Join together with the band
The Carmichaels American Legion Post 400 community band is looking for players.
That’s right. A band that plays at a host of events throughout the year, all in the name of veterans.
As band director Frank Ricco said, “You don’t have to be a member of the American Legion to be a part of the band. That is a misconception that many have about us. We obviously have veterans in the band but anyone who wants to play can come.”
The face of the current band changes from event to event depending on work schedules, school activities or other obligations, with musicians from middle school to retirement age participating. Frankly, the best way to join the band is to just show up for a rehearsal. Anyone is welcome.
The primary mission of the community band is to perform in support of the veterans of Post 400, but its secondary mission is to play in support of the community. The band’s season begins in May with the Memorial Day remembrance and concludes in December with Wreaths Across America.
The band members are all volunteers who receive no pay for participating in events such as the Coal Show parade in Carmichaels and the Covered Bridge Festival at the Greene Academy. Ricco said the band prides itself in that it has at times had as many as seven retired music teachers at a rehearsal or performance and it is a great resource for the younger musicians who join.
But at the heart of this eclectic ensemble of musicians is the connections with veterans, something an American Legion Post never forgets.
That commitment is seen when the band performs at the Veterans Hospital in Aspinwall, or when it goes to the hospital every year to volunteer and help escort patients. Ricco said the vets really get excited about the music and he noted that while there are 54 musicians on his email list, the most the band averages at any performance has been 26.
There undoubtedly is a large untapped pool of talented musicians in Greene, Washington and Fayette counties who no longer actively play their instruments. What better way to show off your patriotism than to dust them off and get your marching papers in order.
Post 440, Frank Ricco and all the veterans would be most appreciative.