Community Corner

Laguna Community Concert Band Receives Festival of Arts Grant

The $5,000 will go to support the band's scholarship program, among other things.

Submitted article by the Laguna Community Concert Band

The Festival of Arts Foundation has awarded the Laguna Community Concert Band a $5,000 grant for 2012 to support the continued growth of the band, the education of its members, and to assist in the bands' scholarship program to local high school students.

The Festival of Arts Foundation, operating independently from the Festival of Arts and co-founded by John Rayment and David Young in 1989, was originally designed to award scholarships to graduates of Laguna Beach High School and grants to nonprofit art organizations and educational institutions in and about the city of Laguna Beach. In 2007, the Festival of Arts assumed the financial responsibility of the art scholarships, enabling The Foundation to focus on its grant program for local non-profit art organizations.

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To date, the Festival of Arts along with the Foundation cumulatively has awarded nearly $2 million in grants to the art community in Laguna Beach and over $2.6 million in scholarships.

The Laguna Community Concert Band formed in 1998, began as an 8-member class at the Laguna Beach Recreation Department and has now grown into a fully developed 65+ member ensemble. Known for “Puttin’ On a Show!”, the Concert Band has gained a fine regional reputation for entertaining, often theatrically-staged programs coupled with a seriousness of performance. Band President Matt Wood noted the FOAF Grant, “For years the Festival of Arts Foundation has been a key supporter of our band which has been critical to our development. It is with a grateful heart that we say Thank You to the Foundation.”

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Established as a non-profit, all volunteer organization, the concert band has also develop several smaller ensembles including two 18-piece Swing Bands (SwingSet and The Laguna Swing Society), a Flute Choir (The Laguna Flutes), a Dixieland Band (Third Street Strutters), and several other smaller combos.  Together, the musical organization puts on over 20 performances each year including regular dates at the Laguna Playhouse, Festival of the Arts, Sawdust Festival, Art-A-Fair,  at civic functions such as Fete de la Musique, Art Star Awards, Memorial Day and Patriots Day, as well as playing in surrounding communities and at music festivals.

The Laguna Playhouse serves as the  band’s home concert hall with formal Spring and Winter concerts normally playing to sold-out audiences. November 18 will be the next concert date. Details on the bands website at www.lagunaconcertband.com


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