Director:  Christopher Tootle (interim-director)

band url: www.elkgrovecommunityband.org

e-mail: egcommunityband@gmail.com

 

The Elk Grove Community Band began in May 1997. Jay and Carolyn Roberts offered to put together a community musical group to perform at the first Elk Grove Fourth of July. They placed an ad in the paper and in May they founded our group. We began rehearsals at Harriet Eddy. The Fourth was so much fun (the first two were at Elk Grove High), we decided we wanted to continue meeting weekly. We had a board of about 4 or 5 people. After a few years, Jay Roberts, our founder and conductor decided to go back to school and Thomas Slabaugh II became our conductor and we began rehearsing at Laguna Creek High School. Thomas took a college position and moved. While Robin Cole was looking for another conductor, the Elk Grove Auto Mall called her and asked if the Community band would be willing to “open” for Three Dog Night. Jay Roberts agreed to conduct us again and the community band continued.

 

For many years our Band has been generational with as many as 5 sets of families in at once, including one set spanning three generations. Many of our original students, some of who were in the original group when they were in Junior high, are still with the band and they are now professionals beginning families of their own. Throughout the years, the band has performed for Eagle Scout ceremonies, Park openings, Various community events like the Western and Harvest Festivals, Elk Grove Unified Exchange student program, Fourth of July, for Nursing homes, the annual tree lighting, Community concerts, and holds fund raisers for many Elk Grove area schools every year. Our members are mostly Music professionals and local talent including a few very talented students.

 

Membership is available with approval of the director. We meet Monday nights from 7:30 pm until 9 pm at Joseph Kerr Middle School in Elk Grove.