Three Generations, One Stage: Maryland Community Band Turns 30

On Tuesday nights, the orchestra room at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center becomes an oasis. Nearly 100 musicians unpack their instruments and set aside the outside world for two hours. They’re not rehearsing for auditions or striving to be world-class—they’re making music for the community, and staying connected as Terps.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Maryland Community Band, founded in 1995 by Band Directors John E. Wakefield and L. Richmond Sparks as a special outreach project of the University of Maryland Band Program. The 501(c)3 organization, made up of alums, faculty, staff, graduate students and community members, has spent three decades cultivating a place for Terps to come home to campus and play, regardless of their current profession.

“It was something that alums wanted,” explains Marianne Kassabian ’90. “When it started, I remember it was a lot of alums and a lot of faculty and staff. Then, some members of the community were brought in.”

Kassabian joined because of peer pressure, she says, and she’s been a part of it ever since.

The Maryland Community Band performs in May 2025 with current conductor Douglas Quinzi '04.

Now, the group has grown to a much larger organization made up of Terps from across generations. Tim Girdler ’98, the current president of the organization, helps foster this culture—literally. His parents, both Terp alums, have played in the group, as well as his two daughters, currently in high school.

“The horn section was my dad and his granddaughters. I got to stand up and address the crowd as president of the group and welcome them,” he recalls. “I said, ‘this is very big for a family organization. In fact, right now, there are three generations of my family on stage.’”

That spirit of connection is what keeps people coming back year after year. “I just get to sit down, play my horn and contribute as a member of a larger group to this piece of music and the seeking of excellence,” says Girdler. “That has become a very cherished escape.”

Not only does the Maryland Community Band connect generations of families, from parents and children, to sisters, brothers, and aunts and nieces, but it also keeps alums connected to one another. “There're several people in the band that were in the wind ensemble, marching band, jazz band when I was a student in school, and we still play together in this group,” Girdler says. “We've gone different ways, maybe professionally, maybe geographically. We've come back, and we're still connected by music.”

The group performs four times a year with the University Band, composed of current students, and hosts outdoor performances for the community across the state. Recent appearances have included concerts in Columbia, Annapolis and at Maryland Day. Looking forward, Kassabian says the group will explore more performances and continue supporting the School of Music in the College of Arts and Humanities, such as giving hands-on conducting experience for graduate students.

But it’s also important to look back. The band will host a free 30th anniversary concert on Friday, Sept. 19, both in-person at the Clarice and live-streamed, where it will celebrate its growth, honor its directors from across the decades and pay tribute to those the group has lost, including Girdler’s mom, a founding member who passed in 2019.

“You feel closer to the memories when you're on campus,” Girdler says. “I'm standing on the shoulders and the efforts of all the people who came before me."