The Corvallis Community Band (Corvallis, Oregon, USA) is a musical organization, open to any one who plays a band instrument with at least high school level ability. The Band’s purpose is to provide concerts for the enjoyment of the community and to provide a friendly, high-quality musical organization for people who want to continue playing music with other like-minded people. Band members’ ages range from 13 to over 80.
The band, a town fixture in the 1920s, was reformed in 1976 for the local celebration of the U. S. Bicentennial. The group has continued ever since. During the school year, the band rehearses weekly, and presents several public concerts. In 1980, the band established a weekly summer concert series. Every Tuesday evening from mid-June to the end of August, the band plays an hour-long concert in Central Park in Corvallis. The concert is free, and often as many as 500 people attend.
The band now has a core group of more than sixty musicians. In the summer, the band consistently numbers seventy-five or more. The band becomes in the summer months a friendly place for students to continue playing in a band through the summer when few such options are available to them. They gain experience in sight-reading and technique. They play a wider variety of music than is possible in their school bands. In addition, the band is one of the only options available to children who are home schooled. Most importantly, students play along side adults who enjoy music as a lifelong activity and who provide positive role models.
During the school year, the band rehearses weekly at Ashbrook Independent School. Each year, a Holiday Concert and a more formal Winter Concert. Since 2014, the band has presented an annual concert for all the fourth-graders in the surrounding school districts. The program is designed to enhance several curriculum goals for fourth grade students.
We provide smaller groups to play for community events, retirement homes, service clubs, etc. The current active ensembles are Flute Cocktail (a flute choir including bass and alto flutes), Sax Trax (a saxophone quartet), and The Spiritoso Wind Quintet. A group of variable size, known as the Beaver Country Hot Air Band, features both Dixieland and German Band music.
The Beaver Country Hot Air Band, joined by other band musicians, has provided music for the Lions’ Club’s Holiday Parade in Downtown Corvallis to help launch the holiday season. During the Christmas shopping season, this group also plays for shoppers in Downtown Corvallis.
The Hilltop Big Band is an associate of the Corvallis Community Band. Many musicians play in both bands. The Hilltop Big Band has been performing in and around Corvallis since 1988. Their concerts feature a wide variety of big band arrangements. They perform in Central Park every other Wednesday during the summer.
The Corvallis Community Band (including the Hilltop Big Band) has a co-sponsorship agreement with Corvallis Parks and Recreation that includes the use of Central Park free of charge for our summer concerts. The Parks and Recreation Department also arranges for our rehearsal spaces in the schools during the school year. The band is a non-profit corporation, and donations to the band are tax-deductible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band was unable to meet and all live concerts were cancelled. In order to continue sharing our love of music with the community, the band presented ten weekly Tuesday night summer concerts via Facebook and YouTube. Currently, the band is back to holding regular rehearsals. Band members and fans all agree – we are thrilled to be playing in person again!