‘We only exist because the community supports us’: Oxford’s locals make up ‘zero-stress’ band
The Oxford Community Band performs at multiple community events throughout the year. However, these aren’t professionals – these are everyday people in town, some of whom haven’t picked up an instrument in years.
Every year, a group of musicians gathers to perform at community events in Oxford, from the Freedom Festival in the summer to the Holiday Festival in December.
However, these performers aren’t professionals with years of experience. These are your neighbors, coworkers and family members, some of whom haven’t played an instrument in years.
Together, they make up the Oxford Community Band.
The band is composed of members from the Oxford community as well as surrounding areas. These members range from retired individuals to those who recently graduated and began working, but wanted an extracurricular activity.
“The community band tradition just throughout the U.S. has a very rich history,” said Joseph Cadle, the band’s music director. “We’ve got individuals who are retired and at the end of their career, and this is just something that they do for fun. We’ve [also] got individuals who are actively in their career or just out of college and starting their career.”
The band meets every Tuesday at Talawanda Middle School. They're on a break over the summer but will begin meeting again in September in preparation for various performances until the new year.
Cadle said these rehearsals are open to anyone regardless of skill level, calling the band a “zero-stress ensemble.”
Cadle graduated from Miami University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in music. He works as a mechanical engineer in Dayton. During his free time, he teaches multiple high school groups along with the Oxford Community Band, where he just finished his first year conducting. He works alongside Gregg Wentzell, who schedules the group’s performances and runs the operational side of the organization.
At the rehearsals, Cadle said he tailors his teachings to the individual musician, but he tries to be consistent and instruct with a similar approach. Above everything, however, he emphasized the importance of these practices as a way for people to catch up with each other and connect.
“Frequently, people will be there beforehand talking,” Cadle said. “‘How are your grandkids? How are your kids doing?’ It’s a great opportunity to have a human connection and interact with people while also being able to create music. After rehearsals, we’re all sort of standing around and talking, enjoying catching up with each other. It’s really a great opportunity to not just meet new people, but build long-term relationships.”
Unlike high school groups, the band doesn’t play to be judged or for a score. This lets the community band create its performance setlist based on what the members like to hear.
“Someone in the group [will say], ‘Hey, I really want to play this piece,’” Cadle said. “We’re picking music for that. Is it the most coherent concert order in the world? No, not always. But are the members having fun, are the members enjoying it and is the audience enjoying it? That’s the objective.”
The band starts meeting in late January and plays through the beginning of June at the Oxford Senior Center and at Oxford community events. It breaks for a few weeks before preparing for its performance at the Freedom Festival at the end of June.
After the summer, the band begins practicing again in September and meets consistently through the holiday season, ending with the Holiday Festival in December.
Cadle said performing for the community is the most important aspect of the band. After all, without the support of the audience, the band wouldn’t exist.
“Being a part of the community is important to myself, and I know it’s important to the group,” Cadle said. “We only exist because the community supports us. If we don’t give back, then we’re doing a disservice to the community members that support us. It’s crucial to me in our role in the community that we do events like that where we’re visible in the community, [and] we give back to the community through our performance.”
With about a month until the community band starts rehearsing again, Cadle reaffirmed the ultimate goal of the group: to attract a diverse range of skills and backgrounds with people who all want to create music together.
“It’s an opportunity to make music with a group of people with no worry about skill level,” Cadle said. “It’s just an opportunity to come out and have fun.”
