Soo Community Band is ready to break the gloomy spell of a frigid February with music.
On Sunday, Feb. 27, the band will host its first concert of the year at 4 p.m. in the Arts Center Auditorium at Lake Superior State University.
Joseph Arendt, director of the band will lead the ensemble he helped establish in January of 2020.
Taking a position teaching music at Brimley Area Schools in 2019, Arendt quickly saw a void in live music that he felt a community band could help fill and received the backing of the Soo Theatre Project.
“The main idea within the entire group is music education and to continue playing music, especially here in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, where we do not have a whole lot of music making happening,” said Arendt, on the band. “The whole goal of the group is to give high schoolers, college students and community members who have not played in a while, an opportunity and a place to play. We are giving the opportunity to play in a relaxed, but serious, setting.”
After a couple of false starts due to COVID related shutdowns, the band finally performed for the first time in June of 2021.
In September, the ensemble picked things up again for a season that roughly mirrors the school calendar. Their first concert of the season was on Veteran's Day at the Soo Theatre. A Christmas concert was planned, but ultimately shelved due to weather cancelling rehearsals.
For the concert on Sunday, the band has rehearsed each Monday night in Lake State's Arts Center since early January.
Arendt says those in attendance can expect to hear a variety of wind band literature, with works by James Swearingen and James Curnow, both staples of modern band music, as well as music from Les Misérables.
For those interested in playing in the next concert cycle, Arendt invites anyone who can read music and play a traditional band instrument to check out the group, even if it has been a while.
He especially is inviting musicians from local high schools to experience playing in a group with a different feeling than a high school band.
“We have a bunch of musicians that range from collegiate trained to people that dug their instrument out after many years and gave it a shot,” remarked Arendt. “We also have high school students who are continuing to build up those skills and their musicianship. There is a very diverse set of players from varying skill levels and many pieces we play are meant to build up those skills to promote full ensemble sound and to give that concert band experience.
“As I tell our community band members, you can come and go as you please when it comes to rehearsal schedule and we are set for an April date for our final cycle,” said Arendt.
The next concert cycle begins February 28th, with Monday night rehearsals at Lake State from 7:30 to 8:30. Arendt is hoping to pull out a good mix of music, from composers of wind band staples like Gustav Holst, to contemporaries like Randall Standridge.
“As we go into our last concert cycle, we're going to be hitting a lot of major standards, some Holst and other major composers and really dive into standard band literature,” said Arendt. “You'll be hearing more winds and percussion, and some popular tunes, but also diving into some exciting and very tantalizing to the ear types of concert literature.
Arendt indicated the band may get in one more concert during the summer with the Sault's annual Music in the Park concert series.
The concert on Sunday is free admission, but donations are appreciated.
Those with questions about the band, or are interested in joining, are welcome to contact Arendt at [email protected] or may reach out to the Soo Theatre.
