Lack of Funding Threatens Community Bands

August 1, 2010 -- They've got trouble. Right there in Adrian City. With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "C" and that stands for cash.The Adrian City Band in Michigan dates to the late 1830s and is one of the oldest, continuously organized community bands in the USA, director Jim Rice says.

That distinction was jeopardized this year when the down economy forced the city, about 30 miles from Ann Arbor, to cut the $7,530 it had provided annually to help fund the band.

Rice, who has led the band for 14 years, and his membership of 40-45 musicians decided to forge ahead on their eight-concert schedule without the money and vowed not to let the band's run end on his watch.

"I'm not going to let this legacy of being one of the oldest, continuous community bands lapse simply because we didn't get the money from the city," Rice said.

The struggles in Adrian to keep its band afloat are indicative of challenges that bands in other communities across the country are seeing. Budget cuts force some municipalities to reduce or eliminate funding for community bands, whose free summertime concerts are a cherished part of life in many American towns, especially in the Midwest.

An anonymous donor contributed $1,000 this year to pay for the sheet music the Adrian City band plays, Rice says. Funding cuts mean the band members won't get the $5 per concert they get if they attend that week's rehearsal. The band's assistant director decided to forgo his $580 salary, and band members won't get the T-shirts they used to wear for concerts. Many of the band members are professional musicians who will play for the enjoyment and not the minimal stipend they can earn, said Dennis Gibbs, who plays the helicon in the band. He said he believes funding from the city will rebound in a few years.

"We're fortunate that we have a conductor who worked for free. As long as we have a conductor, we're going to be fine," Gibbs said. "It doesn't cost that much to run a band."

Funding cuts across the nation have resulted in fewer shows, more musicians playing for free and bands having to raise money or seek business partnerships to sustain their operations.