By Channing Hubbard

The Westerville Community Bands celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, marking a lasting tradition for both the bands and the community. Primary celebrations commence with a concert at 3 p.m. at Westerville South High School on Nov. 16.

The concert features a premiere performance piece commissioned especially for the band, arranged and composed by James Swearingen. The Professor of Music at Capital University, Swearingen serves on the Executive Board of Music Education, and is renowned for his compositions.

“He’s a personal friend of mine, but he’s also known all over the world for his music — so it’s really special for him to compose for us,” says Richard Suddendorf, band director.

The Westerville Community Bands make up a group of non-profit instrumental bands with more than 80 musicians, all dedicated to making music. They were created as a way for musicians in the Columbus area to express themselves musically and to give the Central Ohio community an opportunity to enjoy high quality musical performances.

The group consists of various branches focusing on different musical interests, including a German Band, Dixieland Band and Big Band.

According to Suddendorf, members have a love for their craft, and directing the group has been a rewarding experience for him.

“It’s the heart and dedication of the members toward making music. They really have such a love for it. We have a large age range, from 25 to 83, and you really have to love music to still be playing in your 80s. So that’s very meaningful for me,” he says.

Westerville has a rich musical heritage, with an annual Music Week tradition established in the early 20th Century. Some form of a community band has been present since 1869, and the latest version began in 1989, created by the core members of the dissolving North American/Rockwell Concert Band.

“When you’re choosing a home base, you want a broad cultural base in a community setting. Westerville is lucky to have this, in both a symphony and concert band,” says Terri Siebert, who serves on the band’s executive board.

Looking forward, Suddendorf plans to keep growing musically with the band, expanding both the repertoire members’ abilities by introducing both old and new compositions.

“You just work to keep getting better — you can’t just stay status quo. And the members have such wonderful enthusiasm. It’s just my joy,” Suddendorf says. “You never do retire from music, really. It’s always inside of you — it’s what keeps you going.”.

For more information on the band, visit www.westervillebands.com.

Channing Hubbard is a contributing writer for Westerville Magazine.