And the band played on

The Princeton Community Band is in its fifth year and is comprised of musicians of all ages and from all walks of life. Band Director Jim Jones said the band plays a variety of musical numbers, ranging from marches, patriotic and religious songs, as well as classics.

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PRINCETON — If music truly does wash away the dust of every day life, as claimed by German poet Berthold Auerbach, then an estimated 250 area residents went home well-cleansed Sunday night.

The Princeton Community Band, in its fifth year, performed its second summer concert of the season Sunday evening at the Soldiers and Sailors Park in Princeton. Musical numbers ranged from marches, to patriotic and religious songs, to classics like “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Jim Jones, conductor of the band, said Sunday’s performance showcased area people, the musicians who love their music and love performing for others. Last year, there might have been 25 musicians on any given performance night. So far this year, there have been 55-60 at Thursday rehearsals, with 45 musicians at Sunday’s performance.

Though Princeton-based, the community band does have members from several surrounding areas, including Spring Valley, the Bureau Valley communities, Tiskilwa and Oglesby, Jones said.

Members range in age from a sophomore in high school to senior citizens. The only requirement to join the band is for the person to be at least entering high school and for the person to have some instrumental experience. There are all levels of age and music experience, Jones said.

Three new members of the Princeton Community Band are Alex Lange, David Larkin and Nancy Huber. Their backgrounds may be varied, but they share in their enjoyment and commitment to the community band experience.

A junior at Princeton High School, Alex plays percussion for the community band. The teen said he decided to join the band after some friends told him how much they were enjoying playing in the summer band. With two concerts under his belt, Alex agreed with his friends. The band is a fun experience.

First-year band member David Larkin of Walnut is a music teacher by profession. He teaches music at Bureau Valley North and played the tuba at Sunday’s concert.

“Music and bands have been a passion of mine for years,” Larkin said. “I do summer bands every chance I can. I grew up in a town where we had summer band and the towns around us had summer bands. It’s always been a part of my life.

Summer bands bring something special to a community, Larkin said.

“I think summer bands help build community pride and gives people a good social event, a very relaxing way for people to get together, to enjoy some good music and to get to know each other better,” Larkin said.

For Nancy Huber of Tiskilwa, playing in a band was something she hadn’t done for years.
Huber was with a friend last summer in a music store when she decided to pick up some flute music for herself, even though she hadn’t played her flute in about 20 years. She soon realized how much fun she was having. She took a couple flute lessons and, when the time came, decided to join the Princeton Community Band. It’s been a great experience, she said.

Looking at all his band members, Jones said a love of music is something that can change a person’s life for the better.

“There is the work ethic that music instills. You have to work hard to get better,” Jones said. “If you are part of a band, you learn the concepts of team work and cooperation and social skills and being responsible for your part of the music. If you let it, music can develop basic philosophies that you can take with you throughout your life.”

The goal of the Princeton Community Band is basically two-fold, Jones said. One aspect is to provide the best quality concert possible for the audience. The other aspect is to provide an outlet for all the musicians who love to play their instruments and who aren’t content just to play in their basements, he said.

The Princeton Community Band was founded by former Logan Junior High band instructor Jeremy Lehman and community members Tim Harris, Paul Kautz, Aaron Nelson and Debby Vetter. Since Lehman’s move from the area, Jones, who is a retired band instructor in the Tiskilwa and Princeton school districts, has served as the band conductor.