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.

• In Eau Claire, Wis., the city cut more than a third of the funding for its municipal band, down to $2,900, said finance director Rebecca Noland. Musicians who used to get $8 for each concert play for free and raise funds on their own. The band still plans to hold its eight-concert series and plays on Thursday nights.

• In Corpus Christi, Texas, city funding for the municipal band has dried up, prompting the band to cut its six-week season, which had been funded by a private foundation, to one concert, said Ed Houlihan, assistant director of management and budget. Donations from businesses and individuals restored two of the concerts and will pay for at least three next year, said Loren Hall, who was one of four directors when the band began in 1952 and is its director today.

• In Decatur, Ill., funding was reduced by $15,000, but the band has saved some money from past years to almost make up for the decrease, said Billy Tyus, assistant city manager. The 153-year-old band avoided having to cut its Monday night concert schedule.

• In St. Cloud, Minn., funding for the Municipal Band has decreased from about $40,000 two years ago to $21,000 in 2009 and $15,000 this year, Mayor Dave Kleis said. The band raised its own money privately to pay for a trip to Germany this year to play in St. Cloud's sister city of Spalt.

• In Waukegan, Ill., Mayor Bob Sabonjian decided to eliminate the $15,000 to $18,000 the band received in recent years. That meant that 40-50 members won't receive the $40 weekly stipend for rehearsal and the performance.

As cities nationwide struggle to provide core services such as utilities, transportation, police officers and firefighters, everything in the budget is on the table when budget cuts are made, said Chris Hoene, director of research for the National League of Cities.

When layoffs, furloughs and reduction of core services are discussed, things such as bands, libraries, fireworks displays and parks and trails can fall down the list of priorities, he said.

"If this was a choice between a community band and the softball league, you could see a case being made for one vs. the other," he said.

In Hampton Iowa, it was the band shell that was in more jeopardy than the band recently. The band shell was built in 1959 and needed repairs to its stage floor to remain usable. The Hampton City Council recently approved a renovation that is expected to cost about $90,000, said Ron Dunt, city manager. The city will chip in some of the money, and the rest will come from grants, donations and fundraising, he said.

"The band shell is kind of an icon for a small town in Iowa," Dunt said. "Where there is a will there is a way, because it's just that important."

Unze reports for the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times