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A True Community Band
The San Gabriel
Valley Concert Band is continuing the tradition of
community bands
which began with westward expansion in the 1800s. As soon as a town was
able to erect a band shell and start a community band, the townspeople
knew that civilization had arrived.
Since 1940, the San Gabriel Valley Concert Band has served local
Southern California communities with fine concert band music.
Semi-Professional, amateur and retired musicians come from the far
reaches of the San Gabriel Valley and beyond to play with the concert
band. The band's repertoire includes a variety of styles. In addition
to traditional marches, the band plays
classical
transcriptions, big band songs, show tunes and pieces written
specifically for concert band, both traditional and modern. Presently
sponsored
by the El Monte-Rosemead Adult School, the San Gabriel Valley Concert
Band
rehearses at Mountain View High School in El Monte on Wednesday nights.
Concerts are held throughout the year. Check our calendar
page for upcoming concerts.
Our
Director
Michael Drange, the present director
is a graduate
of California State University Los Angeles. He began his musical
training at age six in Morgantown, West Virginia, where he studied
piano. He began playing saxophone in the 5th grade and now holds a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Saxophone Performance from Cal State Los
Angeles, where he studied with Dr. Jeffrey Benedict. He also has a
Master of Music Degree in Commercial Music Composing and Arranging. He
has studied conducting with Dr. Thomas Miyake, Dr. William Belan and
Dr. David Buck. In addition to his duties as the director of the band,
Mr. Drange teaches instrumental and choral music in the Garvey School
District in Rosemead California where he was named Teacher of the Year
in 2006.
The band is
open to all adults (18 and over) who play a band instrument. Rehearsals
are held at Mountain View High School - room 302 (2900 Parkway Drive,
El Monte,
CA, 91732 - Get
a
Map) at 6 PM each Wednesday. (Check our calendar
page for the rehearsal and performance schedule) |