DAYTONA BEACH CONCERT BAND premiering "The Daytona Beach March"

BAND AND POET PREMIER "DAYTONA BEACH MARCH" AT CONCERT

The music for the march was first composed by M. A. Althouse, a contemporary and friend of John Philip Sousa. When the 1915 copyright expired for Althouse's "Old Berk's March," the Daytona Beach Concert Band decided to re-commission the work as Daytona Beach's official march. 
The Daytona Beach Concert Band is directed by Charles Long, a long-time band director and principal for Volusia County Schools. The band is celebrating its 25th year, numbering up to 30 musicians whose age and musical credentials range from high school and college students to seniors and seasoned professionals. Their website, http://www.dbconcertband.com/, advertises that they are always looking for new band members.
Donald Travis, president of the band, thought of Axelrod to write the first-ever lyrics for the music. "Don helped me through the process," Axelrod reports. "I have written poems that became lyrics and were set to music. Writing words that would fit correctly to existing music was a bit more complex than I expected," Axelrod said. When the band adds the march to its repertoire, it is hoped that it will be "catchy" enough that people will leave singing the lyrics. "Not all good lyrics become an 'earworm,'" says Axelrod, "but I'd hope what I wrote will have staying power. I love Daytona Beach and I want people to sense what a great place it is to live."
A part of the march starts like a cheer but goes on to express a sincere sentiment: 
D-A-Y-T-O-N-A! It's a place where people come to play. But if you only visit a single day, it's a place you'll want to stay."

Others Details

Time: 15:00 to 16:30 Category: Community | Local / Community Artists / Speakers: Dr. David B. Axelrod, Volusia County Poet Laureate URLs: Website: https://go.evvnt.com/572953-2?pid=6581 Website: https://go.evvnt.com/572953-3?pid=6581