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State College Area Municipal Band Prepares to Hit the Road for Convention

Posted on: Saturday, 25 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Chris Rosenblum, The Centre Daily Times, State College, Pa.

Mar. 25--As gigs go, this one will be particularly noteworthy for the State College Area Municipal Band.

On May 4 in Williamsport, the group will play at the Association of Concert Bands National Convention as one of five invited community bands from the mid-Atlantic region. The free concert at 7 p.m. in the Scottish Rite Auditorium will mark the band's first indoor performance outside the State College area.

"We feel very honored to be chosen, and we're excited to be going," said Ned Deihl, the band's conductor.

Fifteen bands submitted recordings, said Judy Shellenberger, the convention chairwoman and an association board director. State College's entry, she said, stood out against tough competition.

"They have a fine CD that they sent in as an audition tape," Shellenberger said. "We liked the programming. We thought it was quality music."

More than 1,000 musicians are expected to attend the May 3-6 convention, which will culminate with Col. Arnald Gabriel, a retired Air Force Band director, leading association members in a Saturday-night concert. Also scheduled are the host Repasz Band, celebrating its 175th anniversary, and the Allentown Band, formed in 1828 and the oldest civilian concert band in the country.

State College's band, by comparison, is a newcomer in its 30th year. But its selection to the convention shows how far the band has come, said Ed Herr, a trumpet player and longtime member.

"What this does is validate that the band plays extremely well and deserves to be heard," Herr said.

About 70 members range in age from 22 to 80 and represent several occupations, including music teachers. Deihl, for example, is a retired Penn State professor who directed the Blue Band and symphonic band.

Diehl said the band these days routinely performs challenging pieces such as Paul Hindemith's "March from Symphonic Metamorphosis," one of its selections for the convention.

"We've gained some strong people," Deihl said, noting the band has added about a dozen members since he joined 10 years ago and now requires auditions.

Supported by Centre Region Parks and Recreation and donations, the band performs locally several times a year, including annual Mother's Day, Fourth of July and Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts concerts. Audiences have tripled in the past decade, Deihl said.

Now, those fans will have to hit the road to catch the band's biggest showcase yet.

"It's a terrific opportunity for us," Herr said. "There's no question about that."

Chris Rosenblum can be reached at 231-4620.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Centre Daily Times, State College, Pa.

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Source: Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.)

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