‘How can we be there for Moorestown?’

Michelle Gergich took over as music director and conductor of the Moorestown Community Band in June and since then, it’s been full speed ahead with new initiatives this year.

This summer the band became a nonprofit, a move that will allow it to do more community outreach, especially in supporting local schools and music students. The band will also visit schools to perform and have students play with members.

But there’s more. High-school students in the band are eligible to receive community-service hours for their contributions to the group’s community outreach projects.

“Our season is parallel to the school year, which puts us at a unique perspective to be able to serve schools,” Gergich explained. “A lot of other community bands don’t have that advantage. What we’ve decided to do is invite students to play in the band, which is something we’ve always done.

“Since we’ve filed for nonprofit status, we can now offer service hours to those students and service opportunities to students playing in the band.”

The Moorestown Community Band is sponsored by the township parks and recreation department, with additional support from the school district. It was founded by Robert “Bob” McCoy and originally known as Bob’s Bandits. The band was started as part of the school district’s adult night school in 1991.

The original concert band had 12 musicians – many of whom had not played instruments since high school – and a lot of its members in the early days were McCoy’s former middle-school students. In January 2013, L. Bruce Smith took over as music director, growing the band to almost 60 players and adding a jazz component.

“He (McCoy) was so big on people staying in contact with one another and building community and education,” Gergich recalled. “Those are the two main things – community and education – that I really want to continue forward from him and his vision. Not only just going out in our community, but also within the band.

“We’re going to be building community within our band, and in our community at large.”

The band welcomes all experienced musicians, from high school through senior citizens, to continue its mission of connecting hearts through music, enriching lives and elevating audiences. The band accepts members who play the following instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium/ baritone, tuba, percussion and string bass.

For more information, contact moorestowncommunityband@gmail.com or visit www.moorestowncommunityband.com.

“We’re just trying to take what we have right now, the ideas that we have, and we’re just trying to expand them, get some plans in place, so that over the next five years, we really start to integrate ourselves into our community a little bit more,” Gergich pointed out.

“This was the band that was formed in Moorestown, has always been in Moorestown,” she added, “so how can we be there for Moorestown in whatever way they need us?”