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The Golden Eagle Concert Band (GECB) is a 50 piece all-volunteer adult community band, consisting of men and women of all ages and backgrounds. The GECB is active throughout the Denver metropolitan area and Colorado, presenting American band music from the turn of the 20th century through the 1940s, by composers such as John Phillip Sousa, Karl King, Jerome Kern, George & Ira Gershwin, George M. Cohan, and others of that era. The organization is a full-fledged concert band, including brass, reed and percussion instruments. The GECB plays concerts for the general public, nursing homes, hospitals, festivals, 4th of July celebrations, churches, and private organizations. The GECB has been the featured band for Golden's and Edgewater's 4th of July celebrations for a number of years. The GECB rehearses weekly throughout the year except in December. Many concerts are free to the public. The GECB's formal concert series, which includes concerts in April, October, and December, are ticketed and performed at the Lakewood Cultural Center. These formal concerts are generally sold out. The GECB celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2002 with a special concert at Teikyo Loretta Heights Theater with special guest, the Queen City Jazz Band. The GECB is now in its 31st year of providing great American band music and great entertainment to the public. Founded in 1977, the Golden Eagle Concert Band was originally called the Gold Nugget Brass Band, and was owned and directed by Don Smith, a former circus trumpet player. After fourteen years, Don Smith decided to retire and started to dissolve the band, but the band members wanted to continue playing, so the name was changed to the Golden Eagle Brass Band and a corporation was formed to operate the band. The band was directed by Dorsey Hudson for three and one-half years, then by various members of the band, including Dick Hays, Virginia Bonvicini, and others for about six months. In January of 1995 John R.Williams auditioned and was appointed Music Director/Conductor. In 1995 the band was known as the Golden Eagle Brass Band. He proceeded to have the band changed to an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in early 1996 which made the band eligible for grants from corporations, foundations, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District(SCFD)a seven county tax district in Colorado. In the past 13 years the GECB has received grants from the SCFD Tier III in Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties; the Fine Arts Foundation; Qwest; IBM, MDU Foundation, and other private donations. In addition, the GECB produces its own fund-raiser, "Come To The Cabaret Concert & Dance" held annually at the beautiful Shrine Ballroom in Denver. In 2007, the Band changed its name to the Golden Eagle Concert Band which more accurately represents what the band is - a traditional concert band or wind ensemble. The goals of the Golden Eagle Concert Band are: (1) to perpetuate the music and tradition of the American Hometown Band prevalent at the turn of the 20th Century, that provided opportunities for families to spend quality time together while listening to patriotic toe-tapping music; (2) to provide enlightening and entertaining concerts for the public and under-served populations; and (3) to further the community band movement. Some of the recent accomplishments of the Golden Concert Brass Band:
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