The Ridgewood Concert Band - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

We had Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Did you know that today is Giving Tuesday? If you haven’t already, please donate to our “Heartbeat of the RCB” Percussion Fundraising Campaign!

https://www.gofundme.com/rcbpercussion

The percussion (drums) section is the heartbeat of any musical ensemble and percussion section of the Ridgewood Concert Band (RCB) is no exception. The percussionists of the RCB keep the pulse of the music and add color and texture to the music that we play each season.

The Ridgewood Concert Band is committed to making a substantial contribution to the music and artistic life of our community by providing audiences with the highest level of wind music performances. In order to perform at the highest level our musicians need the highest level quality instruments. Most band members provide their own personal instruments because they play just one instrument (eg. clarinet, trombone). However, the percussion music includes such a wide variety of instruments (marimba, xylophone, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, snare drum….just to name a basic few!) that a percussionist may play three, four, or five instruments in the course of just one piece! Because a percussionist simply cannot own, store, and transport EVERY percussion instrument, the RCB has a selection of percussion equipment that it owns for its members to use. However, after 33 seasons the equipment being used is showing its age and it is time to provide instruments that match the quality of the percussionists playing them.

This Percussion Fundraiser is being spearheaded by the Ridgewood Concert Band Society (RCBS), which is a group of donors and members that are committed to supporting the creative endeavors of the ensemble and insuring that the RCB can be financially sound both today and in the future. The RCBS has created this Percussion Fundraiser in order to purchase items off of the “Percussion Section Wishlist”, including a vibraphone and a set of timpani.

Please consider putting your support behind this endeavor to make sure the heartbeat of the RCB remains strong!

The Ridgewood Concert Band “A Salute to Our Veterans ”

November 9th 2014

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Concert Band “A Salute to Our Veterans ” Friday November 14th at West Side Presbyterian Church and is FREE for Veterans and Active Duty Military Members .

The Ridgewood Concert Band (RCB) will continue their 32nd Season with their annual “Salute to Our Nation’s Veterans” concert. As a sign of our appreciation for their service, this concert is free of charge for veterans and active duty military members.

The RCB is pleased to welcome back Col. Arnald Gabriel, conductor emeritus of the U.S. Air Force Band, as a guest conductor. It is fitting that Col. Gabriel joins the RCB for their annual salute to veterans as he was a combat machine gunner with the United States Army’s famed 29th Infantry Division during World War II and received two awards of the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the French Croix de Guerre.

The program will include a wide variety of music ranging from patriotic classics to a new clarinet concerto by Michael Gandolfi performed by the RCB’s Concertmaster Richard Summers. The RCB will also perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Hail! California”, which has not been performed in 100 years. (See “Program Note” below.)

The Mahwah High School Band under the direction of Jeffrey Bittner will open with a prelude performance at 7:30pm and the RCB program will begin at 8:00pm.