This Wednesday, July 31 at 7 p.m., the Lake Area Community Band will present a free concert at Lakeview Middle School Auditorium.  
The band is celebrating its 35th concert season and recognizing their director, Marty Becker, for his 55 years of conducting school and community musical ensembles.
The highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of a piece that the Lake Area Community Band has commissioned to honor Becker, according to a provided news release. The commissioned work is titled “Fountains” and is based on the popular hymn setting “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” one of Becker’s favorite hymns.
The commissioned work was written by Dr. Onsby Rose, currently the director of instrumental activities and associate professor of music at Dordt University. Prior to Rose's arrival in northwest Iowa, he attended the University of South Carolina as a music education major and in 1997 he was accepted as a trombonist for the U.S. Marine Corps fleet bands. He also served for two years as a baritone bugler with The Commandant's Own U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps in Washington, D.C.
In 2016, Rose completed his Master of Music in conducting at Appalachian State University. He then completed his in DMA in conducting at The Ohio State University.
Rose's musical compositions have been performed by many premiere civilian and military ensembles throughout the world. Rose will be present at the concert and guest conduct John Philip Sousa’s “Semper Fidelis March.”
The Lake Area Community Band has been bringing the “joy of music to our communities” since 1989, the release states. The band truly is the Lake Area Community Band as this season’s schedule includes nine concerts across several lake communities in Northern Indiana, the release says. The 55-member concert band will be joined on the second half of the program with former LACB band members, conductors, students of Becker, along with special guest musicians. Becker has been directing the group since 2002 after he retired as director of bands for Warsaw Community Schools.
Other musical selections featured on the Celebration Concert will be Leroy Anderson’s famous Boston Pops arrangement of “Seventy-Six Trombones” from “The Music Man.” Another Anderson favorite, “The Bugler’s Holiday,” will feature nine trumpeters. A couple John Philip Sousa Marches, “Semper Fidelis” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever” also will be performed.
Since the Olympics are going on, Becker thought it only appropriate to program John Williams famous “Olympic Spirit.” A special slideshow featuring special moments of the Lake Area Community Band will be shown as the band performs Beatles hit “Yesterday” and Bob Hope’s famous theme song “Thanks for the Memory.”
The audience is invited to attend a reception following the concert.