By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Municipal Band is pleased to announce their 2020 Summer Concert Series begins Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
"This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we're going to start with the Salt City Jazz Band, which has about 20 players in it," said President Randy Johnston. The Municipal Band itself typically has between 35 and 40 players on any given evening and we have a quintet unit that circulates the rest of the year, a brass quintet that's Christmas music and music at other special events, often performing at Veteran's Day and so on."
All concerts are held on Tuesdays at 8:00 pm in Carey Park next to the Hutchinson Zoo and generally last around one hour.
"There are paid players and there are volunteer players," Johnston said. "The band members come from here in Hutchinson, but also surrounding communities of Buhler and Haven and Sterling and so forth. The directors that are band instructors during the school year typically are often there as players. It gives them an opportunity to play rather than conduct."
Given that the only rehearsals are the evening of the performances, it is a bit of an endurance exercise.
"It is clear early in the season that you run out of chops pretty quick," Johnston said. "Your mouth gets pretty tired, but fundamentally it's pretty good. More important than that, I would say are sight-reading skills, because we don't get to rehearse the pieces but the one time or maybe a bit of a walkthrough, so you have to be fairly good at sight-reading, but then you have to be able to play for almost a three-hour period in effect, to complete the concerts."
Patrons are asked to enjoy concerts from the comfort of their vehicles or bring their own lawn chairs and practice social distancing by leaving six feet between parties. Admission is free.