When Lisa Brookins joined the board of Parents of Music Students (POMS) at Belmont Public Schools, she asked a lot of questions about bringing more music to the Belmont community. At the top of her list: What happened to the now-defunct Parent Teacher Band? Could they bring it back?
She learned that the Parent Teacher Band disappeared during the COVID pandemic when members couldn’t gather for rehearsals — it’s hard to practice together on Zoom. To answer the second question, she asked parents if they were interested in playing in a band again.
“I said, ‘When you see your kid up there playing, do you wish you could play, too?’”
The answer was a resounding yes. So resounding, in fact, that the turnout shocked those running the program. Almost 70 people signed up for this inaugural ensemble, Brookins said. Co-sponsored by POMS and Powers Music School, the new ensemble is dubbed the Belmont Community Band.
“I underestimated the amount of pent-up demand for fun,” Brookins said.
Some of the attraction is due to its conductor, said Gavin Farrell, the executive director of Powers Music School. Former Chenery Middle School music teacher John McLellan returns to lead the band.
“The folks who’d never experienced [McLellan] before were just like, ‘Oh, I get it now,’” Farrell said about the feedback he heard after the band’s first rehearsal on April 8.
Miles Mamigonian, who plays the timpani in the Community Band, agreed. McLellan was his middle school band director. The senior at Tufts University returns to Belmont on Tuesdays to play “with my third favorite person in the entire world.” Mamigonian said he admires McLellan’s approachability and level of care in an ensemble setting.
McLellan wants to make sure the band, which is open to all abilities, works for everyone. When a player told him that he had trouble keeping up at the first rehearsal, McLellan modified it for him.
“I’ve spent most of this week in between [rehearsals] rewriting parts to make it possible for him to contribute more fully,” McLellan wrote in an email.
McLellan encourages the musicians to self-edit. It takes the intimidation factor out of the ensemble, which helps adult learners who have varying levels of experience with their instrument, said Meghan Miller, the associate director of Powers Music School.
Many members of the band joined to get back into playing their instruments. Karen Gut, who plays the bassoon, was having trouble finding ways to play after the demise of the Parent Teacher Band. The Community Band has enabled her to reconnect with fellow adult musicians and play in a big ensemble again.
Brookins said that the musicians are investing in their own enjoyment, but they’re also investing in the next generation. She hopes the performance on May 22 at Belmont High School Auditorium, following the Belmont Middle School Band Concert, will encourage students in the middle school to continue their music education.
As a music educator, McLellan is excited to provide an opportunity for adults to play.
“Life-long learning … might require opportunities offered through the energies of our since-retired teachers,” he wrote. “This is the case with me and several others like me who have committed to the mission of keeping minds alert and providing social interaction through playing music together.”
For more information, please visit powersmusic.org/program/belmont-community-band/
