Join us for the inaugural concert on our new band shell! Our first concert of the season will be Wednesday, June 8 at Greene Square Park. All concerts begin at 7:30. Arrive early to hear the Metro Youth Wind Ensemble at 6:30!

Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, picnic, family and friends! There is always something for everyone to love at a Municipal Band Concert. Hope to see you there!

The sixth annual Young Artist Competition will take place on Tuesday, 19 April, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids. The competition is open to woodwind, brass, and percussion students in grades 9-12 who live in or attend school in Linn County, and participate in their school’s band program.

Applicants should prepare a solo or excerpt 5-6 minutes in length. Use of an accompanist is recommended, but not required. Audition pieces do not need to have a published band accompaniment.

The winner will be a featured guest soloist during one week of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band concert season and receive a $250 cash award. Runners-up may also have an opportunity to play with CRMB.

For more information or to register for an audition time, contact CRMB Conductor Steve Shanley at steve.shanley@gmail.com.

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band will hold auditions in the band room of Washington High School at 2205 Forest Drive SE:

Friday, April 1         6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 2    1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

All qualified instrumentalists are encouraged to audition. The band has open positions for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, and Percussion, and substitutes are needed on all instruments, especially Saxes.

The CRMB performs 18 concerts each summer and musicians are paid for rehearsals (Monday evenings) and concerts (Wednesday and Sunday evenings). Members are not required to commit to the entire summer.

To audition, contact Scott Haney, CRMB Business Manager, at 319-431-9649 (call or text) or business@crmuniband.org.  Please leave a message with the following information:

1. Name of the person auditioning
2. E-mail address
3. Phone number
4. Audition instrument(s)
5. Desired day and time for audition

It is highly encouraged to arrange an audition time in advance, though musicians are permitted to attend auditions without a scheduled time.

Musicians are evaluated solely on sight-reading ability but may begin the audition with a short prepared excerpt (not to exceed 60 seconds).

Please provide a brief musical resume (typed copy) at auditions.

The City Band Commission will meet in formal session on Friday, 1 April 2016, at the Washington High School band room at 5:00 PM. This will be followed by a working session to audition for new band members. The formal session is open to the public, the auditions are not.

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 (link to email addresses) as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the event.

The City Band Commission will meet on 24 January 2016 in Marquis Hall at Coe College. Start time is 7 pm.

The bandshell campaign has been STUPENDOUS! Thanks to all of you who have chosen to support a new bandshell. Because of you and the generous support of the Greater CR Community Foundation, local Rotary clubs, and Hall-Perrine, we are at $135,305, just short of our goal of $150,000.

There is still time to donate. We are keeping the campaign open until 31 December. So if you’ve been sitting on the fence, or you decided to support but just haven’t done it yet, now is the time.

Again, thanks for your support of the campaign. Keep coming to the concerts!

The City Band Commission will meet in formal session at 7 PM on 20 Sep 2015 at Marquis Hall on the Coe College Campus.

Join us Wednesday night at Sokol Park for our last Wednesday performance of the season! The weather forecasts call for a clement evening, so grab a chair and head on out.

The program includes:

• Vocalist: Loren Flory, Xavier HS
• A Festival Prelude (Alfred Reed)
• The Pink Panther Meets R2D2 (arr. Jerry Brubaker)
• Children’s March (Percy Grainger, ed. Erickson)
• Bravura (C.E. Duble, arr. John Edmondson)
• Concertino Classico (Philip Sparke)
  Featuring Paul Kulka, flute
• National Emblem (E.E. Bagley)
• I’ve Got a Crush on You (Gershwin) & I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love with Me (McHugh & Gaskin)
  Featuring the CRMB Trombone Section
• Bond…James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
• Circus Days (Frank Piersol)

If you can’t make it to the concert, you can hear it live on KMRY Radio (1450 AM/93.1 FM), starting promptly at 7:30.

Tonight’s concert at Bowman Woods will not only be carried live on KMRY radio, but also on the internet on kmryradio.com! Just click on “Listen Live” at the top.