Join the Band

Today's New York Times had a neat little article about the Bath Municipal Band, based in Maine:

Another summer evening, another village green, another sustaining gig for the Bath Municipal Band. Its members step onto the portable stage and use clasps and clothespins to keep their sheets of musical exuberance from taking flight. They live for this.

The article reminds me, of course, about the Kanawha Valley Community Band, of which jedi jawa and I are a part. Particularly, the music selection: "Liberty Bell March?" Played it. "Armed Forces Salute?" You betcha. "Beer Barrel Polka?" Polka your eyes out, boyo.

But what really ties together the Bath Municipal Band, KVCB, and all the others like them throughout the land - constant change underlined by long-term continuity:

The Bath Municipal Band also maintains the time-honored tradition of flux within the ranks. Gifted musicians move into town to steal the limelight from lesser players, who leave in a huff. Old-timers who are comfortable with playing the music of, say, R. B. Hall, the pride of Maine, chafe at an Andrew Lloyd Webber medley. A woman takes over as director, unheard of a generation ago, and let’s just say some are more comfortable with her than others. People grow old or fall ill; the steps to the stage get steeper.

But the band continues, its music a life force. A trombone player lost part of a lung to cancer; he played for another year and a half. A trumpet player developed respiratory problems; an oxygen tank joined the band, giving him the breath to blow. A clarinetist slipped slowly into dementia; unable to play, unable to remember the names of loved ones; still, she often sat in the audience, singing the words to every song.

They’re gone now, but their band continues.

Indeed. Time to go drag the clarinet out and get ready to get back at it!