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ABOUT EDISON BANDS
Edison Bands are a multi-faceted, co-curricular performing arts education program serving the diverse community of Lake Station as part of the Lake Station Community Schools and Edison Jr-Sr High School. Our musicians learn how to read and interpret music, as well as how to practice, perform, and improve their communities through service-oriented leadership. With a long history going back to 1938, the band has evolved over time to meet the needs of our community and school. As we begin to step off in a new direction, we hope to continue to inspire and develop future generations of musicians and community leaders.
Band provides an opportunity to become part of something larger than the individual. As an ensemble activity, all the musicians work to create a unified band that works and performs together. To join the ranks of that history is a privilege. As students grow as musicians and understand the musical world we live in, they will be better equipped for life.
OUR MISSION
To inspire and develop young citizens of all backgrounds to achieve excellence in music and performing arts, improve their school, and become champions through education, camaraderie, and a life-changing culture of community.
WHAT IS A BRASS BAND?
Beginning in 2025, Edison Bands will transition to a "brass band" style instrumentation. Brass bands have only two instrument families: brasswinds and percussion instruments. In the brass family, students can choose from trumpet/cornet, horn, trombone, euphonium, or tuba. In percussion, students will learn all the percussive instruments, both drums and mallets, as well as auxiliary instruments. Frequently, you will hear the term "british brass band" tossed about when referring to this type of band, and that is because of where the tradition originated from. However, there is a strong brass/silver band tradition in North America.
Brass bands really became popular through the mid-1800s as brass instruments continued to improve. Many of the first brass bands were organized as community organizations, but were also frequently supported or sponsored by private companies. Part philanthropy and part advertising, some bands have managed to outlast the companies which founded them. The creation of band contests solidified the popularity of brass bands and influenced the way that those bands evolved over time. The benefit to brass band instrumentation is that where wind bands need (almost) at least 40 players, a full brass band needs only 25 players. While brass bands lost popularity in the U.S. for a time, a recent resurgence has led to over 100 brass bands in the U.S. For more information on brass bands and their history, be sure to check out these websites:
usopenbrass.org
nabba.org
COMMUNITY SERVICE
