A junior high school student once asked Phill Sterling, “Why should I sign up for band next year? What’s it going to do for me when I get out of school?”
Sterling, the now-retired Baldwinsville band teacher, didn’t really have an answer for the student, except maybe that he could play in college.
“The kid didn’t sign up for band the next year,” Sterling said. “So I said, ‘It’s time.’”
In December 1979, Sterling and a few friends founded the Baldwinsville Community Band so local musicians could jam with each other and perform for the greater Baldwinsville area. Thirty-five years later, the band numbers about 60 members and has a repertoire of more than 550 songs.
The key to the band’s longevity, Sterling says, is his philosophy of “keeping it fun.”
There are no auditions for the Baldwinsville Community Band. Sterling seats players as the music requires, and it’s not a huge deal if you miss a rehearsal or two.
“It’s not like school,” Sterling said. “I don’t say that to deride school. You don’t get a grade; this is a recreational type of thing.”
The band performs about a dozen concerts every year, largely in the summer. The Baldwinsville Community Band’s season runs from October to June.
“Mostly, it’s about playing concerts for fun in the area,” Sterling said.
The Baldwinsville Community Band has played at Oktoberfest, the Canton Woods Senior Center, local assisted living homes and the Memorial Day parade.
“It’s a very nice tribute to our veterans and all servicepeople past and present,” Sterling said.
The band has played at the Central New York Veterans Parade and Expo at the New York State Fairgrounds as well. This year, the band will reprise that gig Nov. 8 at this fall’s expo.
With an oeuvre of upwards of 550 songs, Sterling strives to keep the material fresh with crowd-pleasers such as Disney and Broadway tunes and a few classical numbers sprinkled in. He said the band has donated retired pieces of music to other local performing groups and even to a lending library in Arkansas.
“I like to vary the program from week to week — not just for the audience, but for the players,” Sterling said.
Each year, the band prepares about 40 songs that rotate throughout its season. Sterling is open to suggestions for new pieces. The Baldwinsville Community Band’s whole library of songs can be viewed on the band’s website, bvillecommunityband.org. Sterling updates the site frequently to keep his fans current on the concert schedule and to connect with potential new members, especially younger musicians.
The band is open to musicians in high school and older. New members are always welcome to check out the group.
The Baldwinsville Community Band rehearses at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the Ray Middle School band room, starting tonight (Oct. 1). To learn more about the band and how to join, visit bvillecommunityband.org or call Phill Sterling at 638-4956.
