Roseville Big Band History in a Nutshell

When Mark Lammers was the Kellogg High School band director, he proposed a community band to Frank Rog, the head of the Roseville Parks and Recreation Department, who enthusiastically supported the idea of an adult recreation band and a summer concert series. This was the genesis in 1964 of the Roseville Municipal Band, later named the Roseville Community Band.

The next year, he formed a stage band within the Roseville Municipal Band, and this group, which later changed its name to the Roseville Jazz Ensemble, and finally to the Roseville Big Band, performed on Roseville Municipal Band concerts along with other ensembles. (He had organized other adult bands to read music on behalf of Schmitt and Groth music stores; Fred Christiansen, one of our recent members, was in these reading groups.)

For years, the Big Band was part of the Community Band, and the amount it rehearsed and performed depended on the interests and available time of the Community Band director. Bob Lancette, who led the groups from 1976 through 1987, was the first director to schedule Big Band performances independent of the Community Band.

In 1988, the two organizations evolved into separate musical groups with different directors, both supported by the Roseville Parks and Recreation Department.

Directors Sam Marks and Paul Pizner introduced the Big Band to more difficult literature, some of which was included in the band's March, 1989, performances in Acapulco, Mexico. Paul also instituted sit-in nights, to allow interested community musicians to have the experience of rehearsing with the band.

Glen Newton began leading the Big Band in September, 1989. Under his leadership the band continues to play top-quality published arrangements and has added a number of unique compositions and arrangements to its repertoire. To expand the band's outreach, Glen began featuring student guest soloists, emphasizing recent graduates of Roseville Area High School, on the summer concerts in Central Park. He also added professional-quality vocals to the band's performances, beginning with Mary Lou Peterman in 1990 and continuing with the Rosetones vocal quartet since 1994. In 1998 the band made its first recording, Concert in the Park. In 2004, it re-released the CD with eight bonus tracks.

The band's web site, http://www.rosevillebigband.org, which Glen created in January, 2000, has provided timely information for local fans and introduced thousands of music lovers worldwide to the Roseville Big Band and its sponsoring organization. As of June, 2007, the site had 65,000 visits.

A Look into the Past

	Roseville Municipal Band charter, ca. 1964 (42K)		Mark Lammers conducting (40K picture), talking to a trumpeter (29K picture), and receiving a gift from the band during a concert (30K picture)
July 4, 1984, Roseville Band Shell (24K picture) and Roseville Jazz Ensemble (17K picture)				May 18, 1985, Paul Manship exhibition, "Changing Taste in America".
	Newspaper article about the June 15, 1985, Confederate Air Force dance.		North Suburban Ball, October 1985 (42K picture)
Christmas Concert, December 8, 1987 (41K picture)				Edinborough Park Concert, March 23, 1993 (29K picture)
At the end of each song, look out into the audience a few seconds to acknowledge their applause; SMILE.	1993 showmanship guidelines		Songs rehearsed September 7, 1993, through February 8, 1994, contrasted with music played at rehearsals or performances during 2004.
CTV 15 rundown for the live broadcast of the October 24, 1998, Dance of the Decades at Roseville Area High School	8:30 Cutaway Interview - Karen

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This page was last updated
Monday, December 17, 2007.