The Lake Area Community Band is one of nine community bands from around the state selected to perform at the First Carmel Community Band Festival. This year’s festival will be Saturday at the Minnie Doane Gazebo in Carmel. The Lake Area Community Band has been under the direction of Martin Becker for the past 11 years. The LACB is celebrating its 25th concert season this summer. In addition to the Lake Area Community Band, also performing, in order, is the Pride of Indy Concert Band, The Indianapolis Brass Choir, Zionsville Community Band, Lapel Community Band, Greenwood Community Band, Barton Rogers Big Band, Bloomington Community Band and the host Indiana Wind Symphony. Each band will present a 45-minute program and each concert begins on the hour. The Lake Area Community Band kicks off the event at 11 a.m. For more information you can go to Carmel Community Band Festival or the Lake Area Community Band websites. Inspired by the success of the Great American Brass Band Festival in Kentucky, the board of the Indiana Wind Symphony sought to create a new band festival in central Indiana. Drawing upon the organizational skills of the IWS and its friends, the Carmel Festival of Concert Bands was created to showcase the talents of Indiana bands and their dedicated musicians. This year the Carmel Festival of Concert Bands will be showing off the many talents of musicians from the Hoosier heartland. Big cities and smaller communities are represented. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and relax on the grassy commons in front of the gazebo. A wide variety of food and refreshments will be available for purchase, including ice cream, pizza and sandwiches. The Lake Area Community Band is a concert band based in Syracuse. The group performs regular concerts every spring and summer, and features traditional concert band music including marches, jazz standards and current and past pop favorites.
