The Muni Band holiday season of concerts continues with two more performances that will boost your holiday spirits. Whether you’ve asked Santa for woodwinds or brass (or both), we’ve got you covered.

Both performances will stream live on our Facebook page.

Saturday, December 19, 2 pm: Woodwind Quintet

Sunday, December 20, 2 pm: Horn Quartet

‘Tis the season for holiday concerts! And on Saturday, Dec. 5, the celebrations are interactive!

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band is proud to partner with the Heavy Metal Tuba Band to present this year’s online edition of Tuba Christmas! The festivities get underway at 2 pm on our Facebook page. More information here.

If tubas are not to your taste…our tuba section may want to have a conversation with you. But you do have another option!

Our friends in the Quad Cities present a virtual version of the Quad Cities Saxophone Christmas beginning on Dec. 5. Full details for how to participate can be found here.

As the holidays approach, your calendar is no doubt filling up–even during this unusual year. So we want to make sure to get five upcoming Mini Muni Music concerts on your schedule.

All five performances will stream live on our Facebook page.

Friday, November 20, 7 pm: Clarinet Quartet

Friday, December 4, 7 pm: Percussion Quintet

Saturday, December 5, 2 pm: Virtual Tuba Christmas

Saturday, December 19, 2 pm: Woodwind Quintet

Sunday, December 20, 2 pm: Horn Quartet

In a normal year, the Municipal Band season would have been over a couple of months back. But this is hardly a normal year, right?

Join us Friday, October 30, at 7 p.m. on our Facebook page for the next edition of our ongoing Mini Muni Music performances.

Brass Quintet + Drum Set — The Return!

Andy Classen and Aren Van Houzen – Trumpets
Andy Harris – Horn
Robert Parker – Trombone
Blaine Cunningham – Tuba
Tom Mackey – Drum Set
Guest: Dan Terrell, Linn-Mar HS Bands

Set List: 
Also Sprach Zarathunderkiss 
Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay
Thriller/Livin’ on a Prayer Medley
Blackbird
25 or 6 to 4
Eleanor Rigby
Live and Let Die
I Will Survive

A message from Steve Shanley, Conductor
Cedar Rapids Municipal Band.

I am saddened to hear of Bob Sadilek’s passing.

No individual has devoted more time and effort to the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band than Mr. Sadilek.

He was a member of the trombone section during the 1951 inaugural season, joined the city band commission in 1977, and retired from both positions in 2020.

He also served as conductor of the band in the late 1960s.

I could always rely on Mr. Sadilek for programming suggestions, ideas for guest soloists, and the occasional funny story about one of my predecessors.

We are losing a great friend and supporter of the band, as well as decades of institutional wisdom about our group.

He will be missed.

— Steve

Robert “Bob” Sadilek, Jr, 85, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was called home by Our Lord on Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Funeral Mass: 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 5, 2020 at St. Pius X Catholic Church by the Rev. Phil Thompson. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

A visitation will be held on Monday October 5, 2020 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. As mandated by proclamation, social distancing must be practiced which requires a limited number of people to be allowed into the visitation at one time. The use of face masks or shields is required.

Bob was born on May 26, 1935 to Robert and Marjory (Smith) Sadilek. Bob graduated from Franklin High School and from Coe College with a degree in music. He spent 4 years in the Air Force Academy as a member of the Air Force Academy Band. While at the academy, he received a Master’s degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder. 

Bob met Judith Klimes while teaching at Buchanan School in 1961 and they married in 1963 at St. Ludmilla’s Catholic Church. They raised four loving children, Elizabeth, Julie, Joel, and Jennifer, in a house full of support and laughter.

Bob’s life was dedicated to teaching and playing music, as the band director at McKinley Middle School for 35 years; instrumental music teacher at Grant Wood, Tyler, Buchanan, and Squaw Creek Schools; and private trombone instructor to many successful musicians. He won multiple awards during his teaching career and led his band to the Iowa Bandmasters Association convention in the early 1990’s. He thrived on playing his trombone with multiple organizations throughout the years, such as the Cedar Rapids Symphony, the Veteran’s Band, and Dixie Notes Plus Band. He was a member of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band since it began in 1951, acting as the Chairman of the band commission through June of this year.

Bob is survived by his devoted wife Judith (Klimes) Sadilek; his three daughters, Elizabeth Sadilek-Labenski (John), Julie Mullett-Conner (Chad), and Jennifer Szymanowski (Chris); 16 grandchildren, Stefan, Adam, and Marek Labenski, Jay Lynch, Joel, Jackson, Jonah, Jake, Josh, Josie, and Joey Mullett, Sam Cummings, Ava, Blake, and Claire Szymanowski; 3 great-grandsons, Hunter, Bentley, and Kaeden Thompson; his brother Richard Sadilek (Jonelle), sister Shirley Paulson, 3 nephews and 1 niece. He was preceded in death by his son Joel Robert Sadilek (Jana).

Bob was a loving husband, devoted father, and dedicated teacher who touched the lives of his family, friends, and students through multiple generations. His kindness, dry humor, infectious laugh, and inspiration will be missed but never forgotten.  Please leave a message for the family on our web page www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries. 

Memorials may be directed to the family in lieu of flowers.

https://cedarmemorial.com/Obituary/2020/Sep/Robert-Bob-Sadilek-Jr/

Mini Muni Music performances continue on Sunday, Sept. 27, with a performance by a popular ensemble–our brass quintet joined by percussionist Tom Mackey.

Performers for concert, which will begin at 7 pm on our Facebook page, include:

Andy Classen
Aren Van Houzen
Andy Harris
Robert Parker
Blaine Cunningham
Tom Mackey

Earlier in the evening, beginning at 6 pm, KMRY will rebroadcast the recent performance by our woodwind trio. You can tune in at 93.1 FM, 1450 AM, or online.

After a rainy week, it looks likely that the weather will clear for Sunday evening’s edition of Mini Muni Music featuring our saxophone quartet.

Join us on Facebook at 7 pm on September 13 to hear Bruce Western, Laura Drzycimski, Lisa Wissenberg, and Jim Arndt in the first appearance by the saxophones this year.

The concerts continue on Wednesday, September 16 and Sunday, September 20. On Wednesday evening, a woodwind trio featuring Shivhan Dohse, Christine Bellomy, and Matt Ransom. Then on Sunday, you can enjoy a clarinet quartet featuring Christine Bellomy, Pam Patrick, Beth Davies, and Nick Carlo.

Also, KRMY radio continues to rebroadcast Mini Muni Music performances on Sunday evenings at 6 pm. You can listen at 93.1 FM, 1450 AM, or online here.

The popular Mini Muni Music series rolls into September with a clarinet quartet on Wed., Sept. 2, and a brass quintet on Sun., Sept. 6.

The concerts will be live streamed on the Municipal Band’s Facebook page. Concerts start at 7 pm and are not archived–so you have to catch them live!

Details:

Clarinet Quartet — September 2
Theme: Spooky Groundhog Day 2020 featuring music from The Addams Family, Edgar Winter’s Frankenstein, the Ghostbusters Theme, In The Hall of the Mountain King, and more.
Musicians:
Christine Bellomy
Lisa Wissenberg
Kim Cassisa
Joe Dieker

Brass Quintet — September 6
Musicians:
Denny Hodge
Kelli Swehla
Doreen Anderson
Doug Anderson
Ben Anderson

Join us on Sunday, August 30, at 7 pm for a livestream performance by our trombone quartet. Performers will include:

Joel Nagel
Caleb Lambert
Robert Parker
Doug Anderson

Music will include: James Bond, Simon & Garfunkel, Russian Sailors Dance, the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony, and more.

The performance will be dedicated to the memory of longtime Municipal Band Member Lee Dytrt.

Then on Wednesday, September 2, at 7 pm we will feature a woodwind trio.

Mini Muni Music concerts stream live on our Facebook page, but are not archived for future viewing.

However, KMRY is airing past performances on Sunday evenings at 6 pm. On August 30, they will feature our woodwind quintet, and on September 6, the will rebroadcast our euphonium and tuba quartet performance.

You can listen to KMRY at 93.1 FM, 1450 AM, or online at KMRYradio.com.