The band celebrated America in during week four. For week five, we travel around the globe and beyond.

Way beyond.

Join us this week at Cleveland School on Wednesday, July 6 and in Bever Park on Sunday, July 10.

Concerts can also be viewed live on the band’s Facebook page and the Sunday evening performance can be heard live on KMRY radio.

The Program:

Toccata Marziale (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
African Samba (Adam Gorb)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (John Williams, arranged by Jay Bocook)
Clarinet Polka (arranged by Bruce R. Smith)
Piccolo Espagnol (James Christensen) Rose Bishop, Piccolo; Bill Carson, Guest Conductor
Albanian Dance (Shelley Hanson)
Hoagy Carmichael: An American Classic (arr. James Kessler)
Hungarian Dance (Tchaikovsky, arr. Wil Van der Beek)
Leichtes Blut Galop (Johann Strauss, arranged by Glen Lienhart)

First things first. Or maybe Fourth things first.

This week’s concerts will happen on Wednesday, June 29, at the McGrath Amphitheatre and on MONDAY, July 4, at Guthridge Park in Hiawatha. There will be no Sunday evening performance.

Performances can be viewed live on the band’s Facebook page.

Given the patriotic holiday, you can expect a slate of patriotic and other iconic American tunes!

Superman March (John Williams, arranged by Paul Lavender)
Armed Forces Salute (arranged by Bob Lowden)
West Side Story Selection (Leonard Bernstein, arranged by William Duthoit)
River City March (Frank Piersol)
America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates, arranged by Carmen Dragon)
Sweet Trombone Rag (Al Sweet)
Big Band Spectacular (arranged by John Higgins)
Shenandoah (arranged by R. Paul Astley)
The Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa)

This week, the band is proud to present percussionist Arjun Palaniappan, winner of our 2022 Young Artist Competition. Arjun will join the band for Kibo, a piece by Andrea Venet and arragned by our own Dr. Shanley. The arrangement features the talented young musician on snare drum.

Laci McHenry, a student at Kennedy High School, will be featured on vocals for the Star Spangled Banner and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication.

The Wednesday night performance (6/22) will take place in Noelridge Park. The Sunday night performance (6/26) will be in Bever Park and will be preceded by a concert by the New Horizons Band at 6:15 pm. The Muni Band takes the stage both nights at 7:30 pm.

Both Muni Band concerts can be viewed live on Facebook; the Sunday evening concert will also be broadcast on KMRY radio.

The full Muni Band program:
The Thunderer (John Philip Sousa)
Satiric Dances (Norman Dello Joio)
Selections from “Moana” (arr. by Jay Bocook)
Themes from “Green Bushes” (Percy Grainger, arranged by Larry Daehn)
Kibo (Andrea Venet, arr. Steve Shanley)
Colonel Bogey (Kenneth J. Alford, arr. Frederick Fennell)
Waltz from “Jazz Suite” (Shostakovich, arr. de Meij)
Legends of Jazz (arr. Stephen Bulla)
The Southerner (Russell Alexander)

This week, Dan Terrell leads the band in a program that includes music by musical theater heavyweights Stephen Sondheim and Lin-Manuel Miranda, marches by Iowa’s own Karl King and Frank Piersol, and much more.

Join us Wednesday, June 15 at Johnson Steam Academy and Sunday, June 19 at Ellis Park for performances at 7:30 pm. The Ellis Park performance will feature a prelude concert by CR Jazz under the direction of Joe Perea at 6:30 pm.

The Muni Band performances will be aired live on our Facebook page; you can also listen to the Sunday night performance on KMRY radio.

The Muni Band program:

• Festmusik der Stadt Wien (Richard Strauss/arr. Banks and Rundel)
• West Highlands Sojourn (Robert Sheldon)
• Peacemaker March (Karl King/ed. Swearingen)
• The Grumbly Old Bear (Julius Fucik/arr. Glover) — Blaine Cunningham, tuba
• Variations on a Shaker Melody (Aaron Copland)
• Selections from Sweeney Todd (Stephen Sondheim/arr. Bulla)
• Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon (Percy Grainger)
• Pavilion March (Frank Piersol)
• Selections from Encanto (Lin-Manuel Miranda/arr. Murtha)
• Curtain Call (John Wasson)

The new season of Muncipal Band performances begins this week with a performance on Wednesday, June 8 at The History Center and another on Sunday, June 12 in Bever Park. Both concerts will begin at 7:30 pm.

On Sunday evening, the Cedar Rapids Metro Youth Wind Ensemble (sponsored by Coe College) will perform a prelude concert beginning at 6:30 pm.

Week one’s concerts will feature David Lang on euphonium and alphorn; Kyra Kanz from Linn-Mar High School singing the National Anthem and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication; and Hashim Tyler, director of the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation department, conducting Karl King’s “Iowa Band Law.”

The full performance will include:

• Iowa Band Law (Karl King) 
• Second Suite in F (Gustav Holst) 
• Brillante (Peter Graham) 
• Selections from “Sing” (arranged by Michael Brown) 
• Washington Post (John Philip Sousa) 
• T.D.’s Boogie Woogie (Tommy Dorsey, arranged by Andy Clark) 
• The Spirit of Alphorn (Hans-Jürg Sommer, arr. Mario Bürki) 
• Ringling Brothers Grand Entry (Al Sweet, arranged by Andrew Glover) 2.5 (CRMB 265)

All performances by the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band are family (and pet!) friendly and free to attend. They can also be viewed on the band’s Facebook page. Please note that concerts are not archived on Facebook and so must be viewed live.

The Commission will meet at 4:30 PM on Friday, 1 April 2022. This will be a working session prior to auditions. Please note that the auditions themselves are NOT open to the public.

The CR Municipal Band is holding its annual auditions (after a two-year break!) on Friday, 1 April, and Saturday, 2 April, at CR Washington High School. Openings are known for Flute, Saxophone, and Trumpet. But we’re also hearing auditions for all other instruments to help fill out the substitute musician list. We need percussion subs in particular.

Please see the flyer at the link below for details. Slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

CLICK HERE FOR FLYER

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band Young Artist Competition is ON for 2022!

The winner of the competition will be the featured guest soloist during one week of the summer season and
receive a $500 cash award.  Please note that runners-up may be named and have an opportunity to receive a cash prize and perform with the band, as well.

The competition is open to any woodwind, brass, or percussion student in grades 9 through 12 who lives in Linn County or participates in a school band program in Linn County.  Auditions will take place at Washington High School on Wednesday, April 13 (conveniently timed after IHSMA Solo/Small Ensemble Festival), between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Applicants should prepare a solo or solo excerpt approximately 5-6 minutes in length. Use of an accompanist is highly recommended but not required. Audition pieces do not need to have a published band accompaniment.

The winning student will be selected by a large panel including local music professionals, CRMB members, and CRMB commission members.  CRMB conductor Steve Shanley will consult with the winning student to select an appropriate piece with band accompaniment, or will arrange a band accompaniment for his or her solo.

Click Here to view the flyer

The City Band Commission will meet in formal session on 27 February 2022 at 7 PM in Marquis Hall at Coe College. Discussion items include planning for 2022 summer season, equipment upgrades, auditions, and budgets.

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 on23 January 2022 at 7 PM via Zoom (due to ongoing Omicron variant and difficulty finding a location). Discussion items include planning for 2022 summer season, equipment upgrades, auditions, and some publicity. If you plan to attend, please email our Business Manager as indicated below for the Zoom link.

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.