Municipal bands provide summer of music

Summer has made its way to the region and brings with it the start of municipal band season.

Both the Cape Girardeau and Jackson municipal bands feature about 50 musicians who are a mix of high school or college band members, band directors and people in the community who want to continue playing music. During the summer, they each play an outdoor concert every week.

"We've got a few professors and students, and it's a really good variety of backgrounds," said Nick Leist, Jackson Municipal Band director. "But really this is just a way for most of these people to keep doing what they love."

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band has been doing concerts since 1900, according to the current director Ron Nall. This year the band has an expanded library of pop and show music to go along with marches and overtures.

"We always try to take any well-composed contemporary tune and add it to our mix," Nall said. "It really helps get the younger generation interested in what we're doing."

Nall said the band usually draws anywhere from 200 to 400 people to the band shell in Capaha Park, and special guests like Jerry Ford really bring out the crowds.

"We do a light and enjoyable program for everyone," Nall said. "Young families, children and the elderly all like what we're playing because we mix it up."

Jackson's municipal band has been doing the same since 1920, and Leist said this year will be no different at Jackson City Park.

"We provide a varied program, just like what they're doing in Cape, that has the pop and the patriotic included," Leist said. "Everyone from 7 to 70 will be able to enjoy the tunes we've got planned."

Leist said the Jackson program also features special guest performers like Saxy Jazz and other local artists.

"We like to highlight our local music and let people hear what is going on in this area," Leist said. "We've got a lot of bluegrass performers coming in and it's really going to be fun."

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band plays every Wednesday at Capaha Park and the Jackson band performs every Thursday at Jackson City Park. Both bands begin at 8 p.m. and there is no alternate site in case of rain.