Mission Statement
The mission of the Melbourne Municipal Band (MMB), established in 1965, is to bring free concerts to area residents and visitors, to promote music appreciation and education - particularly among young people - and to provide members of the band with an avenue for music performance and development. One-third of the band's 80-plus members are professional musicians. In a typical year, the band serves 20,000 attendees, and its members give 27,000 hours of community service in the form of rehearsals and performance time.
Description
For more than 50 years, the Melbourne Municipal Band (MMB) has performed an exciting variety of musical concerts. The MMB concert band and Swingtime, our 20-piece Big Band, perform popular tunes, themes from Broadway and Hollywood, patriotic songs and marches, classical music, and Big Band swing selections. These concerts are scheduled every month at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Boulevard. Admission is free and tickets are not required. One-third of our members are professional musicians and music educators. Many of them are alumni of top military bands and nationally known musical groups.
In addition to our full concert calendar, Swingtime provides several dances every year, also at the Melbourne Auditorium. The dances are popular events, appealing to experienced swing and ballroom dancers, as well as patrons who just want to listen to a 20-piece Big Band. Tickets are required, and may be purchased at our outlets for a nominal charge.
Also performing as part of the MMB family are our small ensembles: Swingtime Lite, Oh Golly Dixieland Band, Adagio Sax Quartet, Sunshine Brass Quintet, the Clarinetics and the Mel-bones. These groups perform at various venues in the area throughout the year. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble, formed a few years ago by Col. Hal Gibson, plays two concerts per year at different venues around the county.
