Milford Community Band

The Milford Community Band was founded in 1990 by Joe Lear, a former member of the Wesley College Jazz Band, and the group started with 16 members who responded to an advertisement in the Milford Chronicle. Lear borrowed music from Gerald Thompson, director of the Milford High School Band, and held the first rehearsal in a church choir room. The band’s first permanent rehearsal space was at the Avenue United Methodist Church, and then in 2005, the band began renting space from the Kiwanis Club before purchasing the building in 2008. The band initially called itself the Milford Adult Community Band but dropped the word “adult” after high school students joined.

Address: 315 Claude St, Milford, DE 19963
Website: https://milfordcommunityband.org/

Interview with Velvet Siegel, a board member from the Milford Community Band, a non-profit organization that meets once a week to rehearse and perform four concerts a year. They also supplement their performances by playing for organizations, nursing homes, and communities. The band consists of multi-generational musicians ranging from age 17 to their 80s. They have smaller sub-bands such as the Mid-Del Sax Quartet and the Smooth Sound Big Band. They encourage donors and invite musicians to join them. To learn more about the organization, join the group, or donate, visit their website at milfordcommunityband.org. They can also be contacted to perform at events by clicking on the links on their website. The conversation took place as a promotion for Delaware’s largest giving day, #DoMore24DE, on March 2nd and 3rd, 2023.