After another summer season, the members of the Iowa City Community Band reflect on the band’s history.
After the end of another summer season performing in the Johnson County area, the Iowa City Community Band continues to be a summertime tradition.
Formed by University of Iowa students and community members in 1958, the Iowa City Community Band played primarily in parks in the Iowa City and Coralville area.
The Iowa City Community Band began its 2022 summer season June 19 at College Green Park and wrapped it up Sunday, July 24 at Johnson County Fairgrounds.
A part of the Iowa City community for 64 years, Steve Westcurrent musician with the Iowa City Community Band, said the band is loved because they make summer special for community members by playing great music.
“I think the public is extremely grateful because you know what better than a beautiful evening or a summer afternoon for the music of a band to play in a beautiful place somewhere in the city,” said said West.
West has been with the Iowa City Community Band since 1978 and said the band has performed a variety of concert band pieces, from songs to musicals. West said he hopes audience members enjoy the music and hopefully bring back old memories.
“Music is ageless…it’s just a lot of fun,” West said.
Brady wrote in a statement to The Iowan Daily that the current Iowa City Community Band was made possible by a graduate of the UI School of Music, Lee Copenhagen.
“He worked long hours to find the remnants of the old band and add it to produce a band that loves making music for people who love to hear it,” Brady wrote.
West said the band continues to be an integral part of the Iowa City arts and music community, not just because of the support from community members, but because of the members’ dedication. He said the majority of the band had been playing for 30 years.
“It’s really the joy of making music together and obviously also playing for an audience, but it’s quite therapeutic and rewarding to play together and make great music,” West said.
West said that sometimes IU students and high schoolers played alongside the band. The Iowa City community group has a total of seventy members playing unless members are unable to play.
“It depends on what life brings to the members, but there is a core of players who have been with the group for several years,” West said. “And I think we all look forward to the opportunity to make music every summer.”
