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The Nelson Town Band has been instrumental (pun intended) in carrying on the tradition of a local town band. We play on town commons, church lawns, and parades throughout the Monadnock Region of southern New Hampshire, with occasional forays into Vermont. .
The Band is made up of players of all ages. Typically the younger members are active in their school bands, and many are very accomplished musicians who plan to pursue a serious study of music. Several of the older members have dusted off their instruments after many years and are discovering how much fun it is to play again.
The Band practices every Sunday afternoon starting in February, and opens their season in Nelson with a Memorial Day concert, parade around the common, and a trip up the hill to the cemetery. The performance schedule becomes more vigorous as the summer goes on. We enjoy playing at the Maplewood and Rivermeade communities for elder folks, an ice cream social on the Nelson Congregation Church lawn - usually in early July and early September, and parades for many old home day celebrations and other local events.
Income from various parades and concerts gives the band the opportunity to buy new music, but more important, the money is mostly used to support students going to music camp, and to support other musical programs in need of funding. The Nelson Town Band has been able to contribute generously to new uniforms for the Keene Middle School band, a new piano at Keene High School, and the music program at Thayer High School in Winchester.
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