A musical summer in Southeast Missouri

You don't have to travel far this summer to hear a variety of great music, all performed by local community music groups.

Below is a sampling of what you will find right here in Southeast Missouri to keep your toes tapping and your fingers snapping right through the dog days of summer!

JACKSON MUNICIPAL BAND

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band performs at the bandshell in Capaha Park. (Fred Lynch)

The Jackson Municipal Band, with approximately 45 band members, performs free concerts in the Jackson City Park from the first part of June through mid-August.

"We start rehearsals in May and rehearse through mid-August," says Scott Vangilder, director of the band.

The concerts are held on Thursday evenings through the summer with a special concert on the Fourth of July.

"We perform in the band shell, which is directly across the street from McCombs Funeral Home," says Vangilder.

While the Jackson Municipal Band began in 1920, Vangilder has been the band's director since the summer of 2010.

"I was the band director at Jackson High School and I started directing [the municipal band] right after I retired," he says.

The band, comprised completely of community volunteers, plays a variety of music at each concert.

"We play everything from overtures to marches to Broadway to pop," says Vangilder.

He encourages community members and visitors to attend the summer band concerts.

"There is a beautiful hillside and it's great to see young families picnicking [during the concerts]," he says. "It really looks a lot like a Norman Rockwell painting."

CAPE GIRARDEAU MUNICIPAL BAND

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band kicks off its season on Memorial Day.

"We perform during the veterans program at the Osage Centre," says band director Ronald Nall.

The 45-member band then plays free concerts every Wednesday from the first part of June through the first part of August for a total of 10 weeks.

"We start at 7:30 p.m. each Wednesday and play for about an hour," says Nall.

The concerts are held in the Capaha Park band shell near the corner of Broadway and Perry Avenue.

The first community band in Cape began in the early 1900s and Nall has been directing the current municipal band for 22 years. Each concert has a theme and the band does its best to match the music to that week's concert theme.

"We'll have marches, swing, jazz and musicals; we even did a Civil War theme last year," says Nall.

The band also invites special entertainment to perform in the middle of their concerts.

"We'll ask a local group or soloist to sing or play [during our break]," he says.

The band is primarily made up of seasoned performers, but they try to encourage younger musicians to join as well.

"We have around three to six high school students, around four university professors, about 12 area band directors and a number of people who were music majors or played in college," says Nall.

The band also asks a local "celebrity director" to direct one song each week.

"We try to have a celebrity director every week that we can. We'll usually ask a well-known [business person] in the area, or sometimes, we'll just pick someone out of the crowd," says Nall.

Nall is proud of the contribution the municipal band makes to the community.

"We have all kinds of [activities] in our community for [young kids], but this is something that we can offer all ages to participate, including our senior adults," he says.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION

The SEMO Choral Union is made up of community members, students who enjoy singing as a fun hobby and pastime and students from the University Choir, the premiere undergraduate choir at the university.

The Choral Union's primary role is to serve as the university's symphonic chorus, with more than 100 singers performing major choral works each semester with the Southeast Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Peter Durow, director of choral activities at the university, is in his third year of directing the Choral Union. He says while there are a number of trained musicians in the group, the Choral Union is open to anyone and no auditions are required.

"I just ask that they be committed to making music of the highest quality," he says.

The ages of the singers in the group vary greatly.

"We have a few high school students all the way up through senior citizens," says Durow.

The Choral Union, which rehearses each Tuesday night for approximately two hours, participates in two to four concerts a year.

"Our next [performance] will be our spring semester concert on Tuesday, May 6," says Durow.

The choral group will perform the concert in conjunction with the symphony orchestra.

Concerts performed by the Choral Union are ticketed with various pricing, and each concert generally has a theme.

"We will usually feature major works by one composer [at each concert] and most of the music [will be classical),[CloseDouble] says Durow.

He says the upcoming spring concert will be challenging, as all the singing is in Latin.

"Our singers are very dedicated. [Most] have a musical background and a common love for music," he says. "There is nothing quite like a group of like-minded individuals making something that sounds amazing that they can't do by themselves."

CHAFFEE COMMUNITY BAND

Once a year, typically around Memorial Day weekend, community volunteers in Chaffee, Mo., come together to form the Chaffee Community Band. Tim Cannon organizes the group along with his wife, Germaine.

"Tim gets the people to play and picks the music," says Germaine. "I help make phone calls and do whatever else [the band] needs me to do."

The band, usually comprised of 20 to 30 volunteers ages 14 and up, performs at the gazebo in the center of town.

"Tim plays the tuba and usually the Chaffee High School band director will lead the band," says Germaine.

A different theme is chosen for the concert each year.

"He's done a Disney theme, TV shows and I'm not sure what his theme will be this year," says Germaine.

The concert, which has been performed annually for the last four years, is free to the public and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

"Our community really needs this," says Germaine. "It gets [people] together and helps them think of past times, and now younger [people are attending as well]."

STE. GENEVIEVE MUNICIPAL BAND

The Ste. Genevieve Municipal Band has been entertaining folks since the 1920s.

"The rumor I've always heard is that John Philip Sousa came through Ste. Genevieve with his band and that's how this band started," says John Mooney, band conductor.

The band performs at 8 p.m. on Thursdays from June through August at the Valle High School grounds at Dubourg Place at Merchant Street. Admission is free.

"[Our band] is supported by our town financially through a band tax," says Mooney. "The tax supports all free public music performances [in the community]."

Band members range in age from high school students to senior citizens.

"You must have completed your freshman year in high school," says Mooney.

The band performs a heavy summer concert schedule.

"We perform 10 one-hour concerts with one two-hour rehearsal before each concert," says Mooney.

As in most communities, the Ste. Genevieve Municipal Band bonds the musicians who play together.

"It's great to see high school band members all the way up to our older musicians all come together with a common goal to play music together," says Mooney.

More music in Sikeston

Sikeston, Mo., has a couple of community events where you can hear great live music from local talents.

Jordan Tide, a volunteer bluegrass group, plays on Saturdays at the downtown farmers market. The market is open from 7 a.m. to noon from May through October in the American Legion Square.

"The group always plays and then other [musicians] just show up and jam with them," says Lynn Lancaster, executive director of Historic Downtown Sikeston. "The music at the farmers market adds a festive atmosphere and pulls people to the center of the market."

The other free musical event featuring local talent is Music in the Park. Local groups and bands play a variety of music, from rock n-roll to gospel, from 6 to 8 p.m. every Friday in June in Malone Park.

"Music in the Park is a wonderful, free family event that's very all-American. It's very nostalgic," says Lancaster.