Instruments in search of musicians

The Bella Vista Community Band has the instruments, but they need the musicians.

"We own a number of instruments," member Don Dragland said. "We have an oboe, a tenor sax, a tuba, a clarinet, two French horns, a flugelhorn, a euphonium."

The instruments have been donated to the band over the years, he explained. Band members have stored them in their homes.

"That tenor sax we have isn't doing anyone any good," he said. "We need another tenor sax player badly."

A new band member could use one of the instruments, he explained. People who played in high school and college are welcome to join and, with the loaned instruments, there's no monetary investment.

When Dragland and his wife, Rosalie, joined the band in 2001, it had been 35 years since they performed.

"It's been a wonderful experience," he said.

The band has about 60 members, he said. There are usually two practices before each concert.

The concert band plays summer concerts in Blowing Springs Park. It usually ends its season with a concert at the Methodist Church, but the last few years a Christmas Concert at the Community Church has been added. The band takes the rest of the winter off and begins to practice again in April.

In July, Shari Ogburn, publicity chairwoman for the Bella Vista Community Concert Band, announced that the organization had received a challenge grant.

A donor who wants to remain anonymous gave the band $2,500 with no strings attached, she said. The same donor also provided a $2,500 challenge grant. They will match every donation up to $2,500 until December 2019. So the band could receive $7,500 this year.

"We put out a box for donations," Dragland said. "People are very generous."

General News on 09/18/2019