Cultural Arts

Community Bands


If you like the swelling sound of upbeat music wafting through the air on a summer evening, bring a lawn chair or blanket and gather around the Civic Park bandstand when the O’Fallon Jazz Band and the O’Fallon Community Concert Band are scheduled to perform. Parking and admission are free.

 

The O’Fallon Jazz Band

Pack your cares away and relax to the saxophone sounds of the 1920s, 30s and 40s as the 18-piece O’Fallon Jazz Band performs Big Band era music by Glenn Miller, the Dorsey brothers, Harry James, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Ted Heath, Count Basie, Buddy Rich and others. Popular guest vocalists often perform with the band.

This year (2011), the band will perform on:

  • June 28 for O’Fallon Jammin’ in Civic Park, 5:30 - 7 p.m.
  • August 2 for O’Fallon Jammin’ in Civic Park, 5:30 - 7 p.m. Special Guest Kathy Lawton Brown will perform with the band for this patriotic program.
  • Labor Day, September 5, Civic Park, 2 p.m.

O'Fallon Community Concert Band

Formed in 1988, the band’s specialty is from the movies and Broadway shows, marches, overtures and pops classics. On Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day and other holidays celebrating the U.S. Armed Forces, the band often performs patriotic music at ceremonies held at O’Fallon Veterans Memorial Walk.

The band will perform concerts on:

  • Armed Forces Day, May 21, at Veterans Memorial Walk, 10:30 a.m.
  • Memorial Day, May 30, at Veterans Memorial Walk, 11 a.m.
  • June 28 for O’Fallon Jammin’ in Civic Park, 7:15-8:30 p.m. 
  • July 4 Heritage & Freedom Fest parade, 9:30 a.m.
  • August 2 for O’Fallon Jammin’ in Civic Park, 7:15-8:30 p.m.
  • Labor Day, September 5, Civic Park, 2 p.m.

Got an instrument?

Join the O’Fallon Community Concert Band! For an opportunity to toot your own horn, so to speak, bring your instrument and music stand to rehearsals beginning the first Monday in April, and get ready for the summer concert season in O’Fallon. Rehearsals are held at the O’Fallon Senior Center, 106 North Main Street (63366). There are no auditions and there's no charge to join the band. To contact band director Gene Garza, call 636-949-2590, or email him at genegarza3638@msn.com.

 

Band Director Gene Garza

The O’Fallon Jazz Band and the O’Fallon Community Band are both under the direction of Gene Garza. Gene is also a U.S. Army veteran who served with the 33rd U.S. Army Band, and he also plays in the St. Charles Municipal Band which is directed by his wife, Nancy Garza.

 

Gene Garza cites American composers John Philip Sousa, Henry Mancini and John Williams as three of his favorites. Mancini, who died in 1994, is remembered for his television and movie scores, particularly the “Pink Panther Theme,” the “Peter Gunn Theme” and the songs “Moon River” and “The Days of Wine and Roses.” John Williams, who once worked for Mancini, composed some of the most recognizable movie scores, ever, including the Star Wars saga, Indiana Jones films, Superman, several Harry Potter films and more.

 

O’Fallon’s community band history

O’Fallon’s band history begins with a battle of the bands, a “band contest” held in 1891. Five contestants vied for cash prizes. The first prize of $65 was awarded to the St. Charles Coronet Band, second prize of $35 went to  the Clay Street Band, and a band from Augusta won third prize of $25. New Melle and O’Fallon bands also competed in the contest.

 

O’Fallon’s first mayor, Fred Jacoby, Sr. (1848-1918) started the community’s first band, the O’Fallon Coronet Band. He also taught the band members how to play, and on weekends, the band would perform in front of his store, Jacoby Pharmacy at 125 Main Street.

 

“That was his favorite thing, directing the band,” said his granddaughter, Betty Jacoby Gibson.

 

From 1927 - 1931, Assumption Parish had a community band that performed at parish picnics in the area. The band started up again at the outbreak of World War II, but didn’t continue.

Next, William Piskulic of St. Louis started a band which played around the area until 1956, with the final performance at the Centennial pageant that summer.

 

Then, in 1988, The O’Fallon Community Concert Band and the O’Fallon Jazz Band formed under the direction of Gary Brandes and Rob Duss. Sponsored by the O’Fallon parks and Recreation Department, the bands continue today under the direction of Gene Garza.

 

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