reviews of music and CDs and other topics that would be of interest to a community band musician.
     The 2006 Annual Convention is being held “close to home” in Williamsport.  This is a national , annual event that moves around the country. At the convention members from all walks of life  gather share experiences and views on music. There are seminars on various topics of musical interest from music history to health problems that affect musicians to discussions of pieces of music.  There are concerts from various community bands as well as the convention band that is open to all ACB members.  This group is conducted by a well-known conductor brought in for the occasion.  The 2006 convention will be held May 3-7 at the Genetti Hotel and The Scottish Rite Concert Hall.  The host band is the Repasz Band of Williamsport (http://www.lycoming.org/repaszband).  More information about the convention can be found at the Association of Concert Band’s web site.
Contacting Us:

Southwestern Pennsylvania Band Partners is dedicated to helping community music groups in the southwestern Pennsylvania Region. 
Please visit us online at the address below to learn more or become involved.
    http://swpabandpartners.pghfree.net
Regional Bands with websites (for updated list vist the links page)

Aeolian Winds http://www.aeolianwinds.com/
Allegheny Brass Band http://www.alleghenybrassband.com/
Armstrong Concert Band http://www.geocities.com/armconband
Blairsville Community Concert Band http://www.trimtree.com/family_f/BCCB.html
Butler County Symphony
 http://www.butlerarts.org/symphony/
Community Band South http://cbs.pghfree.net/
East Winds Symphonic Bandhttp://www.ewsb.org/
Edgewood Symphony http://www.edgewoodsymphony.org
Harrisville Community Band http://www.harrisvilleband.com/
Jeannette Community Band http://www.jcbweb.com/
Kiski Valley Community Band http://welcome.to/kvcb
Kittanning Firemen's Band http://www.kfband.com/
Musicians Concert Band http://www.tmcband.com/default.htm
North Pittsburgh Philharmonic http://www.northpghphilharmonic.org/
North Suburban Symphonic Band http://www.nssband.org/
Ohio Valley Community Band http://www.geocities.com/ovcband
Pine Creek Community Band http://www.pinecreekband.com/
Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra http://www.artsnet.org/pco/
Resurrection Band http://www.boro.zelienople.pa.us/band.htm
Scottdale Concert Band http://www.scottdaleband.com/
Washington Symphonic Orchestra http://www.washsym.org/
West Hills Symphonic Band http://www.whsb.org/
Westmoreland Symphonic Winds http://www.wswinds.org/

Contributing to the newsletter
Everyone is welcome to contribute an article to the newsletter.  The topic is up to you—something you think your fellow musicians would be interested in. Just email your article to:
newsletter@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net

For additions to the website email:
info@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net
In the next newsletter
In our next newsletter due out in early January you will find:
Editors
Sarah McElfresh,  East Winds Symphonic Band
Scott McElfresh, East Winds Symphonic Band
Kathy Wikowski, Allegheny Brass Band,  North Suburban Symphonic Band
October 17, 2005