The Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will hold the seventh concert of our 157th season on Thursday, July 17, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The band plays a variety of music to entertain audience members of all ages. All concerts are free and everyone is welcome. Conductor Dr. Jeffrey Scott Doebler also serves as director of music education at Valparaiso University. Assistant Conductor Quincy Ford, principal saxophonist in the MCMB, previously served as director of bands and music department chair at Michigan City High School. Quincy will lead the band this week.

The July 17 concert program will include:

The Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa
American Folk Song Rhapsody No.3 by Clare Grundman
Salvation Is Created arr. Michael Brown
Tudor Sketches by William Owens
Kentucky Trotter by Frank Perkins
La Bella Roma by John Cacavas
Symphonic Highlights from “Frozen” arr. Stephen Bulla
The Beach Boys Greatest Hits arr. Michael Brown
The Fairest of the Fair by John Philip Sousa arr. Keith Brion and Loras Schissel

Continuing its tradition of concluding each concert with a patriotic audience sing-along, the Michigan City Municipal Band will close with “America The Beautiful” arranged by Warren Barker.

The MCMB 157th season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 7. The concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour.
Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker, otherwise, there is a small fee of $4 for the band concert. (The $4 applies after 7p)

At this week’s concert, the Parks and Recreation Planning Department will be available to share some information with the community. Please stop by their booth if you are able. Food trucks will be on site for the band concerts. Audience members are encouraged to patronize these local businesses.

Rick Carlson, principal trumpet for MCMB, will be the announcer.

The sixth concert of the 157th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, July 10, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

Special guest artist will be Dr. Lauren Hartman, soprano soloist. Guest conductor for one selection will be Sarah DeRossi Kelly. Dr. Hartman is a music educator, church musician, and soloist from Miami. Mrs. Kelly is one of the band teachers in the Valparaiso Community Schools. She plays piccolo and flute in the MCMB.

The July 10 concert repertoire will be:

A Kingston Trio Folk Song Overture arr. Alfred Reed
Our Cast Aways by Julie Giroux
Sarah DeRossi Kelly, conductor
They Can’t Take That Away from Me by George Gershwin
Lauren Hartman, soprano
I’ve Made My Plans for the Summer by John Philip Sousa
Lauren Hartman, soprano
Water Drops Come Spring by Richard Saucedo
It’s Not Unusual/Delilah arr. Bill Holcomb
Revival March by John Philip Sousa
Winds Across the Water by Erika Svanoe
God Bless America by Irving Berlin

Special guest artist will be soprano soloist Lauren Hartman. Dr. Hartman serves at Westminster Christian School in Palmetto Bay, Florida, where she teaches choir for grades four through twelve. She holds three degrees in voice performance: University of Miami (D.M.A.), University of Northern Iowa (M.M.), and Simpson College (B.M.). Dr. Hartman is active as a professional vocalist and church musician (vocalist, pianist, children’s choir director). She has been a frequent vocal soloist with the Miami Sousa Band and Windiana Concert Band, including Windiana tours in China and Italy. In 2022, Dr. Hartman served as a guest conductor, vocalist, and pianist with Windiana at Carnegie Hall. This month, Dr. Hartman is in residence at Valparaiso University, serving as Operations Manager for Lutheran Summer Music, the national high school music academy and festival. Dr. Hartman will sing the George and Ira Gershwin favorite, They Can’t Take that Away from Me. She’ll also sing John Philip Sousa’s comedic I’ve Made My Plans for the Summer, about a young lady declining the advances of a man she meets.

In addition to being outstanding performers, many of the Michigan City Municipal Band members are also successful conductors.Continue reading→

The Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will hold the fifth concert of our 157th season on Thursday, July 3, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The band plays a variety of music to entertain audience members of all ages. All concerts are free and everyone is welcome. Conductor Dr. Jeffrey Scott Doebler also serves as director of music education at Valparaiso University. Assistant Conductor Quincy Ford, principal saxophonist in the MCMB, previously served as director of band and music department chair at Michigan City High School. Quincy will lead the band this week.

The July 3 concert program will include:

George Washington Bicentennial March by John Philip Sousa
American Flourish by Robert W. Smith
Choose Joy by Randall D. Standridge
One Beautiful Life by Julie Giroux
Singing Sands Overture by Guy F. Foreman
Hoagy Carmichael In Concert arr. Warren Barker
Boomwhacker Ballet by Michael Boo
Funiculi Funicula by Luigi Denza arr. Philip Lang

Continuing its tradition of concluding each concert with a patriotic audience sing-along, the Michigan City Municipal Band will close with “This Is My Country” by Don Ray and Al Jacobs arranged by Hawley Ades. Finally the MCMB will a give a big Independence Day salute to the United States of America by playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa as the audience exits the park.

The MCMB 157th season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 7. The concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Michigan City Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a
Michigan City Park sticker, otherwise, there is a small fee of $4 for the band concert. (The $4 applies after 7p)

Food trucks will be on site for the band concerts. Audience members are encouraged to patronize these local businesses.

Rick Carlson, principal trumpet for MCMB, will be the announcer.

The fourth concert of the 157th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, June 26, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

Special guest artists will be Anne Marie Bice, soprano soloist; and Richard Liwosz, clarinet soloist. Guest conductor for one selection will be Jacen Smith. Mr. Smith is one of the band teachers in the Michigan City Area Schools, and he plays horn in the MCMB. The band will also honor two recently-retired, long-time members of the band.

The June 26 concert repertoire will be:

Homeward Bound March by John Philip Sousa
Clarinet on the Town by Ralph Hermann
Richard Liwosz, clarinet
La Fiera Asturiana by Michele Fernandez
Jacen Smith, conductor
Summertime by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
Anne Marie Bice, soprano
Someone to Watch Over Me by George and Ira Gershwin
Anne Marie Bice, soprano
Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla
Octane by Quincy Hilliard
Sing-along: A Patriotic Festival by Mark Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Roger and Susan Smith have recently retired from the MCMB. Sue played oboe and Roger played clarinet. Sue was a member of the MCMB for 57 years, and Roger was a member for 69 years. Roger’s tenure was even longer than the astonishing 60-year tenure of the late conductor Guy Foreman! Chosen by Sue and Roger, the MCMB will play three selections to honor them: two songs by George Gershwin, and one selection by Astor Piazzolla.

Guest soprano soloist, Anne Marie Bice, will sing the two Gershwin songs to honor Sue and Roger Smith: Summertime and Someone to Watch Over Me. Summertime comes from the1935 opera Porgy and Bess, and Someone to Watch Over Me comes from the 1926 musical Oh, Kay. Ms. Bice is a voice professor from Valparaiso University. She has extensive performance experience, sings in a wide variety of styles, and has been soloing with the Michigan City Municipal Band since 2015.

Guest clarinet soloist, Richard Liwosz, is in his 29th season with the MCMB. Mr. Liwosz is a retired music educator from the Michigan City Area Schools. He plays clarinet in Continue reading→

The third concert of the 157th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will take place during the Michigan City Juneteenth Celebration. The MCMB will perform Thursday, June 19, 4:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. Please note the earlier-than-usual concert time. All other MCMB concerts at the amphitheater begin at 7:30p.

Guest artist will be Michigan City poetess Carnessa Carnes.

The June 19 concert repertoire will be:

March: The Governor’s Own by Alton Adams
Ballad on “Balm in Gilead” from American Hymnsong Suite by Dwayne Milburn
Remembering Naomi by Dan Schaaf, Narrated by Carnessa Carnes
The Entertainer by Scott Joplin
Ellington: A Tribute to the Duke arr. Larry Kirchner
Soul Bossa Nova by Quincy Jones
Tribute to Louis Armstrong arr. John Edmondson
Sing-along: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson

The Michigan City Municipal Band is thrilled to be part of the full day of Juneteenth performances in Washington Park! The day’s events at the amphitheater begin at noon, and conclude with a 7:00 concert by The Reggie Foster Experience jazz ensemble.

The MCMB concert will include a reprise of the band’s 2024 premiere performance of Remembering Naomi by Dan Schaaf, and narrated by Carnessa Carnes. Remembering Naomi uses music, historical narrative, and the words of Naomi Anderson Continue reading→

The second concert of the 157th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, June 12, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The June 12 concert repertoire will be:

Festmusik der Stadt Wien by Richard Strauss
Broadway Showstoppers Overture by Warren Barker
The Golden Star March by John Philip Sousa
Woodwind Polka by Karol Namyslowski
Peace Like a River Spiritual Tracy Bermingham, conductor
Squirrel Chase by Carol Brittin Chambers
Taylor Swift: Eras arr. Johnnie Vinson
Wedding March by John Philip Sousa
America, the Beautiful arr. Warren Barker

Rick Carlson serves the Michigan City Municipal Band as principal trumpet, announcer, and vice president. In honor of Rick’s 50 years as a member of the band, Warren Barker’s Broadway Showstoppers Overture will be performed. This arrangement includes six classic theatre songs: Everything’s Coming Up Roses, People, With a Little Bit of Luck, On a Clear Day, Try to Remember, and That’s Entertainment. The segment from On a Clear Day contains an extended trumpet solo that will allow everyone to enjoy Rick’s beautiful sound and expression.

Continuing the tradition of featuring band members conducting individual selections, Tracy Bermingham will conduct the band on the gentle spiritual Peace Like a River. A tenor saxophonist in the Michigan City Municipal Band, Tracy is completing a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Valparaiso University. Originally from Portage, she completed her student teaching with Bridget Flory at River Forest Middle School and High School. Tracy is a teacher with Band for Today.Continue reading→

The Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will begin its 157th season on Thursday, June 5, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The MCMB is sponsored by the City of Michigan City.

The MCMB’s 157th season will consist of ten free concerts, beginning June 5, and ending August 7. The band plays a wide variety of music, with concerts designed to entertain audience members of all ages. The MCMB also plays for the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery, and in the Michigan City Patriotic Parade. With one exception, all of the concerts will be performed on Thursdays at 7:30p, and will last about an hour. On June 19, the concert will take place at 4:30p as part of the Michigan City Juneteenth Celebration. The Juneteenth MCMB concert will be followed that evening by a performance of The Reggie Foster Experience.

Highlights of the MCMB summer concert series include special guest soloists and three commissions by acclaimed composers. Guest artists will be GySgt. Hiram Diaz, euphonium, from the US Marine Band (July 31); Carnessa Carnes, narrator (June 19); Anne Marie Bice, soprano (June 26, July 24, and August 7), Richard Liwosz, clarinet (June 26); Dr. Lauren Hartman, soprano (July 10); Charles Steck and Ryan Rabe, trumpets (July 24). Other soloists and special events will be announced during the season.

The MCMB will present the premieres of three commissions:

Winds Across the Water by Erika Svanoe (June 5 and again on July 10 and August 7)
Yearning to Breathe Free by Michele Fernandez (July 24 and August 7)
Rhapsody for Euphonium by Kevin Day (July 31)

Erika Svanoe is a composer and conductor from Wisconsin. Winds Across the Water contains melodies and intervals inspired by Dr. Svanoe’s impressions of the Michigan City Lighthouse, and the breeze felt by standing at the edge of Lake Michigan in Washington Park. Michele Fernandez is a composer and conductor from Florida. Yearning to Breathe Free is a tribute to The Statue of Liberty, as we prepare to celebrate USA 250 in 2026. Kevin Day is a composer from California. His Rhapsody for Euphonium will showcase the band with world-class euphonium soloist GySgt. Hiram Diaz from the US Marine Band, “The President’s Own.”

On June 19, the MCMB will also reprise its 2024 premiere of Michigan City composer Dan Schaaf’s composition Remembering Naomi. The work honors Naomi Anderson, African-American suffragist and Michigan City Native. Naomi’s words will be narrated by Michigan City’s Carnessa Carnes.

In addition to being outstanding performers, many of the MCMB members are successful conductors. Some of those conductors will be featured on individual compositions throughout the summer: Tracy Bermingham (June 12), Jacen Smith (June 26), Sarah DeRossi (July 10), Paul Wagner (July 24), and Julie Plant (August 7). The band will also recognize two just-retired members—Roger and Susan Smith—who played in the band for 69 and 57 years, respectively (June 26).

The June 5 concert repertoire will be:

Fanfare Indiana by Guy Foreman
The Star-Spangled Banner arranged by John Philip Sousa and Walter Damrosch
The Gallant Seventh March by John Philip Sousa
Gentle Winds of Spring by Robert W. Smith
Winds Across the Water by Erika Svanoe (premiere)
Never Gonna Give You Up by Mike Stock, et al
Musical Memories Overture by Philip J. Lang
Bravada Paso Doble by Frederic Curzon
Radetsky March by Johann Strauss
Pop and Rock Legends: Elton John, arr. Ted Ricketts
Sing-along: My America arranged by Joyce Eilers

Musical Memories Overture allows everyone to remember songs of yesteryear: While Strolling through the Park One Day; After the Ball; I’ll Take You Home Again, Katheen; and Ta-ra-ra-Boom-de-ay. Philip J. Lang was a composer, arranger, and music educator who created the orchestrations for over 50 shows on Broadway, including Hello, Dolly!, Annie, and My Fair Lady.

Johann Strauss’s Radetsky March will be familiar to everyone as the encore for the annual New Year’s Eve concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Be ready Continue reading→

The tenth and final concert of the 156th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, August 8, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The concert will feature a great variety of music, including compositions by Guy Foreman and John Philip Sousa. Guest artists will be soprano Anne Marie Bice, and conductor Richard Liwosz.

The August 8 concert repertoire will be:

Canto by W. Francis McBeth

Peace Like a River Spiritual arr. Robert W. Smith

Selections from Mary Poppins by R. & R. Sherman

Anne Marie Bice, soprano

The Sound of Music by R. Rodgers, O Hammerstein

Anne Marie Bice, soprano

Hoosier Holiday Overture by Guy Foreman

Energy by Adrian Sims Richard Liwosz, conductor

The Northern Pines March by John Philip Sousa

Fantasy for Band by Frank Erickson

America, the Beautiful arr. Carmen Dragon

The Stars and Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

Guest soprano soloist Anne Marie Bice will sing music from two of the most beloved musicals: Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Ms. Bice is a voice professor from Valparaiso University. She has extensive performance experience, sings in a wide variety of styles, and has been soloing with the Michigan City Municipal Band since 2015.

In addition to being outstanding performers, many of the Michigan City Municipal Band members are successful conductors. On five concerts this season, conductors from within the band are being featured, each leading one composition.

On August 8, Richard Liwosz will conduct Energy by Adrian Sims. Mr. Liwosz is a retired music educator from the Michigan City Area Schools. He plays plays clarinet in the Michigan City Municipal Band, Windiana Concert Band, and the all-clarinet ensemble “ACE”. Mr. Liwosz holds degrees from Butler University, Purdue University, and Indiana Wesleyan University.

A native of Seattle, Adrian Sims is an African-American composer and trombonist. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, and is pursuing a graduate degree in composition at the University of Texas at Austin. He has received awards from several young composer festivals, and has had his music performed around the world. Mr. Sims describes Energy as “an electrifying burst from beginning to end.”

The Michigan City Municipal Band will be dedicating its performance of Energy to the memory of Dolores Liwosz. The mother of Richard Liwosz, Mrs. Liwosz passed away on June 30, at the age of 93. A mother, grandmother, wife, nurse, office worker, and volunteer, Mrs. Liwosz was a regular audience member for the Michigan City Municipal Band.

Guy Forrest Foreman was the most important part of the legacy of the Michigan City Municipal Band. He conducted the band for 60 of its first 133 years. Dr. Foreman had seven compositions published by Belwin. His Hoosier Holiday Overture was composed in 1959. Dr. Foreman wrote that “Hoosier Holiday portrays a vacation in the resort area of northern Indiana, along the southern shores of Lake Michigan. The music might suggest the majestic and mysterious dunes country, the romantic moonlight summer evenings, and the march-like rhythms of the band concert in the park.”

John Philip Sousa led the US Marine Band for 12 years, then went on to form his own band that toured the world for another 39 years. Mr. Sousa composed The Northern Pines March in 1931, after a wonderful experience serving as a guest conductor for the National Music Camp at Interlochen in Michigan.

Continuing its tradition of concluding each concert with a patriotic audience sing-along, the Michigan City Municipal Band will close with Carmen Dragon’s famous setting of America, the Beautiful.

The Michigan City Municipal Band sincerely appreciates the citizens, city government, and parks department of Michigan City for supporting the band!

Thanks to our videographer, Ruben Alexander, the Michigan City Municipal Band can be seen on television all year long. For Michigan City area residents, the concerts are broadcast every Wednesday, at 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, on cable channel 99. The band concerts also air in Fort Wayne.

All of the Michigan City Municipal Band concerts are free, and everyone is welcome. School band members and young children are especially encouraged to attend. Parking on Lake Shore Drive is prohibited. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker; otherwise, there is a parking fee of $4 for the band concert. (The $4 fee applies after 7:00p.)

Food trucks will be on site for the band concerts. Audience members are encouraged to patronize these local businesses.

Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for the MCMB, and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor. Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University. Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and music department chair from Michigan City High School.

The band’s announcer is Rick Carlson.

Due to forecasted inclement weather, the August 1 concert by the Michigan City Municipal Band will take place in the Michigan City High School Auditorium, 8466 W. Pahs Road. The concert will start at 7:30p CDT.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS

· Enter via Door “O”.

· Auditorium doors will open at approximately 6:30p.

· There is no admission charge for the concert.

BAND MEMBERS

· I will bring the music folders.

· I will bring the music notebooks.

· Enter via Door “O”.

· The band room in the amphitheater will not be open.

· Tune and Talk Through still happens at 7:20p.

· I will bring my portable sound system with extension cords for Allen Smith to use.

· I will do my best to have the stage set up for you when you arrive, including percussion.

· The following percussion will be provided by MCHS:

• 4 timpani
• bass drum
• xylophone
• marimba
• vibraphone
• chimes
• Orchestra bells
• suspended cymbal
• crash cymbals
• hi hat
• gong

· If there is other equipment you would like me to bring from the amphitheater, please let me know.

***CONCERT LOCATION CHANGE TONIGHT***

Due to forecasted inclement weather, the August 1 concert by the Michigan City Municipal Band will take place in the Michigan City High School Auditorium, 8466 W. Pahs Road. The concert will start at 7:30p CDT.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS

· Enter via Door “O”.

· Auditorium doors will open at approximately 6:30p.

· There is no admission charge for the concert.

BAND MEMBERS

· I will bring the music folders.

· I will bring the music notebooks.

· Enter via Door “O”.

· The band room in the amphitheater will not be open.

· Tune and Talk Through still happens at 7:20p.

· I will bring my portable sound system with extension cords for Allen Smith to use.

· I will do my best to have the stage set up for you when you arrive, including percussion.

· The following percussion will be provided by MCHS:

• 4 timpani
• bass drum
• xylophone
• marimba
• vibraphone
• chimes
• Orchestra bells
• suspended cymbal
• crash cymbals
• hi hat
• gong

· If there is other equipment you would like me to bring from the amphitheater, please let me know.

Thursday, August 1, 2024 

The ninth concert of the 156th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, July 18, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. In case of inclement weather, the concert will take place in the Michigan City High School Auditorium, 8466 W. Pahs Road.

The concert will feature two premieres! Michigan City composer Dan Schaaf has written Remembering Naomi to honor Naomi Anderson, African-American suffragist and Michigan City native. Remembering Naomi will be narrated by Michigan City’s Carnessa Carnes.

On the same night, a new concerto by Dr. Kimberly Archer—titled Summer Nights at the Bandstand—will showcase the band with world-class euphonium soloist GySgt. Hiram Diaz, from the US Marine Band, “The President’s Own.”

The August 1 concert repertoire will be:

The Thunderer March by John Philip Sousa

Summer Nights at the Bandstand by Kimberly Archer

Hymn to the Dawn by Kimberly Archer

Blue Comet by Jorge Vargas

Prince in Concert arr. Paul Murtha

Pax by Catherine McMichael

Remembering Naomi by Dan Schaaf

George Washington Bicentennial March by John Philip Sousa

My America arr. Joyce Eilers

Remembering Naomi, by Michigan City composer Dan Schaaf, uses music, historical narrative, and the words of Naomi Anderson to tell the story of Michigan City’s important suffragist. Mr. Schaaf is the founder of Sudden Productions. For almost 25 years, his music, videos, and music theatre works have been acclaimed in performances throughout Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and New York. The commissioned arranger for Remembering Naomi is Alexander Keim, a LaPorte native and Valparaiso University graduate. Mr. Keim is a professional percussionist. He is a former music teacher, who now specializes in information technology. Narrator Carnessa Carnes lives in Michigan City. She serves as a poetry workshop facilitator, and is the creator of Bless the Mic Open Mic Show.

Dr. Kimberly Archer teaches at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Her compositions have been played around the world, including the most recent national tour of the US Coast Guard Band. In Summer Nights at the Bandstand, Dr. Archer has brought the virtuosic turn-of-the-twentieth-century solo tradition into the 21st century. Dr. Archer’s composition showcases the world-class musicianship of euphoniumist GySgt. Hiram Diaz, and also gives a nod to the Olympics.

Gunnery Sergeant Hiram Diaz grew up in Miami. He graduated from Miami’s New World School of the Arts, then earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He joined the US Marine Band, “The President’s Own,” in 2012. He is co-leader of the Marine Band’s Latin Jazz Ensemble.

All of the Michigan City Municipal Band concerts are free, and everyone is welcome. School band members and young children are especially encouraged to attend. Parking on Lake Shore Drive is prohibited. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker; otherwise, there is a parking fee of $4 for the band concert. (The $4 fee applies after 7:00p.)

Food trucks will be on site for the band concerts. Audience members are encouraged to patronize these local businesses.

Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for the MCMB, and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor. Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University. Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and music department chair from Michigan City High School.

The band’s announcer is Rick Carlson.