Brown launches River City Community Band

Adam Brown may be new to Demopolis, but he’s already generating a lot of interest in a new project – the River City Community Band.

Brown is band director at Demopolis Middle and U.S. Jones Elementary schools, a job he began last August as a newly minted graduate of Troy University. He instructs some 100 students in fifth through eighth grades, preparing the novice musicians to join the high school band.

“There’s a lot of potential here,” Brown said. He’s enjoyed working with the students and watched how their skills have improved. “I’ve realized how far they’ve come,” he said.

The idea of starting a community band was “partially triggered by my own desire to perform,” he explained. While at Troy he played the trombone in both the marching and concert bands.

“To me music is a universal language,” Brown continued. He believes that if Thomasville and Tuscaloosa can organize such a band, “why not us?” In fact, he has reached out to the director in Tuscaloosa for pointers on how to get a band started.

The first meeting of those interested was held Monday, Feb. 26. Ten prospective musicians attended, happily representing all the major instruments needed in a band, said Brown. The initial get-together was to find out the level of interest and set plans in place for rehearsals.

Every Monday, beginning March 5, the group will meet in the Demopolis High School band room from 6:30-8 p.m. to rehearse. Anyone who has completed high school is invited to join the group. He has plans to recruit from the University of West Alabama to see if there is interest.

The band already has a Facebook page that links to a website.

Brown said he will be “glad to ‘retrain’” those who have not picked up an instrument for a while.

“It just like riding a bicycle, but with more buttons,” he joked.

Of course there are costs involved in setting up a band. Initially the group will use the musical libraries available at the middle and high schools. Members of the group are being asked to pay a nominal fee to cover the cost of t-shirts, music and printing. Brown said no contribution will be turned down.

Mayor John Laney already has given his support and offered a spare file cabinet and storage if needed for the band’s use.

The fledgling River City Community Band plans to have its first concert sometime in May, “even if we play only two pieces and have 10 people,” promised Brown.

The whole purpose is to “make music with each other and spread music in the community.”