ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – This year, the Escanaba City Band is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
“The City Band was started back in 1924,” said Bruce Cassell, who has served as Band Director for the last 15 years. “We’ve been going, with City support, for the last 100 years and we’re getting ready to celebrate.”
The City Band kicked off its annual summer concert series in Ludington Park on Wednesday evening. The weekly event is just one of many opportunities for the band to celebrate with the community.
“We’ve got a reception this weekend at Leigh’s [Garden] Winery,” Cassell said. “We’ve got a special anniversary concert July 24th, and we’re playing for the governor as well in August. We’ve got some guest conductors as well.”
Many of the musicians, including Assistant Band Director Joseph Hellberg, have been in the band for decades.
“This is my 36th season, and every year I look forward to playing with the Escanaba City Band,” Hellberg said.
100 years is a long time, and a lot has changed since 1924.
“I remember back when we were in the old fire hall, and that was such a terrible place to play because it was so loud,” said Hellberg. “Then we started practicing at the high school. It got so much nicer to practice in a large area. It makes me proud to be a member of the Escanaba City Band, knowing what was before me and what’s going to be coming after me.”
What has not changed is the spirit of the people in the band.
“We’ve got people in town that have abilities that they just don’t know what to do with, so they join the band and express their musical talents through the band,” Cassell said. “It’s a lot of fun because we have a wide age group of people, and it’s just continuously reinventing itself.”
Cassell and Hellberg say they are proud to continue the legacy the Escanaba City Band has created over the past century.
“Escanaba is known for its live music, and one of the main things is the Escanaba City Band because it’s been here for 100 years,” Cassell said. “It’s kind of taken on the soul of the town.”
“I hope that as long as there are musicians who want to continue to play, they’ll have a place to do that with organizations like the Escanaba City Band,” said Hellberg. “I hope people know how special this is.”
The Escanaba City Band’s Wednesday concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Karas Memorial Band Shell. The series continues weekly through August 14, and concerts will be moved to Thursdays in cases of inclement weather. The band’s Centennial Celebration is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, with a community picnic at 5 p.m. and a concert and band shell rededication at 7:30 p.m.
Below is a full schedule of upcoming Escanaba City Band performances. Follow the City Band on Facebook for updates on these and other events.
