Sorry, but couldn’t get the rain to stop early enough. We’ll see you Sunday at Bever!

The band’s Wednesday night concert will be preceded by a performance by the Cedar Rapids Youth Flute Ensemble at 6:30 p.m. at the McGrath Amphitheatre. The Muni Band will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. in Bever Park. All performances will be streamed live on Facebook.

This week features our Young Artist Competition winner Emma Bennett performing Artie Shaw’s jazzy Concerto for Clarinet. Also, because the Force is strong with conductor Steve Shanley, the band will perform Suite from the Star Wars Epic, Part 1.

PROGRAM:
llumination (David Maslanka)
The Waltzing Cat (Leroy Anderson) Orchestral Version Referenced:
Concerto for Four Horns and Orchestra Mvt. III (Carl Heinrich Hübler, arr. Susan & Trevor Denyer)
Liberty Bell (John Philip Sousa)
Shepherd’s Hey (Percy Grainger)
Concerto for Clarinet (Artie Shaw, arr. Ted Parson)
Pas Redouble (Camille Saint-Saëns, trans. Arthur Frackenpohl)
Suite from the Star Wars Epic, Part 1 (John Williams, arr. Robert W. Smith)
Galop (Amilcare Ponchielli, arr. Larry Daehn)

This week, join the Municipal Band at Johnson STEAM Academy on Wednesday, June 12, or Ellis Park on Sunday, June 16 (or both!).

On Wednesday, the New Horizons Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Muni Band at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The concerts will also be livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page: facebook.com/crmuniband.

The Muni Band will feature Josh Duffee on drum set honoring the 100th birthday of Louie Bellson. Young Artist Competition runner-up Jace Whitham will perform on alto saxophone. And kids of all ages will feel like superheroes as the band play music from The Incredibles.

Eric Liang from Linn-Mar High School will sing the National Anthem and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication with the band.

Program:

Wedding Dance (Jacques Press, arr. Herbert Johnston)

Pequeña Czarda (Pedro Iturralde, arr. Roger Niese)
Jace Whitham, Alto Saxophone, CRMB Young Artist Competition Runner-Up

Music from “The Incredibles” (Michael Giacchino, arr. Jay Bocook)

Salute to American Jazz (arr. Sammy Nestico)
Josh Duffee, Drum Set

Entry March of the Boyars (Johan Halvorsen, arranged by Clifford Barnes)

Blue Goose Rag (Raymond Birch, arranged by Timothy Broege)

Thundering Drums (Louie Bellson)
Josh Duffee, Drum Set

Storming of El Caney (Russell Alexander, arranged by Andrew Glover)

In 2024, all Muni Band concerts and prelude concerts will be streamed live on Facebook.

To find our livestream:
1. Go to our page just before 7:30 pm on Wed. or Sun.
(facebook.com/crmuniband)

2. If you haven’t already, “like” our page to make it more likely you will receive notifications when we go live.

3. This season, we will also livestream prelude concerts. To see those, go to our page just before 6:30 pm.

4. Remember: The livestreams are only viewable live. They do not remain up after the performances.

5. You can help more people find the Muni Band livestreams by the link above or by sharing the livestream itself during a performance.

Catch the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at IBA!

Iowa Band Director Friends: Going to IBA this year? Please join us for this year’s headline concert, presented at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, evening, May 9, by the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band.

Enjoy complimentary beer, soda, and snacks while you hear one of the nation’s finest community bands (featuring many of your band director colleagues) perform some classics (“Overture to ‘Candide'” and Jager’s “Esprit de Corps”), newer works from Michele Fernandez and Lisa DeSpain, and the Grade VI transcription of the original “Star Wars (Main Title).”

The concert will also feature UNI trumpet professor, Randy Grabowski, on Rachmaninoff’s beautiful “Vocalise,” as well as a live audience vote to determine one of the selections. Don’t miss it!

Will you be able to resist requesting Freebird?

Frank Piersol conducted the CR Municipal Band from 1971 to 1993. He came to us as an internationally known band leader and was the perfect choice to continue the good work of his predecessor, Roland Moehlmann.

In addition to being a conductor, he was also a composer. During the 1980s, he composed a series of marches. One, the Celebration March, was composed to celebrate the band’s 50th season. Sadly, recordings of these marches were not readily available…until today! With the kind permission of his estate, the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band recorded all of Frank’s marches, and they are now available on YouTube, including a delightful performance of Pavilion March by the Cedar Rapids Metro Youth Wind Ensemble (our special guests that day!).

These are the only reference recordings available right now, so please share the links and spread the word. Frank’s work deserves to be heard!

Click here to see all CRMB videos on YouTube!

The City Band Commission will meet at 5:15 PM in the band room at Washington High School (2205 Forest Drive) on Friday, 22 March 2024. This will be followed by auditions.

Agenda includes:

• Minutes of Previous Meeting
• Financial Reports
  • Explanation of reporting changes as necessary
  • FY24 to date
  • FY24 proposed budget amendment
• Committee Reports
  • Community Engagement
  • Compensation Committee
  • Audition Committee
  • Assets Committee
• Old Business
  • Equipment Upgrades
    • Staircase for bandshell
  • CRMB performance at 2024 IBA conference
• New Business
  • none
• Public Comment

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a City program, service, or activity, should contact the Municipal Band Business Manager at 319-431-9649 or email business AT crmuniband.org as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the event.

Cedar Rapids Municipal Band Auditions 2024

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band, a professional concert band that presents 18 free outdoor concerts every summer in Cedar Rapids metro area sites, will be holding its annual auditions on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 in the band room at Cedar Rapids Washington High School at 2205 Forest Drive SE.

Openings are known for: Tuba, Percussion

Other instrument openings are possible. Substitute musician opportunities are possible on ALL concert instruments, especially Bassoon, so we encourage qualified musicians to audition.

A typical concert week consists of a Monday evening rehearsal (7:20-9:45 PM) and concerts on Wednesday and Sunday evenings (7:30-8:30 PM). Band members are expected to commit to at least five weeks per summer. Substitute musicians are hired on a full-week basis. All musicians are paid.

We encourage all qualified musicians to apply. Visit  tinyurl.com/CRMB-Auditions  or scan the QR code to submit an audition request. You will be asked to indicate all of the following:

• The name of the person auditioning
• The musician’s e-mail address
• The musician’s phone number
• The instrument(s) the musician will play
• Desired date(s) for audition

In addition, a musical resume should be attached as a PDF to the audition request form or presented in person on the day of auditions. If you have conflicts with both audition dates but would still like to audition for the band, please indicate that on the request form.

Audition times will be assigned and communicated with applicants by Monday, March 18.

Audition Dates and Times:

• Friday, March 22       beginning at 6:00 PM
• Saturday, March 23   beginning at 1:30 PM 

Musicians will be evaluated primarily on sight-reading ability, but all are welcome to play an excerpt of one’s own choice (not to exceed 60 seconds) to warm up and get comfortable. The passage may be from a solo, etude, or piece of band music.

More information about the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band and the 2024 concert schedule can be found at crmuniband.org.

Registration for the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band Young Artist Competition 2024 is now open!

The competition is open to any woodwind, brass, or percussion student in grades 9 through 12 who lives in Linn County or participates in a school band program in Linn County.  Auditions will take place at Cedar Rapids Washington High School on Wednesday, April 17 (conveniently timed after IHSMA Solo/Small Ensemble Festival), between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Applicants should prepare a solo or solo excerpt approximately 5-6 minutes in length. Use of an accompanist is highly
recommended but not required. Audition pieces do not need to have a published band accompaniment.

The winning student will be selected by a large panel including local music professionals, CRMB members, and CRMB commission members. The winner of the competition will be the featured guest soloist during one week of the summer season and receive a $650 cash award.  Please note that runners-up may be named and have an opportunity to receive a cash prize ($250) and perform with the band, as well.

CRMB conductor Steve Shanley will consult with the winning student to select an appropriate piece with band accompaniment, or will arrange a band accompaniment for his or her solo.

Students should fill out this form to reserve an audition time: Young Artist Competition Registration

Deadline for registration is Friday, 5 April 2024. Share this post with anyone interested and post this flier: CRMB YAC Flier