Spring Community Band Concert Showcases American Music

The concert will raise money for new instruments for Wells high school band students and promises a May the Fourth twist.

[April 22, 2025]

Submitted by Wade Wisler for the SW Portland Community Band

The band’s spring concert takes place May 4, 2025, at 5:00 pm at the Multnomah Arts Center. The program features works by American composers, including two famous and popular pieces by Aaron Copland, “Appalachian Spring” and “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Other works include “Beautiful Oregon,” an exhilarating, lush contemporary piece by James Barnes. As the concert takes place on Star Wars Day (May the Fourth), the program also includes a lengthy and challenging medley of music from the Star Wars movies. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated. Pizza, salad and beverages will be available, including microbrews from Level Beer.

Nick Caldwell conducts the winter concert.

Rehearsing in the Ida B. Wells High School band room under the direction of Wells band director Nick Caldwell and sharing some of the school's instruments, SW Portland Community Band (SWPCB) is closely linked to the high school.

The band uses the Wells percussion instruments as well as some of the wind instruments. To give back to the school's music program, donations collected at the band's concerts are dedicated to replacing outdated and worn out instruments. Last year, fundraising to purchase a much needed new set of chimes for the percussion section was completed. The old chimes were donated to the music program at Robert Gray Middle School.

The new chimes for the high school purchased with several years of SWPCB concert proceeds.

This year’s fundraising goal is a new vibraphone. The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. New concert vibraphones can sell for as much as $10,000. The band is exploring various brands in its search for a new set.

The vibraphone was determined to be the next priority in terms of instrument updates, both for the Wells band and SWPCB. “While it still works, the sound isn’t what it could or should be,” said percussion section leader and assistant conductor Kevin Love.

According to band director Nick Caldwell, the current vibraphone is 68 years old. “It came with the building,” he said. Wells, formerly called Wilson High School and slated for modernization in the next few years, was built in 1957.

The vibraphone was new when the school was built in 1957. SWPCB hopes to raise enough money for a new one.

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