Strike up the Band: Love shines through in Community Concert Band’s newest performance
Posted in Stu News
It’s fitting Sunday’s concert at Laguna Beach High School is entitled Songs from the Heart, because the Laguna Community Concert Band (LCCB), which will be performing, is all about heart.
“We really love to play music and we really love to perform,” Director Mark Lowery said of the group of dedicated musicians. “The community band is an outlet for people who want to play for fun.”
And who are willing to invest their time.
The group rehearses every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. and hosts concerts whenever the opportunity arises – a situation that is dictated more by venue availability than systemic scheduling.
Director Mark Lowery started conducting the LCCB almost seven years ago, after retiring as a school band director. However, he was familiar with the group, because his father played French horn with them into his nineties. And yes, Lowery was able to direct his dad in a performance.
A busy performance schedule
Lisa Morrice wears many hats for the LCCB, but is primarily known for her vocal prowess with the group
The valentine’s-themed concert is the first of the year, but at the following Tuesday’s rehearsal, the musicians will receive the music for the band’s performance in March’s Patriot’s Day Parade. And then there’s a show featuring film scores in early May and the annual Memorial Day concert at Main Beach followed by performances at the Festival of Arts in July and August.
Each concert has its own theme, and the music is selected by the directors – in addition to Lowery, Pete Fournier is also at the helm of the 50-plus musicians.
“I pick music the audience wants to hear and music that the musicians want to play,” explained Lowery. But simply because a piece is good doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for the Community Concert Band.
“I just listened to the soundtrack of Dances with Wolves,” he said. “It’s beautiful, but I don’t know yet if it’s right for this band. Part of my training as a conductor is listening and choosing music that challenges, but doesn’t overchallenge, the musicians.”
In addition, the vocalists, who only rehearse with the band a few times before a show, need to be considered when selecting the music.
Adapting to changing circumstances
The band is comprised of more than 50 dedicated musicians who practice together every week
“Our main thing is a real passion for live music,” said Lisa Morrice, a professional singer who is now a primary vocalist for the community band and also emcees the concerts and handles marketing.
“The Community Band allows people access to live music right here in town,” she said. “Laguna Beach is an artistic community and they really nurture us.”
In addition to great attendance at concerts, the community band also receives grants, including from the Cultural Arts Foundation. And the group provides two scholarships to graduating seniors from Laguna Beach High School.
“We performers look at our participation with the community band as an act of love,” said Morrice. “It’s basically the same as community theater, but for musicians.”
Sunday’s concert will feature three vocalists and include some traditional romantic songs, spanning the gamut from the early 20th century through the 1940s. In addition to Morrice, soprano Candice Carvalho and baritone Gary Greene will also be performing.
And although the band itself has a long reputation of staying power – LCCB was formed in 1999 by three musicians enjoying coffee at Zinc Café – musicians do come and go. As a former school band director, Lowery knows the challenges of balancing the sounds of first, second and even third players on specific instruments.
Soprano Candice Carvalho will be performing during Sunday’s “Songs From the Heart” performance
“It’s based on a triangle of sound,” Lowery said of a symphony. “If everybody is playing the first part, it’d be edgy and yuck.” At the bottom of the pyramid is a low sound, like a tuba, while the high would be a piccolo or flute. “We want a balanced sound.”
He is thrilled the community band has strong talent on all the major instruments, especially since his philosophy is the musicians who show up and practice are the ones who play. “I won’t bring someone in and move a member down a seat. That doesn’t sound fair to me,” he said. “It’s a community band. If I can’t get the music to sound good, that’s my fault, not the musicians.”
But that’s what rehearsals are for, said Lowery. “We’re here to have a good time and everybody is here to play to the best of their ability. And it better be fun or we’re doing something wrong.”
Songs from the Heart begins at 2 p.m. on. Sunday, Feb. 5, at the Artists Theater at Laguna Beach High School, 625 Park Ave., Laguna Beach.
For more information about the Laguna Community Concert Band, go here.
Music Makers
Laguna Community Concert Band performing last year at Laguna Playhouse, conducted by Mark Lowery | Photo by Peyton Webster
The Laguna Community Concert Band has shared its love of music through local performances over the past two decades.
By Sharael Kolberg
Celebrating more than 20 years of making music together, the Laguna Community Concert Band spreads joy throughout town, one note at a time, through public concerts and by partnering with local schools to promote music education. What started over a cup of coffee amongst friends at Zinc Cafe in 1999 has turned out to be a cherished community organization. The band has more than 65 members who enjoy playing music as much as residents enjoy listening to it.
Composing the Group
The original idea for the band came from three founding members: flutist Theresa Marino, local conductor Bill Nicholls, and Laguna Beach Arts Commission member and musician Carol Reynolds. Their love of music and eagerness to share it with the community led them to put in the time and effort to make the band a reality. It was originally offered as a class—with only eight participants—through the city’s Recreation Division and has grown over time.
Band members come from all walks of life—a mix of professional musicians, educators and those who like playing just for fun. They enjoy creating harmony together, but also appreciate the camaraderie.
Students after a show with the Concert Band and Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker (third from right) | Photo by Jennifer Baker
“We have the full spectrum of musicians, from members who went to The Juilliard School, members who had careers as music teachers as well as people who haven’t played since their college days or are just picking up an instrument for the first time and want to play. As a community band we are available for everyone,” says Jay Kramer, who serves on the band’s board and as community engagement officer. “We rehearse and play music for all skill levels so everyone can feel comfortable.”
Kramer, who plays clarinet and saxophone and has been with the band since its first year, encourages others to sign up. The requirements to join are only a love of performing and a commitment to attend the scheduled concerts and weekly rehearsals at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at Laguna Beach High School. Members must also pay annual dues.
Stage Presence
The band was established as a nonprofit in 2000 and includes both a 50-piece concert band and an 18-member Laguna JaZz Band; some jazz players also perform with the full concert band. There’s also a Dixieland Band, Brass Quintet, Clarinet Quartet and both woodwind and flute ensembles; the latter is led by Pacific Symphony flutist Cindy Ellis. They can be heard playing throughout the year at Festival of Arts, Sawdust Art Festival, Fête de la Musique, Patriot’s Day Parade, Hospitality Night, Memorial Day gatherings, concerts in the park and private events.
The Laguna JaZz Band (a subsection of the Concert Band) performing at Laguna Woods Village in the spring | Photo by Ashley Littlefield
The groups also perform at indoor venues like Laguna Playhouse and Artists Theatre at Laguna Beach High School, presenting genres from pop to rock, swing, big band and classical as well as movie medleys, show tunes and other pieces from what’s known as the Great American Songbook, which is the enduring canon of influential songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century onward.
“It has been our pleasure to bring the power, magic and sheer joy of live music to Laguna Beach—completely free of charge,” says Lisa Morrice, a board member who handles publicity and marketing communications for the band and also serves as a vocalist and emcee. Morrice mentions that the band has performed with well-known artists like Stray Cats bass player Lee Rocker and English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer Peter Asher, of pop duo Peter and Gordon, but best known for producing multiplatinum albums for James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. “But our heart belongs to Laguna,” Morrice says. “We’re an eclectic team … dedicated to the positive power of music.”
Even while in-person rehearsals were paused during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the band found ways to keep in touch through Zoom, recording a couple of songs that are now available to hear on YouTube with the help of video master Patrick Dobrinen and Lynn Olinger, director of the Laguna JaZz Band.
The band rehearsing with English guitarist, singer and manager Peter Asher (front of room, center) | Photo by Mitch Ridder
“It was a huge undertaking to combine the video and audio, but we turned to that as a way to do something artistic together while apart,” says Jennifer Baker, a clarinetist who serves on the board as director of educational outreach for the band.
All That Jazz
For some events, the Laguna JaZz Band—rather than the entire concert band—takes the stage with a repertoire of jazz, swing, blues, pop and Latin styles, performing big-band numbers on instruments ranging from saxophones to trumpets, trombones, guitar, bass, piano, drums and other percussion, along with a female vocalist. The group began in 1989 when eight musicians joined through the city’s Recreation Division to play jazz together before becoming part of the concert band in 2003.
Olinger joined six years ago. As director, he’s responsible for choosing music to expand the group’s jazz experience while also planning rehearsals and serving the community by arranging for the band to play at various events.
Laguna Community Concert Band at Hospitality Night | Photo by Mitch Ridder
Olinger started out as a musician, playing the keyboard and then saxophone all the way through college and the U.S. Army Band. He went on to teach music in Capistrano Unified School District for 36 years. Now that he’s retired, he enjoys performing again; he plays all types of saxophones—alto, soprano, tenor and baritone—in local jazz and concert bands including the Laguna group. “We are happy and excited to be playing together … [in] the community,” Olinger says. “I love playing in Laguna. It is a great town and arts community. We love the wonderful crowds when we play in Laguna Beach outdoor settings such as Main Beach and the Festival of Arts. People stop, listen and get involved with singing along and dancing. Not a lot of people get to see big band jazz very often, but when they do, they stop and appreciate this special form of jazz.”
Olinger notes that a few of the musicians have even come together to create a Jazz Quintet and Jazz Sax Septet with rhythm section for smaller venues and events.
Music Lessons
As a nonprofit organization, the band prides itself on supporting the community through its musical efforts. The group does so by performing at events throughout Laguna Beach that bring locals together. In addition, the band supports music education in town by creating collaborative performance opportunities with the bands and orchestras in Laguna Beach Unified School District.
The Laguna JaZz Band at Fête de la Musique last year at Main Beach | Photo by Dave Evans
“When I came on board in 2013, our goal was to collaborate with one school music program each year,” Baker says. In 2014, members of the high school band and jazz ensemble joined Laguna Community Concert Band in its performance with Lee Rocker. The following year, the Concert Band joined Thurston Middle School’s student musicians at City Hall to play carols for the tree lighting ceremony during Hospitality Night.
In 2016, the Concert Band teamed up with Top of the World and El Morro elementary schools to perform a “Star Wars” medley, complete with guest stars—Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Yoda and Rey, played by local school leaders and Baker’s daughters. The following year, the Concert Band won an Art Star Award from the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance for the collaboration. “That summer, we offered a program for middle and high school students to rehearse with the band and perform at the Festival of Arts,” Baker says. “This allowed students to play side by side with the band during summer concerts at Festival of Arts.”
Concert Band members after performing a “Star Wars” music program with students | Photo by Jennifer Baker
Additionally, the band sponsors two $1,000 student scholarships for Laguna Beach High School graduating seniors, which are funded by concert income and donations; one is given in memory of Roger Shew, the beloved former jazz band instructor at both the high school and Thurston Middle School, who passed away in 2016. And these scholarships are not limited to students who plan to pursue a music degree in college. “Whether the student goes into music as a profession or continues as a hobby,” Baker says, “we want to support music for life.”
Laguna Community Concert Band opens season on May 15
Vocalist Samantha Morrice
Posted In Stu News
The Laguna Community Concert Band opens its 22nd season at the Artists Theatre on Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m. with a rousing concert of cowboy classics.
“Back in the Saddle Again,” covers a lot of musical territory – from film and television theme songs like “The Lone Ranger,” “Rawhide,” “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” and “How the West Was Won” – to pop faves like “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “The Tennessee Waltz,” and “Happy Trails to You.”
Featured vocalists Samantha Morrice and Gary Greene join band emcee Lisa Morrice to sing a medley of songs from the musical Oklahoma, and Green solos on “Rawhide” and “Ghost Riders in The Sky.”
Like all of the band’s performances, this concert is free. “Part of our goal is to bring music to the people,” said Mark Lowery, co-conductor of the Laguna Community Concert Band. “Especially now, many plays, concerts and events remain financially out of reach for so many. These free performances bring the power and joy of live music to everyone in the community.”
The Laguna Community Concert Band rehearses at the Laguna Beach High School band room on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. For the latest news about the band and a calendar of concerts, visit www.lagunaconcertband.com.
The Artists Theatre is located at 625 Park Ave., Laguna Beach.
Laguna Community Concert Band virtually records “America the Beautiful”
Read the full article in the Laguna Beach Indy
The Laguna Community Concert Band fans and other music lovers can watch a virtual performance by this local musical group.
The Community Band family came together virtually and created an instrumental rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Sound engineers Patrick Dobrinen collected audio and visual recordings from the musicians and edited them together to produce the video… read more here.
Laguna Community Concert Band reaches 20 years on a high note
Over a cup of coffee at Zinc Cafe in 1999, flutist Theresa Marino, conductor Bill Nicholls and then-city Arts Commissioner Carol Reynolds were playing it by ear when they decided to start a community concert band.
Now, with two decades of fine-tuning under its belt, the Laguna Community Concert Band is sounding the trumpet for its 20th anniversary, albeit a bit late, with a free two-hour concert Sunday at the Laguna Beach High School Artists’ Theatre… read more here.
Members of the Laguna Community Concert Band practice for Sunday’s 20th-anniversary show, called “Thanks for the Memories.”
A Night of Big Band and Swinging Jazz
Posted In Stu News
On July 21st The Laguna Community Jazz Band played at Festival of the Arts, in Laguna Beach.