Cultural Event: Summer Band Concert

Big Rapids Band Shell Summer Concert Series. Courtesy of Richard Scott Cohen, Director of the Ferris Community Band.

Big Rapids Band Shell Summer Concert Series. Courtesy of Richard Scott Cohen, Director of the Ferris Community Band.

This week, the Ferris Community Band will be holding two more of their summer concerts. The first will be held on Wednesday, June 21st at 7:00pm at the Big Rapids Band Shell (River Walk at Hemlock Park, behind Big Rapids Middle School). The rain location will be the Big Rapids First United Methodist Church at 304 Elm St. The second concert will be held on Thursday, June 22nd at 7:00pm as part of the “Block Party Music for a Healthy Community” event at Centennial Park (between the Mecosta County Medical Center and Riverview Elementary School). The rain location for this concert will be Riverview Elementary School at 509 Willow Ave.

About the Concerts

Now in its third week of community music-making throughout the greater Big Rapids area, the Ferris Community Summer Band presents its 3rd and 4th concerts of the 2017 season! This series of free outdoor concerts features an enjoyable variety of musical styles performed by our local talented musicians.

The Ferris Community Summer Band’s Concert #3 of the 2017 season kicks off the Big Rapids Shell Summer Concert Series. Concert #4 will be presented in Centennial Park in conjunction with the annual Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital’s Community Block Party and Health Fair. There will be different programs for these two concerts, which will present a great variety of musical styles including Movie Music, Marches, Video Game Music, Classical Music Hits, Japanese Style Music, Broadway Music, Spanish Music, and Surf Rock Music.

These concerts will also showcase the talents of several of the band members’ individual musicians, including T. Patrick Billig (euphonium), Nedra Neumann (clarinet), and Tony Weglarz (tenor saxophone). Wednesday’s Band Shell Concert will also feature classical guitarists Riley William Smith from Mt. Pleasant, who is a classical guitar major at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and who is the son of Big Rapids native Lisa Donahue Sheffert and the grandson of former Ferris Music Director Bill Donahue.

Concert Selections

  • Big Fun in the Sun 
  • Blue Moon 
  • Cheerio “Sing and Whistle” March 
  • Danza Brasilera, for solo Classical Guitar
  • Fandango
  • Fanfare March 
  • Moon Rive 
  • Pensamiento Espanol, for solo Classical Guitar
  • Records Orientals
  • El Relicario 
  • South Pacific
  • Star Wars
  • Super Mario Galaxy 
  • What’s Up at the Symphony

About the Band

Sponsored by Ferris State University as part of its “Music for Life!” initiative, the Ferris Community Summer Band is celebrating its 52nd year of bringing the campus and the community together through music. It is open–at no cost–to all area adults, college students, high school students, and advance middle school students with band experience. In order to perform in a concert, musicians should attend the rehearsal beforehand. Musicians are invited to perform in as many concerts as they can that fit into their schedules. Musical friends and relatives visiting in town this summer are also welcome. To participate, either contact director Scott Cohen in advance (231-591-2484 or ) or simply come to the next rehearsal!

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