About the Band... The Early Years

On August 14, 2000, twenty interested individuals met to determine the feasibility of forming an adult all-volunteer band.  As there is no financial support from the cities, adult all-volunteer bands in Orange County are very rare and can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Stories appeared in the local papers, posters showed up in nearby music stores, and, gradually, the word got out that there was a new band in the area.

With thirty-five people in attendance, the first rehearsal of the band was held January 14, 2001 in the multipurpose room at Kraemer Middle School.  Stan Freese, Director of Musical Entertainment for the Walt Disney Company and former Director of the Disneyland Band conducted the initial rehearsals and first concert.  Within a few months, the members of the band asked Wayne Nelson and John Hausey to share the duties of Director.  In August of 2001, John Hausey was asked to assume the position of Director/Conductor.

The band's first performance took place on May 6, 2001 at the historic Bradford House in Placentia.  The next performance took place at the July 4, 2001 Fireworks Spectacular at Bradford Stadium in Placentia.  On December 2, 2001, the band participated in the City of Placentia 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Bradford House.

On January 20, 2002, the Band performed at the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda.  After the 300-seat theater was filled, one hundred folding chairs were brought in to accommodate the large audience. According to the RMNPL staff members, "this was the largest audience for any event at the Library since President Nixon's funeral." 

The First Annual Spring Concert was held on April 21, 2002 in the Valencia High School Auditorium.  The audience of more than 400 patrons was most appreciative and gave the band a standing ovation at the end of the program. On June 2, 2002 the band, along with six other Southern California adult all-volunteer bands, performed at the 1st Annual Temecula Valley Community Band Festival.

Our Band Members
The members of the band represent people from all walks of life: senior citizens and high school seniors, professional musicians, music teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, as well as college professors and students, all ranging in age from 10 to 92. Many are locals from Placentia, but a variety hail from places as far as fifty miles away.

Our music library, while currently small, is augmented by the libraries of various high schools, the now-disbanded Anaheim Community Band, the bands at California State University, Fullerton, and the private collections of the band directors in the Band.