The Four Corners Community Band will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025 through a concert in March, along with other surprises yet to be revealed.
The band was created in December 1999 through the efforts of Mark Allen, who had just moved to Cortez from Arizona that year. While in Arizona, he had been the director of the Cottonwood Community Band.
Allen hung posters around Cortez, hoping there would be some interest in starting a community band.
At the first meeting, only three people showed up. One was a bassoon player, one a French horn player and the other played the saxophone.
“I was pretty disappointed, but they were very excited and said they would contact their friends, so I scheduled the first rehearsal for January of 2000,” Allen said. “Around 10 people attended that practice. It was enough to pull off a few songs, and then it just grew from there.”
Every week, more people showed up to the Cortez Cultural Center, where the band practiced, curious about the band and interested in joining.
“I remember one time we were practicing, and the front door was open and a woman just walking by on the street stuck her head in and said, ‘Can anybody play?’” Allen said. “She came in and ended up staying with us for years, playing the drums.”
Twenty-five years later, the band has grown to more than 30 members from around the Four Corners, ranging in age from high school to senior citizens. Allen, though retired from the band now, was the conductor for six years.
“When I started it, I didn’t really expect it to go 25 years, but I’m glad it has,” Allen said. “I think my favorite part would just be seeing all these people who haven’t touched an instrument for 30 or 40 years get it out and come and join us.”
Band members have included people working in various occupations, including physicians, a coroner and teachers.
The only requirement is to be able to play high school-level music.
Current band President Keith Steele, Director Karen Steele and original member Sue Maxwell also spoke of the band’s 25 years, as well as providing insight into what the band looks like today.
“We will entertain anybody that has played through high school and into college, even if they haven’t played for 20 years,” Keith Steele said. “You don’t have to be active. We will bring you up to speed if you want to pull your instrument out of the closet and warm it up. We’re glad to have you and we’ll help you out. We’re basically a giant family. We have a lot of fun together.”
The band meets every Monday night for two hours, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Cortez. The church allows the band to practice in their basement and dining area.
Right now, they hope to find individuals who can play the saxophone, clarinet and baritone to join.
The first performance of 2025 is Tuesday, March 4, at First Baptist Church, starting at 7 p.m. The band’s concerts are free.
This concert will also be a nod to the 25th anniversary, with past members being honored. There will also be a slideshow from previous years playing during the concert.
“We want to celebrate the members that have been in the band throughout the years,” Keith Steel said. “We are going to try to contact previous members that have retired and recognize them at our concerts.”
The theme is “A Concert of Firsts,” and two or three pieces will be played that have been commissioned by the band. It will be the world premiere of these pieces. There will also be a duet between a clarinet and baritone saxophone for the song, “The Elephant and the Flea,” with band accompaniment.
“We’re also going to do a piece that was played in the first concert of the band 25 years ago,” Keith said.
This year, the band will perform in Rico for a Fourth of July performances, along with several other concerts in the Cortez area. Recently, they played a Christmas concert and performed at the luminaria night at Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery.
Though they do not charge for tickets as a nonprofit, they do accept donations on their website and at their concerts.
Band organizers also started a new program called “Sponsor a Song,” which gives a creative spin to donating.
“If you donate $100, which is about the cost of buying a piece of music for the band. We’ll pick out the music, but that piece of music will be credited to the person who sponsored that song in the program for the next three times it’s played,” Keith said.
Another option is to sign up to donate at City Market. After signing up, a certain amount of money will be donated to the band through shopping.
More information about the band can be found through their Facebook page, Four Corners Community Band, or website at www.fourcornerscommunityband.org/.
