Community Concert Bands
Patrica Lindenberg started playing flute in 4th grade, joined the band through school and even performed flute duets on the streets of San Francisco in the early 70s. But it was the Stockton Concert Band that produced a special determination to get the music just right. “I used to practice until I was so tired, I’d have to lie on the floor instead of going upstairs to bed,” said Patricia. “I can be a nut about the music.”
Stockton Concert Band and the Lodi or Tracy groups are concert bands composed of adults like Patricia, who is a retired yoga instructor, a lot of current and former music teachers and a fair number of current music students. It’s where you find folks who enjoyed school band so much they can’t put their instruments down. Some pick up an instrument after not touching it for years to relive the joy of group-playing, as I do. Students participate because it’s a chance to further their music education.
Forty years ago, successful Stockton businessman Dorsey Meyer and music lover and Lincoln High music director Arthur Holton met with local band directors to discuss the idea of creating a community concert band. Dorsey would handle the business side, and Art would be the director. Together, they carried the ball forward. Art is still the director of the Stockton and Lodi bands. “There are hundreds of thousands of people graduating from high school and college music, and there needs to be a place for them to play,” said Holton. “Community bands have been the answer.”
Concert bands might play patriotic music in July, Broadway show tunes in the fall, holiday melodies in December and pretty much every other type of music the rest of the year. There are an estimated 2,500 community bands across the U.S. The Stockton band has a roster of about 100 members, with Lodi and Tracy each boasting about 50.
“You can’t go back to your football, basketball, baseball days, or whatever it is you loved to do. Your body doesn’t want to do that anymore,” said Holton. “Music is something you can continue to do the rest of your life.” Many local band members are still working and include a dentist, doctor, bookkeeper, finance manager and insurance agent.
The Stockton group practices once a week at Delta College and performs several times a year. Sometimes those performances happen far from home as Holton has arranged performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, in Hawaii and Europe. The Stockton group has a reputation for taking on and succeeding at challenging arrangements.
Marcus Rowe II, a student and music major at Delta College, plays euphonium, a higher-pitched tuba in the band. A self-described instrument nerd, Marcus also plays violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet and saxophone. “I like playing different instruments and feeling how different they play and sound,” said Marcus. “I like contributing to an ensemble, and playing with the older folks has been great. It is so nice to see people pick it up again after stopping after high school or college.”
As for the next year, both Marcus and Patricia know exactly where they’ll be every Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m., practicing the new and demanding songs to be performed by the Stockton Concert Band.
Save the Date
Stockton Concert Band
Upcoming Performances
Fall Festival of Bands, 9-29-26
Holiday concert, 12-1-26
Community Band concert, 3-2-27
40th Anniversary Celebration, 5-11-27
I am always looking for new and exciting gigs to showcase musicians in our community who deserve recognition. Stay tuned!
Feel free to reach out: tim@dalyvideoservices.com.
