South Oakland Concert Band

picture of the band and Jim Conaton, the Director

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Greetings, we welcome you to another season of entertainment in the classic concert band tradition and hope that you truly enjoy your time with us.

Just as many are seeking change, so is the South Oakland Concert Band. Our Board of Directors spent this past summer analyzing input from our members and has begun the long-term task of redefining our mission and our goals: we want to better reflect the community in which we perform, provide a worthwhile entertainment option, and remain competitive in our current economy.

We continue to improve our musicianship, variety of musical selections, and include guest artists for your enjoyment. However, these improvements also come at a cost. Royal Oak Schools, who provides our rehearsal and performance venues, has experienced an increase in costs for building operations. These costs have trickled down to the rental fees for organizations such as ours. To that end, we have been forced to modestly increase our ticket prices so that we can maintain our level of operation. We appreciate your understanding and hope that we can still be your choice for local live music entertainment.

Another exciting change for us is the reinvention of our jazz band. I am pleased to introduce our new jazz band director, Phil Lombard. Under his direction, the jazz band, now the Woodward Avenue Jazz Orchestra, has expanded its repertoire and become its own ensemble, not just an extension of the concert band. This year, in addition to the performances as part of the SOCB concerts, the Woodward Avenue Jazz Orchestra will be performing in a variety of venues around Oakland County. If you haven’t heard this jazz band before, you are now in for a treat!

The repertoire and choice of guest artists for the 2008-2009 season is truly a collective effort among our membership: the themes reflect the interests of the Band and present an opportunity not only for you as our audience, but also for the musicians themselves to enjoy this musical experience. Again, thank you for your support and see you at our next performance!

Sincerely,

Emily M. Borus
President, South Oakland Concert Band