Dust off your band instruments and join the Cottonwood Community Band during their preseason practices scheduled for Mondays, Aug. 12 and 19, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Cottonwood Community School Band Room. All instrumentalists who have at least played at one time in their high school band and who wish to regain and develop their musical ability, as well as current high school musicians, are invited to attend. The Cottonwood Community Band has instruments that have been generously donated by community members to lend to interested musicians who no longer have one.

The Cottonwood Community Band will provide copies of the method book, Accent on Achievement, by John O’Reilly and Mark Williams for use during the preseason. This band method contains a variety of exercises, songs, duets and complete band arrangements that comply with National Music Education Standards. According to the promo material for this band method, musicians completing Book 3 would have the skills necessary to play the Holst Suite in E-flat.

The focus of the preseason practices will be on basic rhythm, tone production, basic technique, intonation, major and minor keys, swing rhythms and counting in odd meters.
Dr. Sy Brandon, conductor of the Cottonwood Community Band, will provide the instruction. Brandon has many years experience working with musicians from elementary level through professional.
The purpose of the preseason is to provide an opportunity for members of the band to work together on fundamental musical concepts in an enjoyable manner and to learn more about the how and why of music. The learning obtained during the preseason carries over into concert prepa­ration therefore enabling the music to be learned at a faster pace.

An additional purpose is to provide a training opportunity for instrumentalists in the community who want to refresh or develop their skills so that they could eventually play in the Cottonwood Community Band. During the past year the Cottonwood Community Band has increased in size from 30 to 50 musicians.
Contact the band at cottonwoodcommunityband@gmail.com for more information or to express interest in the preseason practices.