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Gainesville Community Band: The Sound of Music
The Gainesville Community Band“We have people from all walks of life who come together to enjoy playing music,” said Bill Dishman, trumpeter and GCB president. “The band is an outlet for people to continue their musical endeavors after their associations with school and college bands have ended.” Dishman and his wife, Karen, a guidance counselor at Buchholz High School, are among several married couples who have played in the band for many years.
The band has been part of Gainesville’s cultural scene since it was founded by 11 members in 1974. Former directors include Richard Frye, Richard Lewison, Richard Hord and Richard Dickson. “We have a rich tradition and partnership with the city as well as the local school district,” said Gerald Poe, DMA, who assumed the baton in 2003. Poe served as director of bands at the University of Florida, University of Colorado, University of Oregon and the University of Portland. While teaching in Alachua County public schools, Poe’s jazz and concert bands were judged among the best in the state.
The School Board of Alachua County provides rehearsal space and equipment at no cost, and a partnership with Santa Fe College allows the band to perform at the Center for the Performing Arts. Two concerts feature both middle and high school band programs. “Giving concerts with the schools allows the audience a chance to hear quality music from all age groups, and it gives the students a chance to realize that they have a place to continue their musical experiences after they graduate,” Poe said.
Claudia Brill, GCB secretary, got hooked on the band while playing the piccolo duringthird grade in Illinois. She switched to the flute in fifth grade. “Being in a band correlates with athletic team sportsmanship. We are all individuals yet part of the larger group – part of something much bigger. Taking up an instrument in school is something you can continue for the rest of your life.”
“GCB is my psychotherapy for the week. We are like one big family,” said Susan Spain, treasurer, who plays clarinet. “We have so much fun and play some really good music.”
The GCB presents seven family-friendly, free concerts beginning each September and ending with the Fanfares and Fireworks show in July in association with WUFT-FM and the City of Gainesville. The season kicks off with the ‘Dr. Charles E. Dean Memorial Concert,’ a combined performance with a middle school band. A founding member, Dean played trumpet for 18 years. At this concert, a new trumpet, sponsored by Hoggtowne Music, is presented to a middle school student. “I feel it’s very important for the local music stores to give back to the Gainesville area with the goal of continuing music education, and this award allows us to do so in a very positive way,” owner Joe Dorsey said.
In November, the band presents the ‘Captain James B. King Veterans Day Memorial Concert’, which pays tribute to King, a member for 26 years. King was principal clarinet and assistant conductor of the Marine Band in Washington, D.C. for 20 years. Great Southern Music’s owner Tom Llinas donates a clarinet and private lessons to a middle school clarinetist. “We want to contribute to the musical experience of young band students and the enrichment of the band community here in Gainesville through this annual event,” Llians said.
For more information about becoming a
member of the Gainesville Community Band,
visit www.gnvband.org, or contact Dr. Poe
at (352) 472-7224. A schedule of events is
available online