The sticky-hot atmosphere, bright lights, and sounds of laughter from the carnival; long days and the smell of gunpowder from fireworks—what’s not to love about those lively three months we call “summer”, especially when spent in Rolla, Missouri? A special highlight of this hot season is the Rolla Town band, a long-standing local tradition that has existed since the 1800s.
Town Band typically takes place from mid-June through early July, where anyone can participate in an ensemble with community members ranging anywhere from seventh graders to people well into their adult lives. The only requirement is basic knowledge of an instrument and the ability to read music. Even if you don’t play any instruments, you are more than welcome to come and enjoy the wonderful concerts on the lawn right outside Castleman Hall.
Over the years, Rolla High School has had several students and even staff of its own participate in town band. One of these people is senior Lily Bristow, who has been active in town band since her eighth grade year.
“I just really enjoy getting to participate in a casual kind of ensemble over the summer. Because, for any band program, there’s nothing really going on [over the summer]. Town band is very low-stakes, but it’s a place where you can just come and play music with other people,” Bristow said.
Town band is a great opportunity to either freshen up or improve your music skills. The performed material has a wide range of levels—anywhere from simple lines of music to advanced passages. So the diverse selection of music is a great way to strengthen your sightreading ability.
“We have people of literally all skill levels. There’s occasionally kids who have just started playing or people who are quite a bit older who haven’t played their instrument in years. There’s also a couple professional musicians there,” Bristow said. “Over the summer, a lot of people stall because all that you can really do is play by yourself, whereas, normally, you’re in a band every day doing rehearsals. I think it’s a really good way to keep up with your sightreading and just practice playing along with other people in a time where you normally don’t have that opportunity,” Bristow said.
Town band director David Samson was a member of the town band in high school and later took the role of conductor. Samson is also the band director at Missouri S&T and is familiar with the rich history behind Rolla Town Band.
“The earliest community band that I’ve run into came from the 1870s. I do know that, in the 1880s, there used to be a Conservatory of Music in Rolla. The conservatory was started by one of the first professors at the Missouri School of Mines [Missouri S&T],” Samson said. “Sometime again in 1991, maybe, a new band was formed, a German band, and they called themselves the ‘World’s Finest’ Rolla German band. At some point in the late 80s, early 90s, the German band helped keep the town band going.”
Town Band has its own tradition. At the end of every concert, they play what is arguably the most famous march to exist as an encore.
“At the end of every concert, we play ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ by John Philip Sousa, and that is my favorite march ever. It makes me so happy to get to play that at every concert just because I don’t normally get to. It is so exciting for me to get to play that all the time with a band,” Bristow said.
The distant melody of ‘Stars and Stripes’ and the smell of fresh cut grass is calling your name, so come on out and support the Rolla town band this summer!
