What could Lemon Bay Marching Band do with professional sousaphones?
It’s a question the Lemon Bay High School Marching Band has earned the right to ask. These kids swept every judge at the Florida Bandmasters Association District 11 Marching Band Music Performance Assessment, bringing home straight superior ratings, which is a tough feat to achieve. Out of fifteen bands, just eight landed those honors.
This year, The Artist Colony in Englewood is stepping up to help. They’re hosting three benefit concerts to raise money: Oktoberfest was first, then there’s the December 6th Holiday Showcase, and a Beatles Tribute on February 28th.
Sydney, one of the organizers, says that donations collected at the gates from these events go straight into the Sousaphone Fund. The band has already received $1,000 from Gulf Cove Moose Riders and $500 from Gulf Cove Women of the Moose after Oktoberfest, which is a tremendous boost. They’re still $2,650 short of the $10,000 needed for the first new instrument.
Why does it matter? Their current instruments are a mix of PVC and brass, and while they’ve served well, sharing them with L. A. Ainger Middle School is the plan for now, a practical win for both schools.
But the actual dream is three all-brass sousaphones, and that means raising $30,000. After all their awards and even playing at a bowl game, these musicians deserve the upgrade.
If you want to help, you’ll find donation boxes at A New Wave Salon, Beyond the Wave Boutique, and Dearborn Coffeehouse and Bakery. The band provides IRS letters for donors; reach out to Sydney at [email protected]. The Artist Colony in Englewood stands behind both art and the performing arts, supporting these students as they chase excellence.
