After forming in Plant City five years ago, the Eastern Hillsborough Community Band will return to its hometown next week for its first concert in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
The band will present “A Memorable Evening” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Plant City, 1107 Charlie Griffin Road. The concert will feature the band’s spring repertoire, which includes selections such as “Bolero,” “Stevie Wonder in Concert,” “The Beatles Remembered,” big band music by George and Ira Gershwin and more.
Plant City resident Kim McKamey-McCullers, who founded the band in May 2009, says she is excited for the hometown performance.
“It’s back to our roots,” she says. “I tell people we’ve come full-circle.”
McKamey-McCullers began playing the trumpet in the eighth grade. She continued playing throughout her school-age years but put the horn away when life required her to get a full-time job. It stayed in its case for many years until 2008, when she learned a band in St. Petersburg was searching for musicians for an upcoming performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, in New York.
“It was an awesome experience,” McKamey-McCullers says. “And after that, I knew I needed to start a band. We had our first meeting in May 2009, in a little church in Plant City. Eleven people showed up.”
Since then, the band has enjoyed steady growth. After its first year, it moved to its current rehearsal location First United Methodist Church, in Brandon. Today, the band has more than 50 active members. Some are professional musicians, while others have stories similar to McKamey-McCullers. But, they all come together to share their love of music with each other and the community.
Today, the band rehearses weekly and performs as many as 15 concerts each year. It is conducted by Ken Watts, who also serves as the interim director of the Plant City Community Choir.
“Some members hadn’t played their instruments in 10, 15, 20 years (before joining the band),” McKamey-McCullers says. “For many of us, our passion has always been music, but we couldn’t make a living out of it.”
Ironically, since starting the band, McKamey-McCullers has transitioned into a full-time career in music. She currently works at Music Showcase, a music instrument shop and school based in Brandon.
The band always is looking for new members. There is no audition, but all participants must be able to read music, own their own instrument and be available to rehearse and perform. Anyone interested in joining should contact the band through its website, ehcb.org.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
Eastern Hillsborough Community Band Presents “A Memorable Evening”
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10
WHERE: Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Plant City, 1107 Charlie Griffin Road
COST: Suggested $5 donation at the door
CONTACT: (813) 569-1771 or info@ehcb.org
WEBSITE: ehcb.org