All-City Band seeks alumni, announces 60th anniversary party

June 27, 2011 11:31 am
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

That’s our video of the All-City Band at the end of last year’s West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade, and you’ll see them again in this year’s parade, coming up Saturday, July 23rd. Two weeks after that, the famed band – led by West Seattle’s own Marcus Pimpleton – will celebrate its 60th anniversary. For the occasion, they’re planning a banquet/auction on August 5 – also here in West Seattle, with tickets are on sale now – and they’re looking for past participants to join an alumni band. From the Friends of All-City Band, this news release:

School’s out for summer, and the Seattle All-City Band begins rehearsals this week in preparation of a summer full of performances in Seafair parades and community celebrations throughout the region. This summer, however, is quite special to the band’s over 120 students, volunteer staff members, and supportive parent base; this marks the 60th edition of the All-City Band program.

Founded in 1951 and currently under the direction of Marcus Pimpleton, band director at Chief Sealth International High School, the Seattle All-City Band is the longest continuous entrant in the Seafair Torchlight Parade, and has won countless sweepstakes awards in the region’s parades throughout their history. Made up of high school students from throughout the city, the All-City Band is a summer music program of the Seattle Public Schools. With approximately 1,500 band alumni in the Seattle area, the Friends of All-City Band organization, a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting the musical institution, is helping the All-City Band contact alumni for a few special events to celebrate the anniversary.

“We hope to find enough alumni members to have a separate alumni band, which is quite an undertaking,” said Marcus Pimpleton, director of the group. “I think it will be a great experience to have our newest members and those who haven’t played in decades performing in tandem.”
Near the end of the summer, the Friends of All-City Band organization will host a commemorative banquet to honor the band’s storied history, celebrate the impact of the band on its students and the community, and to bring together former members of the group. There will be a silent auction component to the celebration, as the organization hopes to raise money for new percussion equipment, travel costs for the band’s parades outside of Seattle, and scholarships for students in need.

The 60th Anniversary Banquet will be held on Friday, August 5th, 2011 at the Brockey Center on the South Seattle Community College campus, and tickets are on sale to the public online at www.allcityband.org. Alumni members of the band are also encouraged to visit www.allcityband.org to submit their contact information to learn more about the alumni band. Businesses or individuals interested in making a tax- deductable donation to the organization, including the donation of items for the silent auction, should email allcitybandalumni@gmail.com for information.

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