Concert Calendar for the new season

Here is the Milwaukee Community Music Group concert season calendar as I have been able to assemble it.  If I missed some concerts. please drop an email and I will update the calendar.  Thanks for the help.

September

• ·        30 at 3 PM, Kettle Moraine Symphony at the Kettle Moraine High School

October

• ·        13 at 7PM, Concord Chamber Orchestra at St. Sebastian Church
• ·        20 at 7:30, Menominee Falls Symphony at Hamilton Fine Arts Center
• ·        20 at 7:30, Lakeshore Symphonic Band at Cedarburg Performing Arts Center
• ·        27 at 7:30, Milwaukee Festival Brass at St. John’s Lutheran Church
• ·        28 at 3PM, Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band at Wisconsin Lutheran College

November

• ·        4 at 2PM, Milwaukee Concert band at Oak Creek Community Center
• ·        9 at 7:30, Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University
• ·        11 at 3PM, Kettle Moraine Symphony at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School
• ·        16 at 7:30, Greenfield Concert Band at Greenfield Performing Arts Center

December

• ·        1 at 7PM, Concord Chamber Orchestra at the Basilica of St. Josephat
• ·        8 at 7:30, Menominee Falls Symphony at Hamilton Fine Arts Center
• ·        9 at 2PM, Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band at Southridge Shopping Center
• ·        9 at 3PM, Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University
• ·        9 at 6PM, Lakeshore Symphonic Band at Holy Hill

January

·        27 at 2PM, Concord Chamber Orchestra at North Shore Congregational Church

February

·        15 at 7PM, Greenfield Concert band at Greenfield Performing Arts Center

·        16 at 6:30, Menominee Falls Symphony at the Silver Spring Country Club

·        16 at TBA, Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University

·        24 at 3PM, Kettle Moraine Symphony at Stinger High School

March

• ·        3 at 2PM, Milwaukee Concert Band at the Oak Creek Community Center
• ·        17 at 2PM, Lakeshore Symphonic Band at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center
• ·        23 at 7PM, Concord Chamber Orchestra at St. Sebastian Church
• ·        24 at 3PM, Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band at Wisconsin Lutheran College

April

• ·        13 at 7:30, Menominee Falls Symphony at Hamilton Fine Arts Center

May

• ·        3 at 7:30, Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University
• ·        5 at 2PM, Milwaukee Concert band at Oak Creek Community Center
• ·        5 at 3PM, Kettle Moraine Symphony at Holy Hill
• ·        11 at 7PM, Concord Chamber Orchestra at St. Sebastian Church
• ·        11 at 7:30, Lakeshore Symphonic Band at Cedarburg Performing Arts Center
• ·        17 at 7PM, Greenfield Concert Band at AMP at Konkel Park
• ·        27 at 4PM, Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band at Milwaukee County War Memorial

A new season has begun

I apologize for not posting each week during the summer.  Sometimes other responsibilities take precedence.  As a result, I will be posting news every couple of weeks instead of every week. 

The first post of the season lists the different community music groups in the area.  If you are a musician, and you would like to play, there are groups at all talent levels that would love to have you play with them.  If you know of other groups, drop me an email and I will add them to the list.  I've organized the list by the day of the week that they rehearse.

Sunday: The Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band is under the direction of Karen Lippert. They welcome all players regardless of ability and play traditional concert band music. You can check their web site for more information.

Monday: The Menomonee Falls Symphony, under the direction of Mike Kamenski, rehearses on Monday evenings in Sussex at Hamilton High School. An audition is required.   You can get more information on the concerts, and on joining the orchestra, from their web site.

Tuesday: The Wauwatosa Community Band, under the direction of Donna Kummer, rehearses at Longfellow Middle School. Tosa Band performs as a symphonic band and also as Tosa Jazz, so folks who like both genres of music may find a good fit with this group. See their web site for more information.

Tuesday: For the folks in the western suburbs, the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band also rehearses on Tuesday. The group's Conductor Laureate, Rick Kirby, has also composed music for some of the concerts. Their web site also has more information.

Tuesday: The Milwaukee Festival Brass, the only British style Brass Band in the area, rehearses on Tuesday as well. This group is unique in that they have an apprentice program for high school students. All the details are on their site.

Wednesday:  The Concord Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Jamin Hoffman, rehearses at Nicolet High School and requires an audition.  See their web site for information.

Wednesday: The Milwaukee American Legion Band is a traditional, patriotic-style community band. They are directed by Mike Van Pelt. Their site has information on their history, which is extensive, and on becoming a member.

Wednesday: The Lakeshore Symphonic Band serves the north shore and Ozaukee County communities, performing their concerts at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center. Click here for their information.

Thursday: The Milwaukee Concert Band is another group with a long history, having been sponsored at one time by the Civic Music Association. See their web site for more information.

Thursday:  The Greenfield Concert Band is relatively new, having been in existence for only a few years.  They rehearse at Greenfield High School and do require an audition in order to place new members into the sections.  See their web site for information.

Thursday: The Greendale Village Band welcomes members of all playing abilities. They are a part of the School System in the Village of Greendale, and you can get more information from their web page.

And if I missed information on your group, send me an email and I'll be sure to post it.  Thanks.

Racine Concert Band summer nights at the zoo

The Racine Concert Band continues its series of summer concerts at the Racine Zoo on Sunday evenings.  The July concerts will begin at 7:30.  The August concerts will begin at 7 due to the earlier setting sun.  Here's a quick summary of the upcoming concerts.

• July 22 featuring guest conductor Don Young with Beth Kapralian on flute, 7:30.  As an added treat, Don Rosen will narrate The Pied Piper of Hamlin.
• July 29 featuring baritone Greg Berg with Jacob Cole on xylophone, 7:30
• August 5 featuring former Miss Wisconsin Jeanie Hatfield with Jack Niccolai, Eric Pelky, and Graham Westley on trumpets at 7:00
• August 12 featuring tenor Edson Melendez with Adam Maegaard, Esther Wilson, Katie Matteson, and Natalie Bakken on french horns at 7:00

And this year the Racine Concert Band continues their Summer Sweepstakes Spectacular.  Enter the Racine Concert Band Quiz at each concert and be entered for special prizes from these businesses:

• Toppers Pizza
• Bucket's Pub
• Salute Italian Restaurant
• Javier's Cuisine
• Wells Brothers Restaurant
• The Ivanhoe
• Infusino's
• Jose's Blue Sombrero
• The Yardarm
• Buona Vita Pizza

All entries (correct or not) are entered into drawings for wonderful prizes from these great places.  The grand prize this year is a Fitbit smart fitness watch from Best Buy.  The drawings will be held after every piece of music at the August 12 concert.  Be sure to attend all of the concerts to maximize your changes in the Summer Sweepstakes Spectacular!

Summer concerts by the Concord Chamber Orchestra

The Concord Chamber Orchestra will be playing three free concerts this summer.  The CCO performs a nice mix of light classics and show / movie music, as well as some patriotic tunes...perfect for a summer afternoon or evening.  Bring lawn chairs, some snacks and beverages, and enjoy a wonderful respite from the busy summer schedule.

The CCO performs their first concert in New Berlin at the Library Green on Wednesday July 25th beginning at 6:30.

The CCO next appears in Glendale as a part of Brass Bell's Sundays in the Park series at the Maslowski Community Park on Bender Road.  The concert begins at 2 PM.

Finally, the concert series winds up in Franklin at the Lions Park off of Loomis Road on Sunday August 5 at 2 PM. 

Don't miss the CCO this summer.  Lots of options all over the Milwaukee area!

Special summer concert by the Milwaukee Festival Brass

The Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform as a part of the Live at the Peck Pavilion series at the Marcus Center.  Specifically, their concert begins at 2 PM on Sunday July 22.  The seating area is covered for those extremely sunny summer days (and rainy ones, too).  Come out and enjoy the sound of MFB for the summer.

The River Edge Patio will be open for refreshments.  And best of all, the concert is free.

For more information, see the Live at the Peck Pavilion web page.

After a short absence

We return after a short absence for things like work.

The summer concerts are in full swing now.  beginning on July 1, the Racine Concert Band begins another season of Summer Sunday Evenings at the Racine Zoo.  The concerts are free and begin at 7:30 in July and 7 PM in August.  Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and maybe an umbrella if rain is in the forecast. 

The Shorewood Concert Band also performs for the July 4th celebration in Shorewood.  This summer they celebrate the not-so-famous marches of John Phillip Sousa.  They will perform at Atwater Park on the 4th as well as the 19th.

And there are many other groups performing outdoors this summer.  Take in a concert or two and enjoy the music, the fun, and the wonderful Wisconsin outdoors.

First summer concert

Don't forget the first summer concert of the season:  the Shorewood Concert Band will perform at the Shorewood Men's Club Chicken BBQ at Atwater Park on Saturday June 9 at noon.

The concert will be fun, the chicken (and ribs) will taste great, and the proceeds go to deserving organizations, including the Shorewood Concert Band.  It's a great way to enjoy a concert and have a great lunch.

I hope to see you there.