About

The formation of a professional concert band in the current economy is a bold move. For success, that band would need to depend upon the positive associations experienced through participation in school band activities by up to 20% of the American population. There would likely be some in that number who would financially support professional wind bands. Some of that number may have been so financially successful that they could provide significant funding. Professional bands are not new in American culture. At one time, they were the driving force in the development of American cultural values, especially through the nineteenth century. Names like Gilmore, Sousa, Conway, Kryl, Pryor, Simon, Clarke and so many others provide a portal through which one is able to discern the depth of and regard for the concert band's impact in their time. Knowledge of the professional band's history can positively affect the perception of the modern concert band as a viable vehicle for artistic expression. Thanks to the work of Edwin Franko Goldman and the many who followed, the band now has an artistically deep repertoire able to support and compliment the concert band's musical capabilities.