Join the Muncipal Band for concerts at Johnson STEAM Academy and Ellis Park this week. Dr. Steve Shanley takes to the podium for the first time this season!

The Wednesday night concert starts at 6:30 p.m. with a prelude concert featuring the young students from the Harmony School of Music. The Muni Band takes the stage at 7:30 p.m.

The Sunday night concert at Ellis Park starts at 7:30 p.m. Both Muni Band performances will be streamed live on the band’s Facebook page.

This week’s program includes:

AYO (Katahj Copley)
Revival March (John Phillip Sousa)
Selections from “Phantom of the Opera” (Andrew Lloyd Webber, arr. Warren Barker)
Napoli (Hermann Bellstedt, arranged by Donald Hunsberger) – Ft. David Lang, Euphonium
Tuted Toucan Can-Can (Erika Svanoe)
Highlights from “Brave” (arranged by Sean O’Loughlin)
The Screamer (Fred Jewell)

Selections from “Phantom of the Opera” are part of this week’s program.

Join the Municipal Band this week at Cleveland Elementary School (not the park!) on Wednesday, June 14, and at the McGrath Amphitheatre on Sunday, June 18. The Muni Band performances (which will be livestreamed on Facebook) will begin at 7:30 p.m. The New Horizons Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the Sunday night Muni Band concert.

This week, Jennifer Tiede, co-director of bands at Linn-Mar High School, will be on the podium. Bassist and vocalist Blake Shaw will be the special guest on two numbers–including one Shaw himself arranged for the Muni Band. The vocalist for the Star Spangled Banner and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication will be recent Linn-Mar grad Kyra Kanz.

Bassist, vocalist, and arranger Blake Shaw joins the band this week.

The program will include:

Declaration Overture by Claude T. Smith
Midway March by John Williams, arranged by John Moss
Moon River by Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, arranged by Michael Brown
Willow Weep For Me by Ann Ronell, arranged by Blake Shaw
Handel in the Strand by Percy Grainger, arranged by John Philip Sousa
Blue Mambo by Michael Sweeney
Radetzky March by Johann Strauss, arranged by Alfred Reed
Selection from “The Greatest Showman” arranged by Paul Murtha
Hosts of Freedom by Karl L. King

Listen to KCCK’s interview with Jennifer Tiede and Blake Shaw here.

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band kicks off a new season with a concert on Wendesday, June 7 at The History Center and a performance on Sunday, June 11 at Bever Park. The Muni Band plays at 7:30 pm on both evenings; the Sunday night performance will feature a 6:30 pm prelude concert by the Cedar Rapids Metro Youth Ensemble. The Metro Youth Ensemble is sponsored by Coe College.

Aaron Nuss, co-director of bands at Linn-Mar High School, will be on the podium for week one. Hashim Taylor, director of the CR Parks and Recreation Department, will lead the band in a performance of Karl King’s “Iowa Band Law.” Emily Brennom, a graduate of Linn-Mar High School, will sing the National Anthem and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication. Ann Bradfield, an associate professor of saxophone at the University of Northern Iowa, will be the featured soloist.

Ann Bradfield will join the band for Serenade for Alto Saxophone

Hounds of Spring by Alfred Reed
Serenade for Alto Saxophone by Frank Bencriscutto — featuring Ann Bradford
Harry’s Wondrous World by John Williams/trans. by Paul Lavender
Gladiolus by Christian Maakestad
Danzon from “Fancy Free” by Leonard Bernstein/arr. Jay Bocook
L’ Inglesina by Davide Delle Cese
Pixar Movie Magic arr. Michael Brown

Christian Maakestad, composer of Gladiolus, is a 2023 Linn-Mar High School graduate who will study composition and percussion performance at TCU.

Pixar Movie Magic features music from Toy Story, Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Cars.

All Municipal Band performances are free and open to the public. They are also livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page.

The City Band Commission will meet on Saturday, 1 April 2023 at noon in the band room at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids.

Agenda:

• Call to Order
• Minutes of Previous Meeting
• Financial Report
  • Current FY23
  • Budget Amendment FY23
  • FY24 information
• Committee Reports (as available)
  • Community Engagement
  • Compensation
  • Auditions (to be held immediately after the meeting)
  • Assets
• Old Business
• New Business
• 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.

Folks, our annual auditions happen soon! They will be on Friday evening (31 March) and Saturday daytime (1 April). The auditions consist almost entirely of sight reading. As such, the process is about 7 minutes for winds, and 14 for percussion. We have known openings for Flute and Clarinet, but we are always in need of substitute players, so auditions on all instruments are open.

Slots are on a first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee any particular time or day for an audition.

Please click here for the PDF with all relevant information!

See you there!

Registration for the 2023 Young Artist Competition is now OPEN! This competition is open to woodwind, brass, and percussion students in grades 9-12 who live or attend school in Linn County and participate in their school band program. Applicants should prepare a solo or solo excerpt 5-6 minutes long. We recommend the use of an accompanist, but this is not required.

The winner will be a featured guest soloist during one week of the CRMB 2023 season. Winner will also receive the Margaret Kegel Memorial Scholarship, worth $650. Runners-up may also be named, winning a cash prize of $250.

Eligible students may register for an audition time at tinyurl.com/yz7445mf or by contacting CRMB Conductor Steve Shanley at sshanley@coe.edu.

The complete flyer can be found by clicking here. Please share it with interested parties! Registration closes on 8 April, so don’t delay.

The City Band Commission will meet in formal session on Sunday, 29 Jan 2023, at 7 PM on the first floor of Marquis Hall at Coe College. Agenda:

• Minutes of previous meeting
• Financial Report
• Committee Reports
  • Community Engagement
  • Compensation
  • Audition
• Old Business
  • Equipment Upgrades
  • Inventory
  • Stage Manager
  • Band booster organization
• New Business
• 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.

The City Band Commission will meet in formal session on 13 November 2022 at 7 PM in Marquis Hall at Coe College. Proposed agenda:

1. Minutes of previous meeting
2. Financial reports
   • FY23 Revenue
   • FY23 Expenditures
   • Account Report
3. Old Business
   • Equipment upgrades
   • Venues
   • Inventory
4. New Business
   • Proposal for restructuring staff and Commissioners for better engagement
   • Clarification of job descriptions for on-site work at concerts.
   • Contract for management of rehearsal space at Washington HS.
   • Contract for use of Wash PPA truck to pull trailer.
   • Discussion of options regarding future use of truck.
5. Public Comments

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.

Hard to believe, but we have arrived at the end of the 2022 season. This week, join us at Noelridge Park on Wednesday, August 3 and at Bever Park on Sunday, August 7. The Muni Band takes the stage at 7:30 pm. On Sunday night, arrive early for a 6:30 pm concert by the Eastside Brass Quintet.

Both Municipal Band performances can be viewed live on the band’s Facebook page. The Sunday performance can be heard on KMRY.

The performances will feature Isabella Anderson, Young Artist Competition Runner-Up, on flute as well as Luke Sanders on guitar. We will also celebrate the amazing legacy of longtime CR music educator Luman Colton.

The Program:

• Overture to “Candide” (Leonard Bernstein, arranged by Clare Grundman)
• Fantasie (Gabriel Faure, arranged by Robert Webb)
  Isabella Anderson, Flute (Young Artist Competition Runner-Up)
• Milestone March (Frank Piersol)
  Kristi Schamberger, Conductor
• Music from “Jurassic Park” (John Williams, arr. Jay Bocook)
• Fairest of the Fair (John Philip Sousa)
• “After ‘Fairest of the Fair’” from Symphony on Themes of John Philip Sousa (Ira Hearshen)
  Myron Peterson, Conductor
• Fingerpick meets Blasmusick (Mario Parizek, arranged by Hermann Delago)
  Luke Sanders, Guitar
• Whip and Spur Galop (Thomas Allen, arr. Ray Cramer)